Deaf to modernity and taste

I’ve been to two family weddings in the last two months: one was an evangelical service, and the other seemed to be generic, all-purpose Christianity. This biblical instruction was delivered by the religious authority at the first one (from Ephesians 5):

[22] Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
[23] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
[24] Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
[25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
[26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
[27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
[28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
[29] For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
[30] For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
[31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
[32] This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
[33] Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

… and this was in the second (from Colossians 3):

[17] And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
[18] Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
[19] Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

The preacher at the second wedding tried to explain that, actually, God wants both the husband and the wife to submit to each other, but it was a pretty weak sale. The instructions to the husband and wife are very clear, and very clearly different.

I gather (from my sample of two weddings) that the “submit to your husband” stuff is a common instruction to brides, which might be more shocking to me if there were more evidence that people put any thought into anything their wedding guests will hear.

For how many more decades will newlyweds allow “The Electric Slide” to play at their receptions? What self-respecting bride- or groom-to-be could fail to specifically forbid the Macarena? Is there a “must play ‘YMCA’” clause in the DJ Union contract?

Comments (2) to “Deaf to modernity and taste”

  1. I dunno how the gentiles handle things, but let me tell you about the new age Reform Jews. EVERYTHING is thought about ten times over. From how to make the marriage contract egalitarian, meaningful, and beautiful to how the hell to handle one sides preference for Kosher and the other’s for shellfish! All aspects of the ceremony will be very deliberately presented, almost painstakingly so.

    And of course, we’ll “boogie woogie woogie” Why? Because you gotta know it, you can’t hold it, but you know it is there. It’s… electric.

  2. Also, it’s really difficult for me to hear the word “submit” without thinking of clicking a button on a webform. Which I guess is pretty much the same thing as getting married anyway.

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