Wedding Cross

(Click photo to enlarge)

The Wedding Cross features two interlocking wedding rings. The rings may be above the horizontal bar of the cross, on the bar, or even beneath it, as shown in the Chi-Rho version on the right, stamped on some leather coasters.

Two interlocking rings on a cross form a composite symbol of commitment of a couple to live, love and grow in God's grace. It symbolises the partnership of the husband and wife with Christ.

Such an item may be presented as a gift to the couple. It is also seen embroidered on the minister's stole or alter cloth, to remind us that the minister, whether he is an authoritatively appointed priest or an unordained lay pastor, the fundamental meaning is the same: All Christian denominations acknowledge that the minister merely officiates the marriage ritual, and it is God who joins people together in marriage.

The rings and the cross remind us of this important point.

The third cross image on the left is a Rope Cross and the rope is made from three strands, twisted together. Solomon illustrates the strength of the three-ply rope in Eccles. 4:12. Two strands are better than one, he explains, because they can support each other. And if a rope has a third strand, it is even stronger.

When two people are joined in love, if Christ is in their lives then like a three-ply cord, the marriage is strong.

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The term Cana Cross comes from the story in John 2:1-11 which tells of a wedding celebration in Cana, near Nazareth in Galilee. Jesus attended the wedding and what happened there has deep significance:

The wedding had many guests and it must have been a nightmare to plan, since in those days, a wedding party often went on for a week. Everything was apparently going smoothly, until a potential disaster struck; they ran out of wine. This is where Jesus comes into the story and performs the first of His recorded miracles; He turned water into wine. And not just a cup of wine, but a hundred or more litres of superior quality plonk!

Far from advocating social drinking, the importance of this miracle is profound. The miracle showed that Jesus had power over nature and was the first of seven special 'signs' that attested to the divine status of Jesus.

In addition, turning the water into wine at the wedding, thereby maintaining the merriment, emphasised God's approval of celebrating the state of matrimony.