The Service in PDF format is at: Ruth Ellen Smith Service
† Ruth Ellen Smith †
August 6, 1929 – October 2, 2022
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
OPENING SONG “How Great Thou Art”
Stuart Wesley Keene Hine; Copyright 1949 and 1953 Stuart Hine Trust CIO Stuart K. Hine Trust (Administration: USA All rights by Capitol CMG Publishing, except print rights for USA, North, Central and South America administered by Hope Publishing. All other non USA Americas rights by the Stuart Hine Trust. Rest of World – Integritymusic.com.)
O Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy pow’r thru’out
The universe displayed
Chorus: Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
.
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
And hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze
Chorus
And when I think
That God His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die
I scarce can take it in
That on the cross
My burden gladly bearing
He bled and died
To take away my sin
Chorus
When Christ shall come
With shout of acclamation
And take me home
What joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim
My God how great Thou art
Chorus
Pastor: In the name of the Father, the † Son, and the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
Pastor: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
People: The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Pastor: When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh,
People: my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
Pastor: Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
People: though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
Pastor: One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:
People: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
Pastor: to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
People: Amen.
Pastor: Let us pray. O God of grace and mercy, we give thanks for the life that You have given to Ruth. We gather here today to also give You thanks for the eternal life that You have now given to her. We recognize that eternal life is possible because of Jesus’ victory over death. We believe that His death and resurrection opened up the way for everyone to have a relationship with You. Today we turn to You in our grief with Ruth’s death. Remind us that Your promises to Ruth are also Your promises to us. We pray these things in the name of Jesus, the One who knew no sin.
People: Amen.
The text for this can be found at: Ruth Ellen Smith Life Story
FIRST READING I Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
WORDS OF COMFORT
Pastor Lucke
Pastor: Heavenly Father, give to the family of Ruth 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 the consolation of Your love. Lord, in your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Give courage and faith to the bereaved, that they may have strength to meet the days ahead in the assurance of a holy and certain hope and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love who have departed in the faith. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Receive our thanks for Ruth and for all the blessings You bestowed on her in this earthly life. Bring us at last to our heavenly home that with her we may see You face to face in the joys of paradise. In the name of Jesus, the One who knew no sin.
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.
LETTER FROM Kathy
CLOSING SONG “Beautiful Savior”
Text: Gesangbuch, Munster, 1677; tr. Joseph A. Seiss, 1823-1904, Tune: Silesian Folk tune, 1842; 1978 Published by Augsburg Publishing Company, Minneapolis and board of Publication, Lutheran Church in America, Philadelphia
Beautiful Savior, King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love thee, Truly I’d serve thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
.
Fair are the meadows, Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flow’rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.
.
Fair is the sunshine, Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.
.
Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, Praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be thine!
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.
POSTSERVICE MUSIC
