Well, some of you have probably heard by now, this fall and possibly a little bit into the new year, we're going to be taking a number of Sunday sermons to focus on the topic of marriage.
This morning is going to be our first sermon about it, and we'll plan to have one every month or so, just kind of mixing it in with our series through Luke.
First of all, why marriage?
As we look at the world around us, we're very quickly seeing the Christian foundation to our society crumbling, and the effects of that are quite alarming.
By God's good design, the family unit is one of the most important building blocks of a healthy society and a healthy community.
And by God's good design, the marriage relationship is the foundation of a healthy family unit.
And so where marriages are failing and faltering and crumbling, so are families and so are communities.
There was a time not too long ago when everyone in Canada held a view of marriage that was quite biblical.
But our culture has been slowly drifting away from the Bible and its author, and along with that, from a biblical view of marriage.
And the results have been devastating and heartbreaking.
Kids are growing up without a father, or in some cases a mother.
Children are being bounced back and forth between their parents' homes while their parents fight.
What began with love and joy often ends with something bitter and painful.
There was a time in Canada when the vast majority of married couples would simply stay together, even through the hard times,
because it was just understood that this is what marriage means.
Nowadays in Canada, about 40% of first marriages end in divorce.
And the annual rate of divorce is actually going down, owing to fewer and fewer younger people getting married.
According to a Stats Canada article published a few years ago, and this is a direct quote,
According to the Vanier Institute, since the 1970s, couples have become less likely to marry,
and a growing proportion are choosing to live common law.
Also according to Stats Canada, another direct quote,
In 2021, nearly 8 in 10 people, age 20 to 24, who were part of a couple, were living with a common law partner.
From 1981 to 2021, that's 40 years, the number of common law couples increased by 447%.
That's a direct quote from Stats Canada's website.
A much faster growth than that of married couples over the same period, which was only 26%.
They say that apparently this doesn't mean that marriage is being thrown aside altogether,
just that many Canadians are choosing to delay getting married.
And there's lots of stuff we could talk about for the demographics and the percentage,
how they arrive at that conclusion.
But some of these sources suggest that younger people are just coming to view marriage
as a sort of later in life kind of relationship that you get to eventually,
and that's meant to last, but there's no rush.
There's nothing wrong with just sort of, you know, trying it out before you buy into it.
Cohabiting, also referred to as common law, is becoming increasingly popular among young people.
And there's even a growing number of people in what they are now calling a living apart together relationship, or LAT.
Three out of ten young adults aged 20 to 34 are choosing to live as a couple,
like for a time, going on for a while, but not under the same roof.
And so what has marriage become in Canada?
For some, it's that thing that led up to my parents' divorce.
For others, and I've heard this, and maybe you've heard this from people actually saying it to you,
it's just a piece of paper.
Some even believe that our society must move on from marriage,
because, you know, it's just an old, traditional, outdated, patriarchal way of relating to one another
where people needlessly bind themselves to one another for life.
To highlight the problem that we see today,
where do kids growing up today learn about marriage?
If they're not being taught it from Christian parents,
or the church,
where do kids growing up today learn about it?
About three out of ten kids these days are born out of wedlock,
and with 40% of first marriages ending in divorce,
many of those born in wedlock are not seeing a healthy marriage.
What they see of it is often the failure of it.
Separation,
divorce,
fights.
It's becoming rare for a kid to grow up with an example from their own parents
of what a good, healthy marriage is.
And so where do kids growing up today
learn about marriage?
And let's just broaden the focus.
Not just marriage,
but where do they learn about romance,
dating,
relationships,
sex?
Well, aside from whatever they may see with their parents,
they learn it from online media,
television,
movies.
In many ways,
these things have become the teacher
in the absence of parents
in a healthy marriage.
Think of the movies for a minute.
How is marriage portrayed in movies these days?
Can you think of a movie that portrays a strong,
healthy,
loving marriage relationship
between a man and a woman
where both respect one another
and love one another deeply
and are loyal to one another?
Anybody got a title?
If it is,
it might be an old movie.
The number of movies
or television series
with this kind of marriage in it
are very few.
What view of romance
and dating
and marriage
do we typically get
from the movies
and from TV?
Something like this, maybe.
At some point,
two people experience
this powerful attraction
to one another.
