Readings about Marriage

• “A Very Special Relationship” by Jan Weiss (ages 7-14)
  In the true loving marriage of one man and one woman, the Lord gives great blessings of joy and happiness.
• “Friendship in Marriage” by Peter M. Buss, Sr. (ages 15-17)
  The most special use of friendship in marriage is that it tides us over the quiet times in our love. It allows us show kindness to our partners, helping true marriage love grow.
• “The Face and Clothing of Love” by Brian W. Keith
  Genuine love of marriage is seen in friendship, which is described as the face and clothing of conjugial love. To be a good spouse is to be a genuine friend. 
• “Developing Respect for Marriage” by Peter M. Buss, Jr. (ages 18 and up)
  This sermon discusses ways that marriage can help people prepare for heaven.

Ideas for Discussion

1. Friendship is the foundation of a good relationship, and it helps a couple make the transition from the romance of the early days of marriage to the everyday challenges of joining two lives into one.
2. Since conjugial love grows as we turn to the Lord and work on our own regeneration or spiritual rebirth in adulthood, we work toward conjugial love throughout our lives.
3. The teachings of the New Church help us understand the spiritual aspect of marriage. Ideally, it is a spiritual joining of a man and a woman that affects their souls as well as their minds and hearts as the Lord is able to give them true marriage love. In the New Church, this is called “conjugial love.”
4. What of those who do not marry here on earth? One of the precious teachings of the New Church is that marriage is eternal, and the Lord will provide happy marriages for all good people—if not here on earth, then in heaven.
5. Every married couple experiences challenging times, when the love they have for each other seems weakened by irritation or stress or loneliness. During these colder states in marriage, we can look to the Lord by focusing on the things we treasure about our partner. Friendship—shared activities and ideas—can be vital to helping us work through these trials.
6. Keeping the eternal perspective can help us persevere in the face of challenges. We should not despair over problems in marriage or other relationships. Rather, these present opportunities for us to work on our spiritual growth as we deal with temptations and hardships.
7. When we do the work of marriage—avoiding evils and living charitably—then the Lord can grant us that precious jewel of human live—truly conjugial love.

Projects and activities for various ages

• Honoring Marriage (ages 4-8)
  Have children make a picture of their parents or color a picture of another married couple within a golden ring or circle. Talk with the children about a wedding ring as a symbol of eternity—a circle without end.
• Two Become One (ages 4-10)
  Use 2 interlocking hearts to picture the way a couple can grow to become one in mind and heart.
• Hearts Snowflake Pattern (Ages 7-17)
  A pattern for folding and cutting out a paper snowflake of hearts.
• What Can I Do to Strengthen My Marriage? (ages 15 and up)
  Think about changes you would like to make in yourself or in the choices you make each day. Besides strengthening your marriage, any spiritual growth will also benefit your children.
• Friendship Heart (teens and up)
  This project encourages us to think about the role of friendship and trust in opening the hearts of marriage partners.
• Greater Love Spiritual Task (ages 18 and up)
  To be a genuine friend to a friend or a spouse involves being willing to give up some of our selfish life for the greater good of our friendship.

Sign up to receive notification when new highlights like this are published. Subscribe.