Bishop Michael Curry Reveals the 1 Thing Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Gave Him That Inspired His Sermon

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding was going to make headlines no matter what, but some of those headlines included Bishop Michael Curry who gave a moving sermon during their ceremony and made it unique from other royal weddings. The Cheat Sheet caught up with the bishop at the VH1 Trailblazer Honors on June 21 at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He revealed how the royal couple helped him create his sermon and the one celebrity who sang at their reception.

When approaching what he wanted to include in his sermon he said he wanted to say something for the royal couple “that really could speak to the deeper hopes of the human family.” The Bishop went on to talk about what the planning was like.

It turns out he didn’t get to speak to the royal couple before the ceremony. “No, no we spoke briefly,” he said “just greetings and the reception afterward.” But the royal couple did give him one thing to include in his part of the ceremony which led to the idea of his sermon.

“They gave me freedom to preach, but they selected the text,” explained Bishop Curry. “That was an enormous gift because I have a feeling a lot of people haven’t heard the Psalms of Solomon, or if they have heard of it they knew of Alice Walker’s book or something, but probably didn’t realize there’s actually love poetry in the Bible. So that text literally gave me the sermon.”

He doesn’t know why the couple picked that text specifically but he did add that they were deliberate about including it along with many other things in the ceremony. “Everything from the music to the scripture reading to the various choirs that were singing, the young cellist, I assume the guest list as well they did that,” he said. “They really did make those choices and the royal family supported them in that which is kind of cool.”

Although the wedding reception was a star-studded event Bishop Curry said it would be familiar to anyone who has been to one. “The wedding reception was like every wedding reception you’ve ever been to people walk around and talk, are nibbling on food, that kind of stuff,” but of course the reception had much better entertainment than the average wedding.

“At one point, in the first reception Elton John got up and sang,” revealed Bishop Curry. He said he didn’t remember everything he sang but one song was from The Lion King, which could be “Circle of Life” but most likely “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” The bishop went on to say, “All I remember was being so awed that his voice today sounds like he did 30 years ago.”

Not everyone is interested in the details about the royal wedding but Bishop Curry did make an argument for those who are. “Every once in a while we all need moments of joy,” he said.

Follow Nicole Weaver on Twitter @nikkibernice.

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