Faith Stories: Reflections on Faithful Marriage
To go along with the Valentine’s Day celebration, we asked a few couples how their faith has been a part of their long marriages. Here is what two couples had to say. We will feature another couple’s story in a future email.
“A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12b)
This Ecclesiastes saying symbolizes our marriage with the three cords being God, Bill and Joyce. The love of God and the love of and for each other intertwine to form the foundation of our 50 years of marriage. We have tried to put God first in our lives from the time we met at the Wesley Foundation in college, through the many moves for Bill’s work where we always found a church to become actively involved in, to the years of working together in the Walk to Emmaus and Cursillo. We continue to join with God each night when we read the Upper Room and Bible together, when we hold hands during prayers (even in church) and as we support each other in pursuit of our individual spiritual journeys. God, Bill and Joyce make a strong cord.
Bill and Joyce Perry
We credit our long and successful marriage to a strong faith in God, a deep love for each other and respect both of and for each other. We are both fortunate to have been involved in churches all our lives. As founding members, we have been involved in many activities at St. John’s United Methodist Church on a regular basis since its beginning. This has placed us among people who love God and support and participate in activities that result in strong family relationships. We are thankful for our 60 years of marriage, the rearing of three sons, the love of God in our lives and the influence that the people of St. John’s has had on us for more than 50 years.
Tom and Martha Burch