Colossians 3: above all, put on love

What this reading says

Paul tells a small church in Colossae how to live together, and the advice fits a marriage almost word for word. Dress yourselves, he says, in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Put up with each other. Forgive each other, the way you have been forgiven. Over all of that, wear love, because love holds the rest together. Let peace settle your arguments. Be thankful. Sing. And whatever you do, do it as people who belong to Christ. It reads like a packing list for the years after the honeymoon.

When it fits

Choose this reading for a Christian wedding when you want the service to talk about Tuesday mornings as well as the wedding day itself. It is a listed option in the Catholic rite of marriage and a favorite in Lutheran and Methodist churches. The mention of Christ by name and the line about psalms and hymns make it a poor fit for a non-religious ceremony; 1 Corinthians 13 covers much of the same ground without that framing. Next to John 15, which is about staying in love, this passage is about what love does with the dishes and the disagreements.

Reading it aloud

A married sibling or an older friend often takes this one, someone who can say "forgive each other" with a straight face and some experience. Read the list of virtues at the start slowly, one at a time. Then pick up speed through the middle and ease off again for "be thankful". The King James Version opens with "bowels of mercies", which will raise a smile you may not want. Newer translations say "heartfelt compassion" or "tender mercy". Add the translation you prefer to your wedding program and include its credit line underneath.