For those watching from home, please find the order of service below

READING OF THE OBITUARY  /  EULOGY

OPENING GREETING & PRAYER

M:  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We have come together to seek God’s comfort in our sorrow and to rejoice in the promise of the resurrection. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus, you wept at the grave of your friend Lazarus, and you consoled Mary and Martha in their distress. Draw near to us who mourn for Myrtle, and dry the tears of all who weep. Calm our troubled hearts, dispel our doubts and fears, and lead us to praise you for having brought him to faith. In your rising from the dead, you conquered death and opened the gates to eternal life. Strengthen us with your Word, and lead us through this earthly life until at last we are united with you and all the saints in glory everlasting. Amen.

PSALM 23

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

HYMN – Jesus Loves Me This I Know

RESURRECTION COMFORT

M: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. The apostle Paul writes to the Romans: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus gives us this comfort: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

M: Death has been swallowed up in victory! Thanks be to God!

C:  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

M: When Christ, who is our life, appears,

C:  Then we also will appear with him in glory.

M: We will be before the throne of God.

C:  And serve him day and night in his temple.

M: Never again will we hunger;

C:  Never again will we thirst.

M: For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be our shepherd; he will lead us to springs of living water.

C:  And God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

M: Let us pray.

God of all grace, you sent your Son Jesus to destroy the power of death and to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Make us certain that      because he lives, we too shall live. Comfort us with your promise 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.

C: Amen.

FIRST LESSON  Isaiah 35

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, ² it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.

³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

⁸ And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
⁹ No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
¹⁰     and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

SECOND LESSON  2Corinthians 4:6-12

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

HYMN – Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound  

SERMON TEXT  Luke 2:6-12

⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

CONFESSION OF FAITH  The Apostles’ Creed  

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.  The third day he rose again from the dead.  He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father  almighty.  From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life   everlasting.  Amen.

HYMN – Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me

PRAYER

M: Almighty God, we praise you for the great company of saints who have    finished their lives in faith and now rest from their labors. We remember especially our loved one, Myrtle Ahrens, whom you have redeemed by the blood of your Son and received as your dear child through Holy Baptism. We thank you for giving her to us as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage. In your compassion, comfort all who are sad in this hour. Lord, in your mercy,

C:  Hear our prayer.

M:  We praise you for your love in Christ, which sustains us in life and death. In our earthly sorrows, help us find strength in the fellowship of the church, joy in the forgiveness of sins, and hope in the resurrection to  eternal life. Lord, in your mercy,

C:  Hear our prayer.

M: You do not leave us comfortless but strengthen and care for us through your Word and sacrament. You give us family, friends, and neighbors to help when there is loneliness now and in the days to come. Brighten our future with a firm trust in your promises and care. Lord, in your mercy,

C:  Hear our prayer.

M: Remove our fears, and make us bold to pray with confidence as our Savior has taught us:

THE LORD’S PRAYER                                                                         

BLESSING

M: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace.

C: Amen

CLOSING HYMN – What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Officiant: Pastor David Olson

Announcements

The family wishes to extend their thanks to all who were able to reach out to them, to show their love and support.