The Service in PDF format is at: Craig Starr – Celebration of Life

Video of service is at: Facebook Video

†   Gary Craig Starr   †

October 5, 1945 – November 1, 2021

AS WE GATHER

     Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  Today we gather in the valley.  Grief rising on one side, pain rising on the other.  The valley can be lonely, treacherous, and all encompassing.  I will fear no evil.  Ahead lies a mountain, a mountain of hope.  Joy and peace envelop all who pass through the valley and ascend the mountain.  Today we make that journey to the mountaintop. 

PRESERVICE MUSIC

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

CRAIG’S LIFE IN PICTURES (Music)

CALLING ON GOD                                                          Psalm 23

Pastor:  In the name of the Father, the   †   Son, and the Holy Spirit.

People:  Amen.

Pastor:  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.   

People: He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  

Pastor:  He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

People: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,

Pastor:  for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  

People: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  

Pastor:  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Amen. 

OPENING HYMN            “At the Cross (Love Ran Red)”

There’s a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There’s a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide,

where all the love I’ve ever found comes like a flood, comes flowing down.

Chorus:       At the cross, at the cross I surrender my life.

I’m in awe of You, I’m in awe of You.

Where Your love ran red and my sin washed white,

I owe all to You, I owe all to You, Jesus.

There’s a place where sin and shame are powerless,

where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness,

where all the love I’ve ever felt comes like a flood, comes flowing down.

At the cross, at the cross I surrender my life.

I’m in awe of You, I’m in awe of You.

Where Your love ran red and my sin washed white,

I owe all to You…..I owe all to You.

Here my hope is found, here on holy ground.

Here I bow down, here I bow down.

Here, arms open wide, here You saved my life.

Here I bow down, here I bow.

At the cross, at the cross I surrender my life.

I’m in awe in You, I’m in awe of You.

Where Your love ran red and my sin washed white,

I owe all to You, I owe all to You, I owe all to You,

I owe all to You, Jesus.

PRAYER

Pastor:  Let us pray.  O God of grace and mercy, we give thanks for Your loving-kindness shown to Craig and to all Your servants who, having finished their course in faith, now rest from their labors.  Grant that we also may be faithful unto death and receive the crown of eternal life.  We pray these things through Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

People:  Amen. 

FIRST READING                                                 Isaiah 60:19-20

19  The sun shall be no more your light by day,  nor for brightness shall the moon give you light;  but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

 20  Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself;   for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.

SECOND READING                                Revelation 21:1-7

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

GOSPEL                                                                   Luke 10:25-37

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.

32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.

34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”

37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

SONG OF TRUST                     “Jesus Loves Me” TOSB 114

By: Anna B. Warner, alt. & Wm. B. Bradbury© 1971 by William J. Gaither. The Fellowship Publications Edina, MN 55435

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus loves me this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,

They are weak, but He is strong.

Chorus:                           Yes Jesus loves me,

Yes Jesus loves me,

Yes Jesus loves me,

The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me, Loves me still,

Though I’m very weak and ill.

That I might from sin be free

Bled and died upon the tree.

Chorus

Jesus loves me! He who died,

Heavens gates to open wide

He will wash away my sin,

Let his little child come in.

Chorus

Jesus loves me he will stay,

Close beside me all the way.

That I might from sin be free,

I will henceforth live for thee.

Chorus

WORDS OF COMFORT

Pastor Lucke

PRAYER

Pastor:  Father in heaven, give to the friends of Craig and to all who mourn comfort in their grief and a sure confidence in Your loving care that, casting all their sorrow on You, they may know Your love.  Lord, in Your mercy,

People:  hear our prayer. 

Pastor:  Father in heaven, look graciously upon those who mourn the death of a beloved husband and father. Bring them to a joyous reunion in heaven.  Lord, in Your mercy, 

People:  hear our prayer. 

Pastor:  Father in heaven, receive our thanks for Craig and for all the blessings You gave him in this earthly life.  Bring us at last to our heavenly home that with him we may see You face to face in the joys of paradise.  Lord, in Your mercy, 

People:  hear our prayer. 

Pastor:  O God of all grace, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to bring life and immortality to life.  We give You thanks that by His death He destroyed the power of death and by His resurrection He opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.  Strengthen us in the confidence that because He lives we shall live also, and that neither death nor life nor things present nor things to come will be able to separate us from Your love, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

People:  Amen. 

 LORD’S PRAYER

ALL:                Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. 

For Thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory

forever and ever.  Amen.

 BENEDICTION

Pastor: 

The Lord bless you and keep you,

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.

People: Amen.

CLOSING HYMN                         “What a Day that Will Be”

There is coming a day

when no heartaches shall come,

no more clouds in the sky,

no more tears to dim the eye.

All is peace forever-more

on that happy golden shore.

What a day, glorious day that will be!

Chorus:                        What a day that will be

when my Jesus I shall see,

and I look upon His face,

the One who saved me by His grace;

when He takes me by the hand

and leads me through the promised land,

What a day, glorious day that will be!

There’ll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear,

no more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there;

and forever I will be with the One who died for me.

What a day, glorious day that will be!

Chorus:                        What a day that will be

when my Jesus I shall see,

and I look upon His face,

the One who saved me by His grace;

when He takes me by the hand

and leads me through the promised land,

What a day, glorious day that will be!

What a day, glorious day that will be!

POSTLUDE

Obituary

Gary Craig Starr, age 76, died peacefully with his family by his side on November 1 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis.

Craig was born on October 5, 1945, in Myrtle Point, to Delbert E. and Doris Starr. After graduating from Lebanon High School, he went on to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oregon State University. After retiring as the Assistant Public Works Director of Lane County in 2003, Craig spent the majority of his retirement in the home he helped build in his home town of Lebanon.

Besides spending time with family and friends, Craig had a passion for reading, sports, and the outdoors. He served terms as president of both the Oregon Bowhunters Association and Wapiti Bowmen Archery Club. Craig took great pleasure in volunteering his time to help others learn how to enjoy the outdoors.

A loving husband and devoted father, Craig was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Den, and is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 56 years, Sharon, daughter, Angela (Allan), son, Delbert (Jennifer), five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, two sisters, and a brother.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Starr Family Scholarship Fund (Oregon State University Foundation).