Rebecca St. James

There were no traditional overly-sweet wedding songs sung-- just praise and worship to God.  They were beautifully executed and led by brothers, Joel, Luke, Moriah (Joel's girlfriend) with Fred Williams on keys, along with Robin on the acoustic guitar.  I have a photo of Bec and Jacob standing hand in hand before the Lord as they are worshiping God, at the altar.  It's my favorite of all the photos I happened to capture.

 Joel cooked up a "spoof" on the "Wait for Me" song that Bec wrote for her future husband years ago, and delivered it at the reception.  Suffice it to say, it was a humorous and fun element in what was a sacred and deeply moving day.

Bec's pastor Rick shared about her life, from when the family first arrived from Australia to Franklin, TN.  He gave her great encouragement by saying very emphatically that she has never ever compromised her walk with the Lord, her message of Christ and redemption-- through all the years he had known her.  Chris, Jacob's former youth pastor and co-pastor with his wife with whom B&J had done their pre-marriage counseling, brought back plenty of wonderful memories of when Jacob was a teen and came face to face with Jesus-- rendering him never the same again.  He too has lived an uncompromising and exemplary life.  The sense that these two had in deed "waited" for the other one--- was so very special.  No one present was unaffected by this strong testimony.

Perhaps the most inspiring and beautiful part in the wedding for me was the foot washing ceremony.  Pastor Rick spoke from John 13 where Jesus washes the feet of the disciples, as an act of servanthood and great humility.  Peter protested saying that he was not worthy of Christ doing that for him-- "wash me from head to toe instead," was Peter's reaction!  Pastor Rick essentially drew the comparison that Jacob and Bec's love has been washed from head to toe, since they have dedicated their lives to Him and will serve Him always.  But Pastor pointed out that since we live in this fallen world we will not be able to ever escape the dust and dirt along the way, and we will need washing.  By symbolically washing each others feet on their wedding day, they were saying to the world, and most importantly to each other, that they pledge to always have grace, forgiveness and mercy towards each other.  A profound moment for all to witness.

Bec and Jacob had asked me to share a reading of scripture in the ceremony.  It came just on the heels (no pun intended!) of the footwashing part.  After much prayer I sensed God's Spirit lead me to the passage in Song of Songs chapter 8, verses 6 and first half of 7.  "Place me like a seal over your heart,like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.  It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.  Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away."  Unbeknownst to me, that was a passage of scripture that had meant so much to Karleen, Bec's matron-of-honor from her wedding-- and hense, to Bec as well.  It was a confirmation of their undying love yet again from God to Bec and Jacob.  "Your already strong love will only grow stronger as you both keep your eyes on Jesus and His unfailing love," was the charge put forth.

They exchanged the traditional wedding vows, but just prior to that, they each read a personal vow they had written to the other.  So powerful.  And Bec's words were something like, "To the extent that we have been privileged to serve the Lord as single people up til this day-- may we have even greater impact for the Kingdom of God together-- as a team-- as one!"  At the reception, Wess Stafford-- Bec's "ministry mentor" prayed for the couple along with their immediate family and resounded that thought before God in prayer!  That two would become even stronger now that they are one!

New Tour, Major Media Exposure To Accompany St. James’ Reunion Records Debut....

In advance of her April 5 album launch in New York City, and amid a flurry of wedding planning,
Rebecca will make an additional appearance on “Hannity” next week (Feb. 28) as a part of Sean Hannity’s Great American Panel.

St. James is keeping a good bit of her schedule open, though, to adapt to a new phase of her life…as a married woman. In April, St. James will wed Jacob Fink, who proposed on Christmas Day, 2010.

About Rebecca St. James:
Emerging on the music scene in the mid-’90s while still in her teens, Australian-born Rebecca St. James has become one of Contemporary Christian Music’s most enduring and beloved artists, embraced by audiences worldwide. Her signature sound yielded 17 Top 10 singles (nine of which were No. 1) and two RIAA Gold Album certifications (commemorating sales of more than 500,000 units) for God (1996), as well as the GRAMMY winning Pray (1999).

In addition to a successful recording and touring career, Rebecca is an accomplished author having released eight noteworthy Christian market titles including the popular devotional, Pure, (Hachette/Faithwords, 2009) that ranked in the Top 10 on the CBA Bestseller Chart.

While fully engaged in balancing the demands of recording, touring and authoring, this modern-day Renaissance woman made the decision three years ago to pursue acting. Rebecca’s first dramatic lead role in the film Sarah’s Choice released in 2009 by Pureflix Entertainment and won both critical and audience acclaim for its strong pro-life message.

While readying for Sarah’s Choice, Rebecca was led to create a series of national Crisis Pregnancy events. “I saw the work this organization was doing and I just had to help,” she notes. She also continues to connect with teen girls and their mothers at her well attended “SHE” events which meld music and ministry into an evening of encouragement and practical advice on living Godly lives.

Having traveled the globe as an advocate of faith and values matters ranging from purity to pro-life, Rebecca has been invited to speak or perform in venues including the White House and is even a frequent guest on the highly rated FOX News show, “Hannity” anchored by Sean Hannity.

Rebecca St. James will release her ninth career studio album, I Will Praise You, on April 5, 2011.

For more information on Rebecca St. James’ tour dates and events, please visit: www.rsjames.com.