Communion

This was hands down one of my favorite parts of my wedding.  We wanted to take communion together as a physical reminder to ourselves, our friends and family, and to God that Jesus is the center of our relationship.  In this moment I felt overwhelmingly, "Jesus, we are only here because of you.  We would've never gotten here without you."  I cried through some of my waterproof makeup.  I asked my dear friend Katie Anthony to sing Beauty of the Cross.  I had first heard this song at CRU, sung by Katie herself.  It has come to mean so much to me.  While I was trying to keep it all together as a student/research assistant at the SESRC/lover of freshmen (not like that, like this)/bible study leader/wedding planner/fiance Katie would sing this to the soothing sounds of her acoustic guitar.  I remember sitting on our dorm room floor worshipping.  The line that stood out to me was, "The beauty of the cross is that your grace has found me just as I am."  The way I sometimes live leaves no room for the cross.  I act like I can earn my way to God.  Like if I do enough good I'll deserve his love.  But the truth is, I sin--miss the mark, can't live up to God's standard.  That's pretty easy when his standard is perfection, and thinking about doing it counts as doing it.  But sin is more than just minor mess-ups.  It's more like a disease.  We spend our whole lives being healed of it, and really don't escape it fully in this life.  Katie has a knack for bringing people into worship.  I knew if she sang people would easily tap into God's presence--even if they didn't know him  They might experience that through feeling peace, an intense desire to do good, bubbling joy.  When planning this wedding, a huge priority of mine was that God would be glorified through it.  I think Katie and The Beauty of the Cross helped with this.

Beauty Of The Cross by Johnny Diaz:

"At the cross I find the beauty of Your matchless grace
At the cross I see a King who died to take my place
It's the moment that You made me clean and pardoned my soul
Amazing grace that I would be allowed unto Your throne
Not by my own will but solely by Your will alone
I'm unworthy of this love you have shown to me
I see my desperate need

The beauty of the cross is that there's One who has redeemed my soul
Beauty of the cross is that I'm finally free and letting go
Beauty of the cross is that Your grace has found me just as I am

Not by my own works that I may boast or I may come
But simply through your Son the sinless and Exalted One
Only through the cross that I'm made clean to draw near to you
Saved so that you would receive all glory due Your name
Everlasting God from age to age you never change
A true love story remains for all eternity
That all the world would see

My sinful soul could only be
Redeemed by the blood of a sinless King
So you came to the world that You had made
Conquered sin on the cross and You rose from the grave

That's the beauty of the cross

At the cross I find the beauty of Your matchless grace
At the cross I see a King who died to take my place
It's the moment that You made me clean and pardoned my soul
Amazing grace that I would be allowed unto Your throne
Not by my own will but solely by Your will alone
I'm unworthy of this love you have shown to me
I see my desperate need

The beauty of the cross is that there's One who has redeemed my soul
Beauty of the cross is that I'm finally free and letting go
Beauty of the cross is that Your grace has found me just as I am

Not by my own works that I may boast or I may come
But simply through your Son the sinless and Exalted One
Only through the cross that I'm made clean to draw near to you
Saved so that you would receive all glory due Your name
Everlasting God from age to age you never change
A true love story remains for all eternity
That all the world would see

My sinful soul could only be
Redeemed by the blood of a sinless King
So you came to the world that You had made
Conquered sin on the cross and You rose from the grave

That's the beauty of the cross"