They might even kiss
before they do anything else together
just to feel it first
and then go forward
or if not,
they might go on
somewheres between
one and three dates
and sometime in those
three dates
already,
sleep with each other
and then just
ride the powerful
wave of romantic feelings
towards one another
like a surfer
rides a wave
until it seems like
it's either going to
dissipate and fade away
or
until it seems like
there might be something there
that will last for a while
and then if the feelings
dissipate
in a few weeks
or months
well that's that.
I guess we'll just
wait for the feelings
to happen again
with someone else
hook up with them
sleep with them
see how it goes
and if the feelings
don't dissipate
well let's move in
with each other
let's see where this goes.
If it keeps going well
based on how we relate
to one another
and feel about one another
maybe we'll both realize
that we want to spend
the rest of our lives
together
and if that happens
we'll have a wedding
and we'll get married
and we'll live happily
ever after.
Isn't that the way
relationships are often
portrayed in the movies
in the television shows
these days?
But then there's another
part to that
as marriage is often
portrayed in movies
and TV
people all go into it
thinking they'll live
happily ever after
only to realize
after a while
that marriage
is hard
some
portrayals of it
show it to be
stifling
restricting
boring
preventing me
from doing
what I want to do
and from being with
this other person
who's now come along
that I'm interested in
that I'm attracted to
more than my spouse
and then it turns into
fighting and arguing
and having an affair
and often ends in divorce.
This is what kids
today are growing up with
is their understanding
of marriage
and relationships
how to do it.
Even the animated
Disney movies
have contributed
to this
from the youngest
of ages.
Many of the
they call them
coming of age stories
include some sort
of romantic relationship
that starts with
a powerful attraction
maybe love at first sight
kissing on the first date
a story
perhaps of forbidden love
a marriage built
on the shifting
sands of feelings
that they hope
will lead
to happily ever after
and of course
in Disney movies
many times it does
they get married
without hardly
even knowing each other
and we don't even see
any real substance
to their relationship
because it's just
a happy ending
for a kid's story.
Where in the movies
where in the TV
of our day
are the relationships
that last?
the marriages
that are truly marriages
it's no wonder
teens who haven't
grown up in the church
are skeptical
about whether
getting married
is even needed
and besides
do I want to
lock myself
into that kind
of commitment
to one person
for the rest
of my life?
What if I choose
the wrong person?
What if I find
myself unhappy
like so many do?
Why not just do
what all my friends
are doing
and just live together
with someone
for as long
as it lasts?
That's just
the movies
that's just
the TV
to say nothing
of the effects
of internet pornography
on our world's view
of marriage
and sex
what about
celebrity culture?
We here in the church
many of us
might not be
interested in that
or even care about it
but it's having
an effect
on up and coming
generations
and even on our kids.
Now I'm not
going to try
and diagnose
or speculate
about how we got here
too much
whether we as the church
have failed
in the past several
decades to address this
I don't know
but here we are today
and what can we do?
We are people
who believe
in the authority
of Jesus
and the authority
of God
our creator
and God
has spoken
about marriage
and Jesus
has spoken
about marriage
and relationships
how they can be
what it is
how it should be
could it be
that we've been
listening too much
to the godless chatter
of our world
about these things
and too little
to the one
who made
marriage
and so in this
series of messages
on the subject
our main source
must be
God's word
your word
is a lamp
to my feet
and a light
to my path
you might wonder
if you tune into
these series
or are here
for these Sundays
if this series
is for you
and whether it's
relevant to you
and your situation
but I hope you know
it's not just a series
for married couples
on how to have
a better marriage
it relates to singles
even to kids
some of you
may someday
be married
and how you
understand marriage
and relationships
today will affect
how you approach
them and enter into
them in the future
I'm also aware
that there are
some of you
who have experienced
a marriage failure
or divorce
this series
is not attempted
to rub salt
into fresh wounds
or old wounds
or to make you
feel guilt over that
sin has done
damage
to every part
of our existence
