It is my privilege to be the celebrant today. That means that it's my job to make sure you all celebrate. We have a step up on you because we started last night...I told them the same thing. But it's also my job to help to try to focus the themes of the day and to try to create an atmosphere where we can celebrate the themes that Charlotte and Mike have lifted up for us this day.

Now I must confess, when they came to me and told me that they were going to have a Star Trek theme, that I was a little nervous about this since I am not that experienced in the whole world of Star Trek. But, being a student of comparative religions, I felt like I could rise to the challenge and I must tell you that there is more information available on the various and sundry religions and philosophies of the different cultures in Star Trek than you can imagine. And I did some research about various weddings and things that they do on Star Trek, which I would enumerate...and the only one that really interested me was the one where they were supposed to be naked during the wedding ceremony... but that's not where I decided to go today, for your sakes as well as for ours, but in searching, I came upon the Vulcans, who have always interested me and, Mike and Charlotte, here is your test: do you know what I.D.I.C. is, in the Vulcan tradition? They both do! How about that!

Well, for those of you who don't know what it is, it means "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" and, in Vulcan philosophy, when you meet someone you are supposed to say, "Greetings. I am pleased to see that we are different. May we, together, become greater than the sum of both of us." When I read that I thought, that's exactly what marriage is all about. One of the writers, an expert in Vulcan philosophy, says, "this allows Vulcans to appreciate the differences in life, and the universe, as well as to interact with alien species that do not share their logical outlook." Marriage is about alien species, for sure. And today, as we gather, we would like to hold up to you that Vulcan greeting, about always seeing the beauty of the diversity in the other. It's a powerful way to live your life...not only to see the diversity, but to celebrate it and to appreciate it, so that together you may find more than the sum of both of you. As we gather this day, that is our prayer for you. God bless.

--Steve Miller