A Thought About Preparation:

Marriage in most societies is intended to be a covenant made between a man and woman before God. During the wedding ceremony a vow is made by both bride and groom to honor the covenant. However over time the implications of a covenant have been lost for the most part and as a result the differentiation between covenant and contract has vanished and the two made almost synonymous. However, a contract is made based on mistrust in an attempt to force both parties to uphold the conditions of the contract whereas a covenant, in contrast, is based on trust with vows made intentionally and with the understanding that it is unbreakable. This fundamental understanding is typically explicit in the vows (“for richer or poorer”, “in sickness and in health”, “till death do us part”). We encourage engaged couples to take this seriously so that God may bless the union.

“….a cord of three strands is not easily broken”
Ecclesiastes 4:12