as human beings
on this earth
including marriage
and sexuality
and the gospel
of our Lord Jesus
brings forgiveness
and healing
and a path
forward for all
of us
wherever we may
find ourselves
whether single
married
divorced
widowed
dating
by looking to
what God has said
about marriage
we're out of
batteries maybe
by looking to
what God has said
about marriage
we stand to benefit
in so many ways
those of us
who are married
can only be helped
in our marriages
those of us
who are not
can be better
prepared to engage
in this special
relationship down
the road
and I hope to
even do one sermon
just on singleness
and what God
has to say about
remaining single
its special
advantages
and how it
brings glory
to God as well
so this morning
we're going to go
back to the beginning
if you have your
Bible with you
you can open it up
to Genesis
we're going to
look at where
marriage came from
and what do we
learn from that
what has God
said there
the book of
Genesis tells us
about how God
made the heavens
and the earth
it tells us
about how God
filled the earth
with all kinds
of plants
and creatures
and it tells us
how God made us
human beings
in his image
male and female
in his image
and God's
declaration over
all that he had
made was that
it was good
more than that
it was very good
that's a very
brief summary
of the first
chapter of the
Bible
the overview
of creation
but then in the
second chapter
of the Bible
we get kind of
a zoomed in
account of
the creation
of man
how God
made Adam
the first man
how he placed
him in this
beautiful
sustaining garden
called Eden
we read of how
God set the
man to work
and entrusted
things to his
care in this
garden
we read about
the special
trees in the
middle of the
garden
and the commands
that God gave
about those
and then
in verse
18 of chapter
2
through to the
rest of the
chapter
God goes into
more detail
about how
woman came to
be and how
marriage came to
be
let's just read
this
and I'm sorry
I don't have it
on the screen
but you can
just listen
the Lord
God said
it is not
good for the
man to be
alone
I will make
a helper
suitable for
him
now the
Lord God
had formed
out of the
ground all
the wild
animals and
all the
birds in
the sky
he brought
them to
the man
to see
what he
would name
them
and whatever
the man
called each
living creature
that was
its name
so the
man gave
names to
all the
livestock
the birds
in the sky
and all
the wild
animals
but for
Adam
no suitable
helper was
found
so the
Lord God
caused the
man to
fall into
a deep
sleep
and while
he was
sleeping
he took
one of
the man's
ribs
and then
closed up
the place
with flesh
then the
Lord God
made a
woman
from the
rib he
had taken
out of
the man
and he
brought her
to the
man
the man
said
this is
now
bone
of my
bones
and flesh
of my
flesh
she shall
be called
woman
for she
was taken
out of
man
that
is why
a man
leaves his
father and
mother
and is
united to
his wife
and they
become one
flesh
Adam and
his wife
were both
naked
and they
felt no
shame
let's
start from
the top
in verse
18
up until
this point
in the
creation
story
all through
chapter 1
we've been
hearing something
over and
over
and God
saw
what he
had made
and it's
it's
detailed
what it
was he
made
and it
was good
seven times
God says
it and then
here in
verse 18
we read
about the
first thing
in all
creation
that was
not
good
it is
not good
for the
man
to be
alone
God
is a
relational
God
for us
to be
made in
his image
requires that
we also
be relational
he is
father
son
and holy
spirit
three persons
yet one
God
and it's a
great mystery
he is
relational
in his
very being
and so
it was
not good
for the
man
made
to
image
him
to be
alone
we too
were made
relational
and for
relationship
and so
we read
about how
God made
the first
woman
out of
the first
man
so that
they would
share
together
in what
it means
to be
human
we share
the same
essence
or nature
despite the
differences
that we have
as male
and female
to say it
another way
this one
man
all by
himself
was
incomplete
he was
lacking
he was
in a
state
of
not
good
he was
not
good
by
himself
and so
God
made
the
first
human
relationship
by making
the first
woman
and I want
to be so
careful
with how
we apply
these
words
some
have been
quick
to say
here
see
it was
not
good
for the
man
to be
alone
he's
incomplete
by
himself
therefore
single
people
today
are
incomplete
and it
would be
better
for them
if they
were
married
their
lives
would be
better
if they
were
married
and we
can sometimes
speak of
marriages
if it's
the great
purpose
of man
and woman
the thing
that truly
fulfills
us
and completes
us
but I
think
when we
apply
these
words
in this
way
even
when we
mean
well
we're
not
helping
our
children
or our
youth
