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The Church Sanctuary
St. Mark's is an historical
landmark, having been built in 1894. The address of the church,
to be used on your invitations is: St. Mark's Lutheran Church,
1111 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. The church is
located between Gough and Franklin Streets, across Gough from
St. Mary's Cathedral. The seating capacity is approximately 350
persons. There are 15 pews on each side of the nave, each
seating at least 10 persons. There is ample parking in our
church parking lot.
Appropriate Use of Sacred Space
All couples interested in being
married or having their relationship blessed at St. Mark's must
be aware that the St. Mark's sanctuary is the sacred space of an
active Christian congregation, and appropriate respect for and
use of the sacred space is an essential requirement for all
couples, their officiates and their guests.
Officiating the Ceremony
St. Mark's
clergy will under normal circumstances officiate. Clergy of
other Lutheran congregations may request to officiate here by
letter to the co-pastors. Clergy of other denominations may
assist the St. Mark's
clergy.
Pre-marital Counseling
St. Mark's clergy will provide
pre-marital counseling to all couples interested in being
married, regardless of where the wedding ceremony is held or who
is officiating the ceremony. For more details regarding
pre-marital counseling services, please contact the church
office.
The Blessing of Relationships at St.
Mark's
We believe that relationships of
loving, intentional commitment of one person to another are
blessed by God. This blessing is inherent in the
relationship itself as a part of creation. It is given
whether or not the state recognizes the relationship with its
laws, or the church formally sanctions it with its rites.
Such relationships are the basis of the family, the fundamental
unit of society into which each of us is born. It is clear
from scripture that God intends that we should live together in
responsible, loving, mutually interdependent families. We
believe that God's blessing is given not only to heterosexual
unions, but also to unions of two men or two women who pledge
their love and commit their lives to each other.
Even though California law
concerning marriage does not apply to same-sex unions, and most
Lutheran churches do not recognize these commitments, we honor
them just as we honor the marriage of a man and a woman.
We consider the commitment of same-sex couples to be as serious
and permanent a commitment as marriage. It is our
conviction that the laws of the state and the customs of the
churches will some day be changed.
A marriage, same-sex union, or
domestic partnership may be formalized in a civil or private
ceremony without the rites of the church, but we believe that is
appropriate for Christians to make these vows before a pastor,
in the presence of family, friends, and the community of faith.
Solemnizing our promises in this context expresses our
conviction that we recognize God's love for us and our need for
God's grace. In our rites of blessing, we ask for God's
continuing presence with us and with our relationships, that
with God's help we may love one another more fully, and may be
empowered by the Gospel to overcome whatever difficulties life
may place before us. We also ask the prayers, support, and
encouragement of the congregation, the faith community of which
we are a part.
The Pastor's Role
When one of the pastors of St.
Mark's officiates at the marriage of a man and a woman, the
ceremony is a legal contract bestowing certain rights and
obligations. A couple must obtain a marriage license to be
signed, witnessed, and filed with the county after the ceremony.
The law requires the couple to meet certain qualifications - for
example, they must be of legal age, and must be divorced if
either of them has been previously married. We believe
that same-sex couples should be similarly qualified as to age
and status. Previous committed relationships should have
been terminated for a reasonable period of time.
Because St. Mark's is a church, a
wedding or a holy union solemnized by one of its pastors, in the
church building, or elsewhere, is more than a civil ceremony; it
is a part of the public ministry of the congregation. The
scripture readings and prayers of the rite presume that those
being united sincerely seek God's blessing on their life
together. For this reason we ask those who come to St.
Mark's for their wedding or holy union to meet with the pastor
before the ceremony, usually in several sessions, so that he or
she may counsel them in any personal, family, spiritual, or
community issues that may be involved in their commitment.
In these meetings the pastor will also explain the significance
of asking God's blessing on their union and the strength and
support that is available to them in this community of faith.
The pastors and people of St. Mark's
welcome the opportunity to serve couples as they plan their life
together, and the ceremony that symbolizes their commitment.
We offer our ministry to them, and to the children they nurture
through the years, as long as they live, and will remember them
in our prayers as we worship together each Sunday morning. |
