Well, let me have you, turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 5, Ephesians chapter 5 for our time of study in God's word this morning, we're coming back to our series on marriage, and if you want to give a title to the message this morning, it would be letting the Big Love Story shape Your little love story. Letting the big love story shape your little love story. During the week of mine and Donna's 25 year wedding anniversary 3 years ago, I found myself thinking a lot about our marriage and the state of our marriage. I also got to thinking about many of you and your marriages in the church and how many of you have spoken in our marriage at various critical points and you've also Served as examples that have inspired.
Us in our marriage. I ended up that week writing a poem. of sorts to you. Giving an honest assessment of the state of mine and Donna's marriage, and on the morning of our 25th wedding anniversary, I gave this poem to Donna and this morning, I would like to share it with you.
And it's called the silver anniversary, a message to friends, and that's you. It goes like this, the little covenantal union my wife and I have been building is 25 years old today. A cathedral on its way to something great, it is not, we confess, what it could have been. Doesn't boast as much silver as we had hoped.
The presence of so much bronze leaves us tearful. There's so much work still to do and undo. The front entrance door still swings oddly on its hinges. We thought it was fixed, but it is not....