or the
unmarried
around us
to think
of marriage
as they
should
marriage
is a
fundamental
building
block
of humanity
but not
to the
point that
a person
who is
unmarried
is somehow
less than
human
or is
somehow
being deprived
of the
fullest
and richest
experience
of life
let's not
forget that
our Lord
Jesus
himself
was
unmarried
and he
was truly
man
as man
as it
gets
did he
lack in
his
humanity
because of
that
no
a second
thing to
remember
here is
that in
the next
chapter
of
Genesis
humanity
will be
corrupted
by sin
and that
will so
affect our
relationships
with God
and with
each other
that there
will be
lots of
situations
where it
will be
good for
a man
or woman
to remain
unmarried
and we're
going to go
into more
detail with
that in a
future
message
it's not
good for
said God
but we
must not
press these
words in
creation
history so
far that
we make
all the
unmarried
people feel
like they're
missing out
on God's
best in
life because
they aren't
in a
marriage
relationship
it's not
true
what is
true that
we see from
these words
is that we
were made
for relationship
and marriage
was the first
way that God
chose to
remedy
the loneliness
of this
particular man
and increase
humanity from
one to
many
this building
block would
give rise not
only to the
first family
and the first
family relationships
but to
community and
to friendships
with people
outside the
family eventually
and for some
the not
goodness of
being alone
will be
remedied not
by a marriage
but by deep
and lasting
friendships with
people from
other families
but let's
stick to the
text here
God said
it's not
good for
the man
to be
alone
I will
make a
helper suitable
for him
let's start
with the easy
part here
what does it
mean that
she is suitable
for Adam
God describes
how he brought
all the animals
to the man
and he gave
names to
them
and yet in
verse 20
for Adam
no suitable
helper
was found
it's almost
as if God
wanted Adam
to see that
he was in
a certain way
different from
all the other
creatures that
God had made
it's as if
God wanted
Adam to know
that he was
more like
God than
any other
living thing
on earth
here's all
these creatures
and some of
them very
unique and
different
we got the
four-leggers
we got the
flyers
we got the
swimmers
even some
two-leggers
who stand
almost upright
like I do
and have two
hands and two
feet
but there's no
soul in them
they can't talk
like I do
they can't seem
to think
I can't have
relationship with
these
at least not
deep relationship
they're wild
and in the
context here
what makes her
suitable for him
is that unlike
the animals
she shares
in his nature
and is one
of him
albeit with
some differences
and God does
this in a very
deliberate and
obvious way
there's no
question that
she's as human
as he is
the same sort
of being
because God
makes her
out of one
of his ribs
we see this
in verse 21
so the Lord
God caused
the man to
fall into a
deep sleep
and while he
was sleeping
he took one
of the man's
ribs
and then
closed up
the place
with flesh
then the
Lord God
made a
woman
from the
rib he
had taken
out of
the man
remember
that Adam
was formed
like the
creatures
of the earth
from the
dust of
the earth
and then
God breathed
into him
the breath
of life
God could
have made
Eve that
way too
but doing
it this way
is deeply
symbolic
and meaningful
she is not
just the same
kind
but she is
actually of
him
and from
him
this is what
makes her
suitable
for Adam
this is what
enables true
and deep
relationship
between them
they are both
of them
man
both human
both of them
in the image
of God
now we come
to the hard
part
at least
hard for our
culture
and our
world
she was
made
to be a
helper
that statement
alone is
enough to
make feminists
angry
and even if
you're not a
feminist
but just a
woman
this word
this statement
might bother
you
I will make
a suitable
helper
for him
helper
implies
inferior
we think
helper
implies
subordinate
we feel
are you
saying that
he was
made to be
the head
of the
household
and that
I only
exist to
serve him
and to
help him
and help
him do
what he
wants to
do
why does
it have
to revolve
around him
what about
all the
ways and
times that
men have
domineered
women
and abused
them
and the
thoughts
go
but as
I said
earlier
the
corruption
of sin
which is
coming in
the next
chapter
that's what
causes all
the kind of
damaging effects
on human
relationships
that we see
between men
and women
between husbands
and wives
that's the
reason
for the
ugliness
but even
before
sin entered
the world
and ruined
everything
God made
marriage in
such a way
that husbands
and wives
have different
roles
in marriage
Adam
was made
first
and he
was charged
first
with what
to do
on this
earth
he was
given
work
to do
