It’s Easter – Christ is risen, so we say “he is risen indeed”,
It’s Easter – the grave is empty, they checked and they all agreed,
It’s Easter – death is defeated, the power of sin won’t succeed,
It’s Easter – it’s resurrection, you could say it’s God’s greatest deed.

 

The grave he was laid in is vacant, the crucified Christ has arisen,
It was three days since from top to bottom, the temples curtain was riven,
The sole sacrifice has been offered, the once – only life has been given,
The cold grasp of death could not hold him, the Lord Jesus Christ, he is livin’.

 

It’s not about tulips or daffodils, things that have grown in the soil,
It’s not about having a holiday, a day or so rest from our toil,
It’s not about baskets or bunnies, or eggs wrapped in bright coloured foil,
It’s about lifting our eyes from the ordinary and fixing our gaze on what’s royal.

 

“The man you are seeking ain’t here bro, even though you’ve arrived in a state”,
“Why are you quite so upset ma’am?” Though I’m sure everyone can relate,
“I’ve seen the Lord!” Mary protested, though it seemed that was up for debate,
But we all know the end of the story, Christ is risen, now where’s my choc’late.

We step out of life’s chaos – a moment apart,
For our new sisters, it’s only the start,
A journey we walk to come close to God’s heart,
And await His last brushstroke on our life’s work of art.

Washed of the old life, stepping into the new,
It’s easy to think there’s something to do,
But the aim is not action, just acceptance that through God’s open embrace we receive what is due.

A beautiful symbol of sins rinsed away,
With joy we all celebrate with them today,
And reflect on the powerful words we once again say,
That ‘from now on we promise to walk in God’s way’.

I have this little sister Emily, she was small and very funny,
Big smile, bright eyes and always sunny,
Bath-time fun with beards of bubbles,
Splashed with laughter, joy and puddles.

Growing up, shared memories came,
Treasured moments, crazy games,
Mealtimes laughing at old snaps,
Memories logged as years we mapped,
A bear in the big blue house her fave,
Until she met our dashing Dave.

Now celebration day, a wonderful thing,
Moments like this make us dance and sing,
And the greatest bit – all we need to bring,
Is ourselves and our joy to your wedding. {bear with, bear with}

We all woke today, some as early as dawn,
Mum and dad as excited as the day you were born,
All the ladies dolled up, all the men freshly shorn,
And you sat through those speeches with barely a yawn.

As their new life together they’ve started to pave,
We raise a toast to Emily and Dave,
The beard looks great, no need to shave,
No I don’t mean Emily, you lot; behave.

My message to you both, if I may be direct,
Is to treat one another with utmost respect,
Support one another and always protect,
Dave, remember only one of you’s always correct.

Your marriage a symbol of wonderful unity,
It’s a one in a lifetime great opportunity,
To rely on your partner for total impunity,
And live out your lives in a tight-knit community.

You see…
A happy marriage is all about love,
You fit right… together like hand in glove,
It’s equality – no bellow or above,
But if he won’t do what you want Em, just give him a shove.

In the wisdom I found from all the ancients,
One of your foundations must be patience,
Even the days you’ve used up your quotient,
There’ll always be someone to nudge at your conscience. {I think it just about works}

It can sneak through holes as small as a mouse,
And make your skin crawl like a tiny woodlouse,
Don’t let selfishness have any room in your house,
It’s not you you put first, it’s always your spouse.

You can only last so long driven by passion,
In the early days there’s no end to the ration,
But in these times when it’s going out of fashion,
Create some more time to be kind, have compassion.

It doesn’t matter what your mood,
You cannot let it make you rude,
You must not grumble, gripe or brood,
Even when David steals your food.

On a day that’s champers, flowers and posies,
And as this dreadful poem closes,
It won’t always be a bed of roses,
For all the years since he proposes,
So fill your days with love and joy,
Build up each other, don’t destroy,
Marriage – the balanced human alloy,
The partnership for girl and boy.

Emily & David may God bless you and your marriage and may you always feel His presence walking with you.