well i could blog five hundred posts and i could blog five hundred more, just to be the man who blogged a thousand posts… something something dreadlock mike…

but i won’t, cos who would read them. in fact this is a me post so it doesn’t really matter but suffice it to say yesterday’s wedding between michael richard strauss and nancy leigh enslin at the secret garden resort in kzn was incredible.

really triply amped i got to fly up two days early and hang with dreadlock mike who is one of my favourite people in the world and we had some good fun times – from the doo-do doo-do doo-do do-do doooo of plants vz zombies that he greeted me with huge skepticism with but then got thoroughly addicted to (cue one 2am morning of play and me making sure he didn’t touch it pre-wedding nite so he’d write his speech and vows and sleep before the big day) to cucumber moments to coffee to chatting, we vibed completely and it was rad – and i continue to ask God to let us (me, tbV, nancy and dm) find an opportunity to be in the same region, ministering and living alongside each other at least for a season

then i got the double priviledge of doing the wedding ceremony (the preach and all other non-legal entities – their pastor hilton greig from harvest was brilliant slipping in and out with the legal stuff with complete flow and vibe) and master of ceremonyising the reception (cos the guy they asked couldn’t or didn’t want to and i was first sub or something – ha!) and on the one hand it was a complete vibe but it also meant i felt quite responsible for all things wedding most of the day

got to preach barefoot and relate it to moses and the burning bush and holy ground and how marriage is holy ground cos God views it as an important and incredible thing and how we (world and church) have tragically undermined it a lot of the time or viewed/treated it as a lot less than that…

second point was Joshua’s choose this day who you will serve but relating it to the new testament picture of marriage which is each person lifting up the other one and considering thier needs above yours – chief killer of marriage is selfishness while on the other hand if you can nurture selflessness you will have the foundations for a solid long-lasting marriage

third point was adam and eve in the garden – being naked in front of each other and feeling no shame – with the point being about vulnerability and intimacy – the closer you want to get to someone the more potential you have to give that person to hurt you – but that same potential allows them to love you solidly – to fully appreciate the beauty of the rose you have to risk the sharpness of the thorns – there are going to be tough and painful times in marriage but the intimacy and closeness achieved by allowing those to happen (and be resolved) is more than worth it

and then finished with a charge or challenge to the church that we are involved in their marriage – not in terms of overstepping boundaries or playing them against each other or anything like that – but in terms of prayer and accountability and friendship and finance and whatever else, we are standing up to the plate and putting our hands up and saying we will fight for this marriage alongside mike and nancy or a little bit off in the background but there if and when they need us – got everyone who said yes to the commitment to stand and we prayed for them

then the mc’ing of the reception went well – brief interludes for the tie joke and some private jokes aimed at mike and his family, largely involving cucumbers and theme tunes to plants vs zombies and just generally keeping things moving smoothly – and then totally taken down and taught a comedy lesson by his friend Phil in his Biff persona who was absolutely brilliant – and so amazing food, beautiful hot looking wife lady (always beautiful but when she straightens her hair and brings it – wow! stunning!), fun dancing vibes and a complete vibe which they couple completely enjoyed (and mike playing and singing the song he had written for nancy which was exquisite and heartfelt)

and as we were driven home by parents ‘o mike (a stunning stunning couple we have had so much fun staying with) with dj andrew in the back seat we were treated to an owl with a chicken (looked like a whole hen, was huge) swooping right across in front of the car in what seemed like slow motion – it was breathtaking…

here’s to the new Strausses and thankx so much for letting us be a part of your special day – love you guys immensely and look forward to being alongside each other sometime and doo-doo do-do doo-do…or as crazy dave would say “shraggle blurghy thruggharrgh shglarhy thslarrrrrrrrr”