For us pastors, it is a special grace when we are allowed to accompany a family over more than one generation. Susan and I had this opportunity most recently with the Bernhofer family. Well acquainted already with the grandparents’ generation, we have always felt close to Gary and Lauren, the parents of Josh and Tom. And now the wedding of Tom and Marissa!
It was a great event on April 7. The church was filled with the extended families and members of our congregation. Following the afternoon service, we had a warm reception in Fellowship Hall. A wedding dinner followed at the Imperia in Somerset.
The sermon centered on the story of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead just before he embarked on his own passion journey. It was an attempt to connect the joyful occasion of Tom and Marissa’s wedding with their service the United States Marine Corps, especially in Afghanistan, and to give meaning to the new journey that is ahead of Tom and Marissa as they become a family in civil life. Here at First Reformed Church, we wish God’s rich blessing upon them!