before
she was
even
made
and by
God's
own
word
she is
the one
made
to be
his
wife
was made
to be
a helper
for him
and there
was no
sin yet
there was
no selfishness
he would
lead like
a kind
gentle
loving
servant
leader
just like
Jesus
was
and she
would follow
his leadership
and lovingly
help and find
great joy
in doing so
recognizing that
his work
was their
work
they were
together
they were
one
in all
of this
a helpful
analogy
may be
the human
body
the human
body
has
different
parts
but some
of those
parts
have
different
roles
it doesn't
make one
more important
or less
important
than the
other
I got
thinking of
this
you know
the brain
is kind
of the
control
center
part
it exercises
control
over the
other
parts
of the
body
but what
good
is the
brain
without
the heart
which pumps
the life
blood
into every
other part
of the
body
and even
into the
brain
and keeps
it alive
and vital
and responsive
they serve
different roles
one is under
the control
of the other
one shrivels
and dies
without the
other
but it's
not a bad
thing
in the same
way husbands
and wives
were intended
by God
from the
beginning
to have
different
roles
in relation
to each
other
and to
the family
and it
wasn't a
bad
thing
there was
perfect
love
and harmony
in relationship
between them
this is how
God set
it up
and it
was good
but then
sin came
and we
began to
fight
we began
to live
each for
ourselves
and not
for the
other
and it
falls apart
and husbands
began to
abuse
or to
abdicate
their
responsibilities
to their
wives
and wives
began to
manipulate
and subvert
their husband's
leadership
and authority
to get
and to do
what they
wanted
we'll
talk
more
about
roles
in another
message
we'll
talk
more
about
the
effects
of
sin
another
time
but let's
just keep
on with the
passage here
a little
more
verse 22
then the
Lord God
made a
woman from
the rib
he had
taken out
of the
man
and he
brought
her
to the
man
what is
marriage
marriage is
not just a
piece of
paper
marriage is
not just a
government law
or policy
about who
gets certain
privileges and
benefits in
society
it's not just a
social contract
between two
people
marriage is
older than our
nation itself
it's older than
every nation
kingdom
empire that
has ever
recognized it
on this
earth
marriage was
made by
God himself
it was he
who brought
the first
woman
to the
first man
and do you
see the
point of
explanation
there in
verse 24
that is
why a
man
leaves his
father and
mother and
is united to
his wife
and they
become one
flesh
not only did
God invent
and design
marriage but
he performed
the first
one and
that's why
marriage is
holy among
all other
relationships that
we may have
with people
on earth
it's unique
because when
a man and
a woman are
married God
is the one
who joins
them
fast forward
all the way
to the new
testament
Matthew
chapter 19
Jesus the
son of God
is in a
discussion with
the Pharisees
about the
issue of
divorce and
they want to
know when
it's okay
when it's
lawfully
permitted
to divorce
their wives
and listen to
Jesus response
in verse 4
Jesus says
haven't you
read that
at the
beginning the
creator made
them male and
female and
said for this
reason a man
will leave his
father and
mother and be
united to his
wife and the
two will become
one flesh
who said for
this reason a
man will leave
his father and
mother and be
united to his
wife and the
two will become
one flesh who
said that
according to
Jesus God
himself said
it
and so
what's
Jesus point
look at
verse 6
so they
the two
people are
no longer
two but
one flesh
therefore what
God has
joined together
let no one
separate
what we tend
to hear most
from that
is that we
ought not to
separate and
we'll talk about
that at some
point but the
part we often
miss is where
Jesus says
therefore what
God has
joined together
God is the
joiner of
men and
women in
this thing that
he made
called marriage
when they
marry God
himself is at
work uniting
them to each
other and
making them
one it's not
the piece of
paper that
makes them
one it's not
the recognition
of the government
that makes them
one it's God
himself who
makes them into
one flesh
one unit
one family
that's why for
centuries it's
been called
holy matrimony
marriage is a
thing of God
it's holy
it's a special
unique relationship
created by him
and that's what
we're losing
sight of in our
culture today
marriage is
sacred
actually sacred
in the true
sense of the
word because
God made it
as a special
relationship
he himself
ordained he
decreed for
the reason that
he made male and
female like this
in the beginning
and brought the
first man to
the first woman
for that reason
this is how it
shall be this is
how it shall go
from here on
a man shall
leave his father
and his mother
