The Royal Wedding: A Spiritual Perspective

I am from the west coast, and didn't even know the prince's wedding was approaching, but a friend struck my interest in the Royal Wedding and I am glad to say I stayed up in the middle of the night to watch the wedding on live stream. I was so impressed and inspired by the whole thing and believed the entire event was of the LORD, most especially the timing: amidst the backdrop of tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes, war, financial chaos, etc…The juxtaposition of all the events was really something and just makes me realize how there is truly a move of the Spirit at work in the world right now and it is a simply fascinating time to be alive.

The pomp, circumstance, and ritual call to mind the sense of dignity ascribed to the traditions of bygone eras and empires. They remind me of how the LORD uses earthly grandeur to inspire in us an appetite for HIS majesty, for HIS kingdom, for the fairy tale ending of HIS story. (History.) It also calls to mind the utter disgracefulness of how trite and lacking in beauty or reverence much of American Evangelical worship is.

The mass was full of Scriptural substance and spiritually inspiring, to say the least. The priests did a wonderful, Spirit-filled job of emphasizing what marriage is supposed to represent (the eternal union betwixt Christ and His church) and what a historical ceremony like this could mean for a world in peril and uncertainty, by giving us up hope and reminding us of the timeless virtues of selflessness, sacrifice, spiritual growth, love, and eternal perspective marriage is supposed to instill in us.

There was one point I felt Prince William had a particularly reverent expression when the priest called to mind John 3:16 and how just as God gave of Himself in Christ out of love for the world, spouses are to give of each other. And I could not think of a more beautiful bride to symbolize “the church” than Kate Middleton.

THAT being said, the spiritual impact of the event depends so far as the state of people’s hearts…I think of the guests present inside Westminster Abbey who probably go to mass every Sunday and yet still don’t know the LORD *personally*; who had Kate Middleton’s brother’s reading of Romans 12 go completely over their heads and who are just singing hymns aimlessly. (Really congregation? Did you hear that? "Be not conformed to this world?" and "Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position?")

There was one American tourist interviewed on CNN who said she believes Americans are fascinated by the royal wedding because we don’t have any similar figures to constantly admire and look up to and that “presidents are always changing.” Well–> I guess Obama-idolatry has already lost its allure and it is a crying shame if people just obsess over this event in order to be in denial of the harsher realities we face and need to come to terms with, and look to find more idols other than Jesus to devote our adoration.

That’s the paradox of the Gospel: the same paradox we find ourselves in today, with so much bad news (tornadoes and such) juxtaposed with so much good news (the wedding), It calls to mind Christ is indeed King and the promise for the faithful is everlasting joy — but before we attain our heavenly crowns, we must wear our crown of thorns, and before the LORD rose in glory and will walk His Church down the aisle to His Father’s heavenly throne — he walked the long road up Golgotha to Calvary, and died a shameful, ugly death on the Cross…

Too often, white dresses make us forget what they’re really covering up…and in order to truly appreciate a bridal gown, we must be aware of the body of death underneath first. Even though we worship a LORD in glory, while we are on earth, we must draw our eyes to the CROSS. And it is not exactly a pleasant, or glamorous spectacle to dwell on…

Even in eternity, our LORD will bear his scars forever...that reality also strikes me.

So while we may enjoy the Royal Wedding, we must enjoy it in *context* of the greater reality of our fallen, fleeting, and dying world...While we may admire the royal bride and groom for one day, we must remember they are not to inspire our affections or respect any more than a homeless person on the street. Because at the end of the day, they are equals. And at the end of the day,

ALL IS VANITY, and we are not called to act as like mindless zombies parading in a Vanity Fair.

My gosh, you read my mind...I was thinking the same thing. When Kate first appeared walking down the red carpet symbolically I saw the bride of Christ walking the isle with the PRINCE OF PEACE hand in hand. SHE was absolutely gorgeous!!!I love the way the priest or clergy SLAMMED the whole congregation with scripture after scripture...IT WAS fabulous! When Will and Kate approached the altar the first priest or whatever the title, opened with God’s law regarding a MAN and a WOMAN being the law in which MARRIAGE abides...Elton John must have been HORRIFIED!! Yes, I too thought about the WHOLE symbolic nature of that wedding and thought...SOON JESUS WILL BE CALLING HIS BRIDE TO THE BIG CHAPEL IN THE SKY...hallelujah!!!

It was beautiful and full of class. There were hardly any known celebrities. Those celebrity or not trying to get noticed or outdo the wedding were thoroughly trounced. It’s about time we didn’t have people who aspire to being sluts and scum weren’t focused on..

Yeah, I thought the same thing about Elton John & his “husband” when the Bishop was stating those things about marriage. I suppose he was invited because of his friendship with William’s mother, Diana; also probably a bit because he’s Sir Elton John. It was a Christian wedding with no PC apologies or rationalizations. Kate’s brother did a beautiful job of the reading from the Scriptures. He’d memorized it, with just an occasional glance down at the text; and with such a soulful, sober expression on his face.

“they are not to inspire our affections or respect any more than a homeless person on the street”

well, no, but there were plenty of people that God used in the Bible to inspire the peoples affections and respect, and they did not worship those people. I really like this article until the end when you seemed to undermine the point and end on a darker note. But an enjoyable read.

Thank you for your comments. I just saw a recap of the day’s wedding event and thought the service and the words of the marriage service were a powerful witness for the honorable estate of matrimony. For those that “have ears to hear” and “eyes to see”, there is so very much to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest from this service for it is what Christ intended for the members of His Church.

To see and to read this beautiful and meaningful Anglican service get a copy of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer or the 1662 English Prayer Book and NOT the 1979 Episcopal Church book of uncommon and pedestrian imprecations. The priest at my church always hears comments like yours when he conducts the wedding service from the 1928 Prayer Book. You would also be comforted and strengthened if you were to read the Catechism and the Offices of Instruction from this same 1928 Prayer Book.

the marriage service were a powerful witness for the honorable estate of matrimony.

...well not exactly since they'd been shaking for 5 yrs or longer. So hardly "honorable" for Kate and William. However the marriage vows etc. yes indeed are a thing of beauty... but these two got the cart before the horse.

Touche’, and I agree. Perhaps they royal couple are now going to take more seriously what the bride’s brother read from Romans 12:2, e.g., “And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. Perhaps the fact that some, actually many, that I’ve heard, have been moved to consider more carefully what they saw and heard today and which is part of the point of this thread’s original poster.

Well, I suppose one could also take a shot at the Archbishop of Canterbury who conducted the marriage office. Dr. Williams is certainly pro-poofter clergy and pro sharia law to the detriment of God’s Holy Ordinances, to name but a couple of things. Even so, the words and intent of the marriage office in the Book of Common Prayer are quite evident and obvious to those who really hear and read them.

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