The Cord of Three Strands - God's Knot With PDF's

​As a wedding officiant that wants to help couples marry any way they choose, I have a tendency to look a wedding ceremony in many different ways. Many Christian ceremonies are predictable. You use the same scriptures and say the same things in every ceremony. The meaning of marriage is outlined by your faith and your religion. When couples want to do something different I get to have a little fun. I get to think outside the box or give new meaning to something. This was my experience with The Cord of Three Strands Unity Ceremony.

What is The Cord of Three Strands? The Cord of Three Strands is a unity ceremony generally chosen by couples who are performing a Christian ceremony. It is based on the Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 4 Verse 12 , but if a non-religious couple wants to braid three cords during their wedding ceremony they can give a different meaning to the third cord. That would be called The Unity Braid.
​
If you prefer to just briad three cords together as a unity ceremony you can give those cords any meaning you want. Really. That’s all unity ceremonies are. You are performing a physical act to represent your union.
​

Is there a difference between The Cord of Three Strands and God’s Knot?

​The Cord of Three Strands and God’s Knot are the same thing called by different names. There is no actual reference to “God’s Knot” in the bible. There is a reference to the Cord of Three Strands. This unity ceremony is based on the Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 4 Verse 12. That one verse is what is most often quoted when performing the ceremony: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” However, it is also very appropriate to include the 5 verses before it in order to give more depth, meaning, and context when performing the ceremony. All 6 verses actually a great option to open a Christian wedding ceremony. The scriptures talk about the importance of having a partner in life and not being alone.

Ecclesiastes 4: 7-12

7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8 There was a man all alone;
    he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
    yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
    “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless--
    a miserable business!
9 Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

​Can the Cord of Three Strands be Non-Religious?

​Yes! When I’m writing a ceremony for couples who are trying to create a wedding ceremony that is basically non-religious but sounds religious in order to please family members, I always suggest replacing the word “God” with “Love.” Christians believe that God is Love. If we talk about love, to the Christian, we are talking about God. You can say that your relationship is held together by the power of the love you share. Many of these ceremony scripts below are obviously Christian, but they can be reworded for your own non-religious use with a little thought and a little flare. I wrote this first script below before I knew anything else about the Cord of Three Strands. You could remove the scripture reference for a completely non-religious option.

The Cord of Three Strands Option 1

You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
​click here to cut and paste

the_cord_of_3_strands_1.pdf
File Size:	41 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

The Cord of Three Strands Option 2

​You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
click here to cut and paste

the_cord_of_3_strands_2.pdf
File Size:	40 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

Cord of Three Strands Option 3

​You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
click here to cut and paste

the_cord_of_three_strands_3.pdf
File Size:	43 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

The Cord of Three Strands Poem

I found this poem in my research for this article and wanted to include it. The author is​ Bob Gotti  Copyright © 12/2002 
​You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
click here to cut and paste

the_cord_of_three_strands_poem.pdf
File Size:	44 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---