One of my favorite moments from Marilynne Robinson's Gilead comes when John Ames wonders why the bestowal of blessings isn't dealt with more prominently in pastor's manuals. As human beings and Christians, I think we have an intuitive sense that moments of great import should be commemorated and even consecrated before the God with whom we are in relationship. Weddings are a perfect example of this: the Bible is casually indifferent to marriage ceremonies, yet Christians across time and space have felt the need for a religious ceremony when a new marriage is formed. Prayer is good, yet we crave something a bit more liturgical.
There's an argument here for multiplying religious ceremonies: not obligatory ceremonies, to be sure, but ones like the OPC's recommended marriage and funeral services. Congregants are free to take or leave as they like, but they do reflect the wisdom of the Church over the ages.
This comes up because an older couple would like to repeat their wedding vows before our congregation. Taking vows once is enough, but there's some testamentary value, I think, in repeating them on occasion. Along with blessings, perhaps giving testimony deserves more consideration in our presbyterian pastoral manuals.
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