Thank you. Mr. & Mrs. Sevak, Mr. & Mrs. Blancas, it’s a great honor for me to be here with you today. We have come together today from distant places to witness and celebrate the joining together of Amit and Luz in marriage. This, as you know, is a weekend of celebration and ceremony. The wedding itself, what we may call the official wedding where vows are exchanged and the couple will sign their names on the dotted line, will happen tomorrow. But as Amit says even Sunday's outing to the beach is going to be a spiritual experience! What we do today is a service of blessing -- a prelude to the wedding, if you will. Tomorrow's wedding service will be in Luz' church, in the Catholic tradition. It is right and appropriate then that today's service of blessing be in Amit's Hindu tradition.

Ancient Hindu wedding ceremonies date back nearly 5,000 years and have many varieties. Given the size of India, this is not surprising. Weddings in India can go from 1 hour to 1 week, with a whole range of regional customs also thrown in. However, all Indian ceremonies hold certain steps in common, some of which you will see today.

There are many symbols embedded in this ceremony. Those of you that know Hindu weddings know these symbols quite well. For those new to Hindu ceremonies, I would like to take a moment to point out some of these symbols out to you. As you hear them, you may think about how they may be similar or different from your own tradition’s marriage ceremonies:

1. Fire -- Fire is at the center of the entire ceremony. The ceremonial fire is considered above all else the symbol of purity and power -- in much of religious literature it is a symbol for God. This is so, in the ancient Hindu tradition as well. So, for us today, it is a symbol of God’s witness to the wedding. It is the central image of this ceremony.
2. Mandap— The structure that I am sitting under with the four posts and the covering decorated in flowers is called the Mandap. It is a place set apart symbolizing the place of God's presence. It is a symbol for the new family that is being created by the joining of Amit and Luz.
3. Four posts of Mandap—Now look at the 4 posts of this mandap. Each post represents each of the 4 parents that brought this couple here. What happens this weekend is not just the coming together of Amit and Luz, it is the coming together of the Sevak family and the Blancas family. They are the foundation for the new home being created this weekend.
4. The white cloth— At the start of the ceremony, we will have a white cloth placed between the bride and groom. It reflects that these are two distinct and separate individuals. In ancient days, when marriages were arranged this was very clear and obvious. By ancient Indian custom, a bride and groom would not have even seen each other prior to this white cloth being removed on their wedding day! How times have changed! But for us today, the removal of the white cloth to start the ceremony is a powerful reminder that these two distinct individuals are coming together to become as one -- to form one unit.

‘Please also note the images found in the Indian wedding clothing’:

5. Luz’s sari—‘In a moment you will see Luz wearing a traditional Gujarati wedding sari made of white and red. Gujarat is the western Indian state that Amit’s family comes from. White and red represent purity and new life. All of Amit’s aunts as well as Amit’s mother Daksha wore a red and white sari on their wedding day.’
6. Lack of shoes—‘Please note that neither myself nor Amit are wearing shoes on this mandup. By tradition, taking off one’s shoes show respect for a holy place. I am reminded of the Jewish scripture, when Moses approached a burning bush, from which God spoke to him, God said to Moses, "Take the sandals off your feet, for where you are standing is holy ground."

Now, let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Rev. Shanta Premawardhana, and I am the Senior pastor of Cornell Baptist Church, in the South Side of Chicago, near University of Chicago, where Amit attended college. I am originally from Sri Lanka, an island just off the southern coast of India, but I have lived in Chicago now for about 20 years. Isn't it incredible that a Sri Lankan Baptist pastor from Chicago performing a Service of Blessing in the Indian tradition in Mexico? That's what our world is like now.

Let me tell you about why I am here. There are several reasons. First and foremost, I am Amit’s friend and pastor. During his college years Amit attended my church and at that time was seriously engaged in a spiritual search. He struggled with questions of injustice, grappled with where to find God in his scientific worldview, and sought answers in the Bible and the Gita. I was privileged to be his mentor and guide during that period. Although I don't know Luz like I know Amit, my meetings with her and numerous telephone calls to help them think through some complex questions of a cross cultural and cross religious marriage has endeared her to me as well.

I did my postgraduate religious studies in south India. When I first came to the United States, my wife Dhilanthi and I, founded and led an Indian-style ashram. An ashram is a religious place similar to a convent or monastery in the Catholic tradition, a place especially appropriate for spiritual refugees like Amit. In addition to my studies in India and my work at this ashram, I did my Ph.D. research on ancient Hindu or Vedic and Christian texts -- working with Sanskrit, the holy ancient language of the Hindus.

In case you are wondering, I want to make it quite clear there is nothing that I will do here today, that will compromise my Christian faith and commitment. In fact, I want you to know that it is my Christian faith and commitment that makes it necessary that I participate as fully and authentically as I can in leading this Hindu service of blessing. I think it is critical that Christians and Hindus step out of their traditional boundaries and comfort zones to engage with each other, not just at superficial levels but at a profound depth of our religious consciousness. For giving me that opportunity, Amit and Luz I am deeply grateful.

