November 29th, 2020
Memorial Service for Birgit JohannsonThe Service will stream on Facebook Live at 10 AM - visit our page here
The Bell
Solo: "Santa Lucia" sung by Jaye Green
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son ☩, and of the Holy Spirit.
℟ Amen.
Kyrie
Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟ Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
℟ Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟ Lord, have mercy upon us.
Responsive reading of Psalm 130
Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, heard my voice.
℟ Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
℟ But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.
℟ My soul waiters for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning; I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.
℟ And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost!
℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Responsive reading of Psalm 84
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord;
℟ My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
Yea, the sparrow hath found an house,
and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
℟ Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house,
℟ They will still be praising Thee.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee,
℟ In whose heart are Thy ways.
Who passing through the Valley of Baca make it a well.
℟ The rain also filleth the pools.
They go from strength to strength,
℟ Every one of them in Zion appears before God.
O Lord, God of hosts, hear my prayer;
℟ Give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold, O God our shield,
℟ And look upon the face of Thine Anointed.
For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand.
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
℟ Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory.
℟ No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
℟ Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost!
℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Hymn - "Jesus, still lead on" SBH #532 / "Jesu, geh voran" German Hymnal #427
Verses 1 and 3 in English
Verses 2 and 4 in German
Readings from Scripture
Psalm 23 (English / German)
Romans 8: 31-39 (English / German)
John 11: 21-27 - read in German - (English / German)
John 20: 15-23 (English / German)
Solo: "I know that my Redeemer lives" (SBH #387) sung by Jaye Green
Homily - In Memoriam: Birgit Johannson
You can view the sermon by clicking here.
Prayer
O God, the Father in Heaven:
℟ Have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world:
℟ Have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Ghost, true Comforter:
℟ Have mercy upon us.
Closing Prayer
Almighty and everlasting Lord, the true Consolation of the sorrowful and the Strength of the weak, we offer You our heartfelt thanks for the many blessings which, during her long life, You have bestowed on our dear sister in faith Birgit Johannson, now fallen asleep; and especially we thank You for that gift of faith in Christ Jesus which Your Holy Spirit effected in her, so that we who mourn her death have nevertheless this precious comfort—that she is now with You in the heavenly home You have prepared for all Your people. We thank You, dearest Savior, for the rich blessing that she has been in the lives of those whom she has loved and who have loved her—to her family, to her many friends, and to her fellow-member of our congregation Old Zion. Send to us who yet remain here for a while Your Holy Spirit, to keep us ever mindful of the shortness of our days here on earth, that our hearts may ever be turned to find the one thing needful for eternal life in Your word, and that we may strive to use our brief time here in service to You and to one another.
Great Physician of Body and Soul, we ask especially for comfort and peace for Birgit’s son Alan and all her loved ones. Look upon them, we pray, in tender compassion, provide to them the light of Your Gospel of forgiveness and life, and grant unto them such faith in Christ and such confidence in His promise of redemption and life, that they may find true solace in knowing that Birgit now shares in the joy of the angels gathered around Your throne, and that they may be strengthened in their firm hope of being united with her again.
Heavenly Father and God of all grace, we give You humble and heartfelt thanks that You who have sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to bring life and immortality to light: that by His death He has destroyed the power of death, and by His glorious resurrection He has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Grant us assuredly to know that because He lives we shall live also, and that neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, shall be able to separate us from Your love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Solo: "The Lord's Prayer" sung by Jaye Green
Benediction
Remarks by Friends