and be united
be joined
to his wife
and the two
will become
one flesh
I hesitate to
use the word
spiritual
to describe this
union or even
supernatural
because it's
natural
it's to be
normal
it's to be
ordinary for
humanity
and it's not
just the
intertwining of
souls
but of flesh
of course that's
what the sexual
intimacy is
and symbolizes
but it's a union
so deep that
Jesus can say
they are no
longer two
but one
one flesh
one family
a unit together
now to be
together from
then on
the original
intention and
design of God
was for marriage
to be permanent
listen if you're
not yet married
listen up
that includes
you kids
God made this
kind of relationship
for us
as an amazing
gift
a sweet
and special
union like
no other on
earth
all our
friends
come and go
through life
sometimes God
blesses with some
enduring friendships
that last quite a
long time
they're usually
rare
but family
is special
marriage
is special
it's the closest
of human
relationships
that's intended
to go with
you
through life
where you go
I go
because we're
one
God made it
good for men
and women
to have one
deep
abiding
and yes
romantic
and loving
relationship
that lasts
for life
and I know
that's hard
if you're
listening to
this and your
marriage
is in a
rough spot
or has
ended in
divorce
sin has
made a
mess of
things
and that's
why we
cry
that's why
we grieve
for one
reason or
another
when one
flesh union
is separated
and ripped
apart
it was
meant to
be
permanent
just as
we were
made to
be
perfect
but now
here we
are as
sinners
in need
of redemption
and grace
and the
good news
is God
is full
of that
grace
that we
need
not just
for our
sins
but for
our
marital
situations
too
we read
in the
New
Testament
that
marriage
is
permanent
but not
eternal
that there's
only one
kind of a
marriage
relationship
that is
eternal
and it's
our relationship
to our
Lord Jesus
the ultimate
eternal reality
to which
marriage points
and that
that union
can never
be broken
and so if
your union
has been
broken
know that
there is
a far
greater
relationship
for which
you were
made
a union
that cannot
be broken
with our
Lord Jesus
and one
day when
he returns
all earthly
marriages
will be
dissolved
and the
greater
relationship
they point
to
will be
ours
to share
in
all
together
with
Jesus
but I
really want
to speak
to those
of you
who are
unmarried
apply this
to those
who are
unmarried
maybe those
who are
seeking
marriage
or someday
may get
married
listen to
me for
a moment
don't take
your ideas
of marriage
what it
is
what it
should
be
from the
world
around
us
from
YouTube
from
the
influencer
on
social
media
TikTok
from
the
movies
who is
most
qualified
to teach
us about
marriage
and what
it is
and how
it should
be
how to
get into
a good
marriage
how to
have the
best
marriage
we can
who is
more
qualified
to teach
us
about
that
than
God
the
one
who
made
it
when
two
people
who
fear
God
and
love
God
and
listen
to
him
and
follow
him
and
obey
him
when
two
people
who
do
that
are
married
the
marriage
that
results
is
among
the
best
and
sweetest
of
our
relationships
that
the
world
has
seen
but
only
if
we
both
seek
the
Lord
only
if
we
put
our
trust
in
his
words
when it
comes to
relationships
and
sex
and love
and
marriage
when one
person in the
relationship isn't
following God
or both
that's when we
struggle the
most
that's when
things often
fall apart
we need to
look back to the
creator of
marriage
and relationships
he wants us
to be happy
that's why
he made
marriage
because it's
not good
for the
man or
the woman
to be
alone
but the
corrupting
effects of
our sin
will undo
!
and damage
and ruin
our dating
relationships
and our
marriages
unless we
are deeply
trusting
and closely
following
all that
the Lord
Jesus
has said
so let's
end here
marriage is a
wonderful
creation of
God
we were
made for
relationship
in the
image of
our
relational
God
sadly
marriage
is often
spoiled
by sin
the best
of it
we can
still enjoy
by faith
in Jesus
if we
walk
closely
with him
but the
ultimate
glorious
relationship
for which
we were
made
is what
marriage
points
to
and
that's
our
being
joined
by
God
to
Christ
forever
our
union
with him
will
never
end
and
cannot
fail
or be
spoiled
he has
the remedy
to sin
and even
to death
and he
loves us
like no
other
on earth
ever could
and that's
the happily
ever after
that we
long for
let's pray
father in
heaven
thank you
for your
word
I pray
that you
would press
it deep
into our
hearts
and that
for each
one of
us
in whatever
relationships
we have
now
that you
would guide
us
and give
us wisdom
and speak
to us
and help
us see
what's
true
and what's
good
and what's
right
and what we
need to do
in the days
ahead
we ask this
in your name
and for your
honor
amen