‘Okay let’s now begin the ceremony. You have a fan on each of your tables. In addition to keeping you cool, the fan contains the 10-steps of the Indian ceremony we will be performing this evening, written in both Spanish and English. We ask that you remain quiet and attentive during this ceremony. Can we let Luz know we are ready for her.’

 D. 10 Steps of Indian Ceremony

1. Luz Enters—Taking the signal from Shanta, Luz’s brothers and uncles in the back bring Luz up the side aisle to the mandup and then the brothers and uncles each quietly take a seat reserved for them in the front. Luz takes off her shoes before ascending the mandup. Luz sits on the mandup next to Shanta and behind the white cloth separating her from Amit. Amit is staring at the fire while Luz enters.

In keeping with our understanding that this is a worship service, let us seek God's blessing and presence among us right now.

Loving God, we know you and call you by many names, but you are the same God. You created us, you placed in our families. You gave us friends and relatives to meet us and encourage us along the way. We ask that you grace us with your presence now at this place. We pray that you will receive every part of this ceremony as our devoted offering to you. We pray that as Amit and Luz come together to form a new family that you will look upon them with your grace and favor anoint them with your blessing.

2. Cloth Removed--Shanta removes the white cloth between Luz and Amit and says,

"Now I will remove the white cloth separating Luz and Amit. Luz and Amit, you will each now be looking at each other with a fresh set of eyes, beginning the process of joining as husband and wife."

 3. Exchange of Garlands (Swyambar/Jayamala) --Shanta says,

‘Now that you have both seen each other in this new light, please take these flower garlands and exchange them. The exchange of these garlands signifies your wish to marry each other. Luz please begin by first placing your garland around Amit’s neck.’ (After Luz is done), ‘Amit now gently place your garland around Luz’s neck.’ ‘With this exchange of garlands, you each now have agreed to be married.’

5. Tying of the Knot (Ganthbandhan)— Shanta ties together the edges of the bride and groom’s garments (or places a string around each of us) and says,

‘by tying these garments together, we have tied together the two of them to symbolize unity.’ [Luz and Amit are now tied together by cloth or by a long piece of string].

6.Seven Steps of Life (Sapta-padi)—Shanta says,

‘Now we will initiate the ancient seven steps of life. After I say the purpose of each step, you may proceed.’

1^st Step : Sharing:

We promise to share in each other's duties and welfare. We will respect and love each other. We will take care of each other's well being, both material and spiritual.

2^nd Step: Family Dharma:

As we build our family together, we will share each other's joys and sorrows with courage and strength. Together we will protect and provide for our family.

3^rd Step: Harmonious Life:

We take an oath of trust and loyalty to each other. We believe this will ensure prosperity, joy of life and longevity. Our great standards of morality will allow us to raise children with noble character.

4^th Step: Growth

We will develop a love for beauty, art, literature and will fill each other's life with fragrance of human values: love, compassion, understanding, sacrifice and service.

5^th Step: Restatement

Let us reconfirm our four vows of purity, love, family duties, harmony and growth.

6^th Step: Spiritual Development and social obligations

We will conduct our lives according to the principles of dharma. We will perform all acts of righteousness. We will continue the great traditions of our dharma and pass on these eternal values to our children. We will ensure the continuation of our heritage for the benefit of all humanity.

7^th Step: Eternal Bond

Now with these seven steps, we are affirm our intention to become husband and wife in a bond of eternal love.

Concluding affirmation:

Having taken these seven steps together, I assure you that I will not swerve from the path of love and friendship with you. Let our thoughts decisions and actions be one and in unison. Let us be kind, loving, considerate, good and open heated to each other. Let us share food, possessions, strength and advantages together. Let us be complementary to each other as thought and speech are to each other.

The couple now walks around the fire. Fire, as I said earlier, symbolizes God -- God's holiness and power. Their walk around the fire signifies their commitment to enter the world together with God at the center of their marriage and life.

The four circles around the fire signifiy the four stages of a person's life -- or ashramadharma. The first stage of life is when a person is a shishya -- or a student, which Amit and Luz are. The second stage is when a person is a grihasta -- or becomes a householder, which Luz and Amit are becoming now. The third stage is a vanaprasta -- when a person gives of him or herself to the work of religious duty and spiritual awakening. The fourth stage is sanyasin, when a person now having come to the last stage of life renounces all of life's desires and attachments.

The next two items are expressions of Amit and Luz' commitment to each other and represent the bond of love that unites them. First, Amit will places holy red powder Luz' hair parting, and next Luz and Amit will touch each other's hearts.

Now we are ready to move on to do what we really came here to do -- to bless this couple. So, let me invite the immediate families of Amit and Luz to come forward to the mandap.

If there is any among you, who would like to speak or pray a prayer of blessing -- in one sentence or two, it is appropriate to do so. It could be your wish for them, it could be a verse from scripture, it could be a prayer, and of course, it could be either in English, Spanish or Sanskrit.

In the spirit of the ancient Indian tradition, you are now been blessed to become husband and wife.’ Please join me in a round of applause.

And now, a final blessing: Amit and Luz, Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no loneliness for you. You are two persons but there is only one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place, to enter into the days of your togetherness, and may your days be good, long and wholesome.