Bay Area Family Church supports the nourishment of the family as the cornerstone of a healthy society and the core of our values.
On Feb. 23, 2013, 250 people gathered at the Oakland Hilton for an affirmation of the value of marriage, and family, with an inspirational message, ballroom dancing and musical entertainment.
SAVE THE DATE: Our next event will be held on Feb. 22, 2014.
Marriage Blessing
God’s Love Empowers Marriage
Every religion and culture honors marriage and family in varying forms. Why? Family bonds are the most fundamental and permanent in human life, and the importance of love and trust in the family is thus a universal value that transcends religion and culture. Marriage is particularly significant. At the origin and center of a family is the marriage relationship. In the course of our lives, marriage propels people into a whole new experience of love. Through the love relationship between a man and a woman, we could also say that a couple can grow closer to God because together they naturally reflect the masculinity and femininity within our Heavenly Parent.
Successful marriages require preparation and support. This includes the maturity and integrity of each marriage partner. Our experience of marriage is also enriched by life experiences of friendship, growth through challenges of sibling relationships, and support of parents and grandparents. Indeed, at BAFC we learn that our Creator had the blueprint of the harmonious family in mind at the very foundation of the universe. Throughout the natural world we can observe beautiful examples of a pattern of masculine and feminine harmony, and the human family is also designed as a “School of Love” where we can experience the joy of trusting and harmonious relationships through a life cycle from birth, childhood, sibling relationships, marriage and parenting – all enriched with a connection to God’s heart of absolute love. Therefore marriages do best when connected to the source of love. God’s love empowers couples with the ‘true love’ that men and women need to carry them through the realities and (or) challenges of life together. Without tapping into a higher source of love and support, men and women can easily come up short on the ability to give and forgive, serve one another, and be steadfast and faithful throughout the years in the vast web of relationships that surrounds a marriage as well as the unique relationship itself.
To try to realize the fullness of marital love without God’s blessing and love as a foundation can be fraught with difficulties, as evidenced by the high divorce rate in most developed nations and the incredible pain people visit upon one another when they try to love without a spiritual basis of respect and fidelity, in a committed and lasting relationship.
More Than a Marriage
The Marriage Blessing, established by Rev and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, is an inter-religious affirmation of the universal importance of marriage and family, more fundamental than even our various faith traditions. The Marriage Blessing is much more than a wedding ceremony. It is an instrument of salvation and healing. Since 1992, clergy and members from many faiths have participated in the International and Inter-religious Marriage Blessing Ceremony. Through participating in one of these unique wedding ceremonies, couples publicly demonstrate that true love in marriage is the key to a peaceful world. Married couples join to rededicate their love to God and each other, renewing their marriage to become a part of this historical transformation.
Whether you are a married couple seeking to infuse new life into your relationship, or you are single and looking for a more promising approach to marriage, receiving the Marriage Blessing is your opportunity to experience love as God intended.
