A Marriage Creed

I believe in God, the Creator,
Who made man and woman in His image,
And drew them together in marriage,
To be fruitful and to multiply.
God made man and woman
To become one flesh,
Together to exercise dominion
Over the world.
I believe that sin has wounded
The union of man and woman
As misdirected desire and power
Mark our fallen relationships.
I believe that God has a plan
To save humanity,
To form a new people
To be His bride forever.
I believe that the Son of God
Became man to enact
This new union of God and His people,
To heal and elevate marriage.
Jesus established marriage
As a sign of His unbreakable
Love for the Church to be
A source of grace and holiness.
I believe that God has
Raised up holy men and women
Throughout history to serve
His Church and witness His love.
Their witness to Christ’s
Unending, fruitful, faithful love
Offers a sign of contradiction
Against the darkness of the world.
I believe that the Church teaches
The fullness of the truth,
And offers a beacon of hope
On the truth of married love.
I profess my faith in all that
The Church teaches on how
Married love overcomes our
Selfish distortions of love.
I promise to defend the truth
Of God’s plan for marriage
And the marital act, which
Leads us to our true happiness.
I believe that the family
Forms the domestic church,
And its future will determine
The future of our society.
I will resist any attempt
By the world and even some in
The Church to undermine
The life of the family.
I believe in all that God
Teaches me through nature
And through the Church, and
Will hold fast to this until death.
Amen!

[By Dr. Jared Staudt]