Submission Notes

As promised, here are a few of my points given to The Pentecostals of Orange County at their marriage seminar. Last Wednesday's topic was submission. Ouch! The very word tends to make us cringe. Even so, we must be in submission just as Christ was to his parents and the cross. If submission in general is objectionable, so is Christianity. Included in this lesson were points made about authority, responsibility, task, beneficiary, motivation, and judgment. One great thing about submission is the benefits. Children are submitted to their teachers, but it is the child who benefits through the received education. Saints are submitted to their pastor, but the saints benefit from the ministry of the pastor. Likewise, a submitted wife will receive benefits. Now to the men, authority comes with responsibility. If you accept the authority, then you must accept with it the responsibility. Note that authority and submission do not match. Usually, submission has a much greater theoretical range than authority. Remember, submission is much harder to abuse. Because authority has been abused so much in the world, it often falls into marriage. If you are in authority, you are commanded to love those you are in authority over. I don't have time to give you all my outline, but the statement that I believe rings most true is this: Submission in marriage is a dance in which the husband always leads. Now before you crucify me by thinking I don't believe in women's rights, let me explain my statement. If the husband is in submission to God, his example of submission will lead his wife to submission towards him. Today, many couples use a unity candle as part of their marriage ceremony. When they take the two individual candles and join them to make one flame, they are symbolically stating, "We are one." In marriage, the couple must never forget they became "one." Marriage is team work. Bring out the best in each other, reach for the stars, and your blended best qualities will assure your team wins.

P.S. The picture is of my son, Bryce, and his cousin Cami. They were "hamming" for the camera at their grandparents 50th anniversary. Cami was wearing her grandmother's wedding dress.