Excitedly, I hopped off a friend's SUV and hurried to the sanctuary of the Union Church of Manila to make it to Ro's and Natalie's wedding! I made it just in time for the processional. As I walked to the lesser conspicuous area in the sanctuary, I auddenly felt so much at home in a church sanctuary not ours as familiar faces from GCF dotted the 800-seat worship hall.
Ro stood at the altar with Dr. Pantoja and his best man, his brother Emil. He looked sharp in his white tux-- he always does in any suit or shirt he dons! God blessed him with a real well-built physique. After a few minutes, Natalie emerges from the stairs at the back of the sanctuary in her pearly white gown. Gorgeous!
She walks down half the length of the aisle where she was met by her parents who then walked her to the foot of the altar where she was given to Ro! And no matter how many weddings I've been to, I always find such practice beautiful and fascinating to behold, really. I looked around and saw a number of ladies in tears.
I sat alone in the back admiring the sanctuary, the pipe organ, the emotional event. Just as I was beginning to immerse myself in the moment, a strikingly articulate 20-ish woman stood behind the lectern and read scripture! I do not know her name, I do not know where she's from, all I can say is that she's pretty! (Hmm, writing that made me feel a wee bit like I'm back in high school again!) All other elements seemed to have become preliminaries when the two exchanged their vows to each other before God and His people. Ro made a beautiful vow as did Natalie- but hers was more emotionally delivered that there wasn't a dry eye in the whole room before she ended.
The hour-long but meaningful ceremony was capped the usual time of photo opps and processional. As the photos were being taken at the chancel, Dr. Pantoja walked towards me and said, "Glad you made it! Did you find someone to take your place?" I answered, "Yes, Pastor, I did...Ross Tan is leading tonight in my stead- just as the Doctor ordered!" He laughed and said, "Well, I'm going back to GCF to introduce the speaker and lead the prayer time. I'll try to make it to the reception." I was like, "Hmmm...if I knew that he was going back to church and run back for dinner, I should've planned to do the same." But I thank God for Ross' availability which gave me more time to witness my old friend's special day.
The reception was fantastic. Brian and Majar sat next to me on both sides, and we had a great time devouring the feast laid bare before us! I glanced to my side and behold Ms Scripture Reader was at the adjacent table! There was a real quick program during the reception to which very few people paid attention-- lesson: if you wish for your guests to participate in the program, do not serve good food!
After the dinner and program, as I made my way to the back of the country club pavilion, I heard a voice called, "Pastor Las!" That felt a wee bit strange, that's how folks from my old church addressed my dad! She called my title again. I turned and she stood with her husband smiling beside her saying, "So Pastor Las, there's no other recourse but to be the next one in line to get married...I love seeing our younger pastors get married!" That was perhaps the fifth comment of that nature I got since the time I arrived at the country club! I get a lot of that for a man whose love life is like that of a monk's!
At any rate, P. Ro and Natalie are now married! My prayer is that they shall be an example of what scripture says about marriage, and that they will have a Christ-centered one, that God may be glorified in their life as husband and wife!
Congratulations, Ro and Nat!
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