One of the great privileges of being a parish pastor is the opportunity to officiate at weddings. Most folks only know how beautiful a wedding is from the pews. I want to tell you, though, that a wedding is even more beautiful from the vantage point at which I get to see it. I get to stand here in the front. And from here, I get to see the faces.

I am always touched as I watch the faces of the bridesmaids and the groomsmen while their best friends — or, often, their siblings — come to this long-awaited moment. More than that, I love to watch the faces of the bride and the groom as they speak their vows — those profound promises — to one another. And, from where I stand, one of the most interesting faces that I get to see is the face of the bride's father.

In our tradition, there is that …