Service of Prayer and Dedication for a lovely couple

On Monday I led a service of Prayer and Dedication for a lovely couple- Rajiv and Jinju – who had been married in a civil ceremony in Australia. They had both been brought up in India, where both their parents continue to reside, but there were several members of the family in Bahrain, so it was felt that Bahrain and St Christopher’s was the place to hold the service. Jinju and her family were concerned to have some of the traditions from the Mar Thoma Church and in particular the Crowning, the husband tying the thread around the bride’s neck and the veiling, so I had to do some homework. I prepared a brief prayer for the Crowning, as a chain with a cross was circled around each of their heads in turn before being placed around the husband’s neck:

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…As you are crowned King/Queen of your home, may you be adorned with the crown of righteousness all the days of your life and may your home be filled with joy and honour and peace.