A New Family at Danthonia
Randall Gauger
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
Words of Jesus, from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-25)
The ceremony was held outdoors, amid flowers and birdsong; the sun, which had been struggling to put in an appearance all week, blazed brightly. In short, this past Sunday was a picture-perfect day for a wedding.
And there was much joy at the Danthonia Bruderhof as we celebrated the formation of a new family. In front of over two hundred family members and friends, Chad Huleatt and Brenna McKernan made their wedding vows, promising lifelong faithfulness to each other until death parts them.
How will their marriage stand the test of time and the struggles of life? How will Brenna and Chad be able to sustain their love for each other in the years ahead – on those days when the sun doesn’t shine?
The words of Jesus quoted above hold the answer. For a marriage to endure, it must be based on the firm rock of faith in Christ, and the knowledge that he alone has the power to hold man and wife together through good and hard times.
For Chad and Brenna (as for every couple approaching marriage within our church), the time leading up to their wedding was spent laying this foundation. Rather than focus solely on themselves and their budding love for each other, they worked to deepen their shared faith in Christ and encourage each other in their commitment to him. They also sought the help and advice of older couples in the church, and turned to their pastor and his wife for guidance as their relationship developed.
As Chad explains, “During the months when we were getting to know each other, the support and guidance of our pastor and his wife were invaluable. Brenna and I knew we could turn to them when times got rough, and they helped us to keep Jesus in the centre. From the start, we knew we didn’t want our relationship to be based on things that money can buy like clothes, jewellery, and expensive gifts, or on outward appearances or the ability to impress each other. Instead, we wanted it to be founded on something much more precious: the love of Jesus.
“And we have experienced the miracle of this love, which can totally free us from all those other things that many people think are so important. We want to hold on to this foundation for the rest of our lives, and share this love with everyone we meet.”
During their wedding service, Chad and Brenna testified to the unity of heart they have found. Chad spoke of their desire to be a “fighting unit for God’s kingdom here on earth,” while Brenna said their wish is to use each day they have together to serve Jesus, in thankfulness for “all the blessings poured on us.”
We at Danthonia thank God for this wedding, and now look forward to getting to know Chad and Brenna as a new family in our midst. In today’s world it is truly a gift to be able to celebrate the marriage of two young people who want to use their lives in service to Christ and their fellowmen. To quote the early church father Tertullian:
Who can describe the happiness of a marriage contracted in the presence of the church and sealed with its blessing? What a sweet yoke it is which here joins two believing people in one hope, one way of life, one vow of loyalty, and one service to God! They are brother and sister, both busy in the same service, with no separation of soul and body, but as two in one flesh. And where there is one flesh, there is one spirit also. Together they pray, together they kneel down: the one teaches the other, and bears with the other. They are joined together in the church of God, joined at the Lord’s table, joined in anxiety, persecution, and recovery. They vie with each other in the service of their Lord. Christ sees and hears, and joyfully does he send them his peace, for where two are gathered together in his name, there is he in the midst of them.
Randall Gauger and his wife Linda live at the Danthonia Bruderhof, Inverell NSW.
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