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Times-shamrock communiTy newspapers 149 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: (570) 348-9185 Fax: (570) 207-3448
February 5, 2015
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Strengthening Commitment
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SUBURBAN
Clarks Summit Church to offer Valentine’s Day vow renewal by Stephanie Longo
ABINGTON SUBURBAN EDITOR
A spontaneous celebration of one couple’s love last year has now turned into a Valentine’s Day highlight for one church in Clarks Summit. Rev. Bill Carter, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, 300 School St., was preparing his church for a concert that was to be held in conjunction with last year’s opening of the church’s annual art exhibit on Valentine’s Day during the Clarks Summit Festival of Ice, when vocalist Erin Malloy and her husband, Marko Marcinko, called him out of the blue. “They married the previous year on February 14,” Carter recalled. “So they asked me to renew their vows in the middle of the set. I agreed, but explained that Presbyterians don’t exclude anyone, so I said I would invite the two of them and anybody else who was present who wanted to renew their vows. We did it spontaneously; we had about 20 people.” This year, Carter decided to host a vow renewal on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, Feb. 14, at noon at his church’s sanctuary as a way to celebrate love and commitment. The event is open to anyone who is legally married in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “Anybody who is married knows the marriage goes through different seasons and different moments,” Carter said. “From time to time, it is really important to revisit the love that brought them together and the commitment that keeps them together.” Carter experienced the power of a wedding vow renewal when he saw his parents renew their own for their 25th anniversary. They have now been married for 58 years. “It was a simple time for them to stand in front of their kids and one another and restate the promises they made 25 years before,” he said. “Every marriage has some seasons of struggle. Many marriages have illness, compromising the commitment. Every marriage has financial concerns. We want to pause in the middle of the journeys those people are on and say, ‘Let’s renew these vows.’”
TS_CNG/SUBURBAN/PAGES [S01] | 02/04/15
08:53 | CORNELLCHR
Rev. Bill Carter of the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, 300 School St., will offer a community Valentine’s Day wedding vow renewal on Saturday, Feb. 14, at noon during the Clarks Summit Festival of Ice. The event is open to anyone who is legally married in the Commonwealth of Pennnsylvania. PHOTO STEPHANIE LONGO
“One of my hopes is that by offering the couples a time to renew their promises, they will take whatever steps they need to either begin again or to throw more energy to the commitment and to stay at it,” he continued. “We are known by our promises and the promises we keep. In a society where words are cheap and promises are often temporary, one abiding promise is marriage.” The First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit is offering other events on Valentine’s Day, including a Chili Café from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a juggling performance with Rob Smith at 2 p.m.
“Marriage is promissory language — you make these rash promises to give yourself away to another before you really know if you’ve got the character to do it,” Carter said. “Marriage is a school for the character. It is a relationship that calls out the best and the deepest that you have to offer to someone else. We’re up against a lot when we make these promises to one another and we need all the support we can get. I am glad to do this and our church is glad to host it.” For more information, call the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit at 570-586-6306 or visit fpccs.org.