A Service Celebrating
the Life and Eternal Life
of
+ Marian Joan Lewis +
Grace Lutheran Church
Lakeland, Florida
January 19, 2024
Service 2:00 p.m.
Pre-service Music 1:45 p.m.
Marian was given to us on February 20, 1930
Marian was baptized into Christ’s Body on April 13, 1930 at
Grace Presbyterian Church, Wishek, North Dakota
Marian entered the Church Triumphant on December 23, 2023
Order of Worship
Prelude
Bright Morning Stars are Rising
Give Me Jesus
Invocation
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Welcome in the name of Jesus, the Savior of the world.
We are gathered to worship,
To proclaim Christ crucified and risen,
To remember before God our sister,
Marian,
To give thanks for her life,
To commend her to our merciful Redeemer,
And to comfort one another in our grief.
Remembrance of Baptism
In Holy Baptism Marian was clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covered all her sin. St. Paul says: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
Eternal God, maker of heaven and earth, who formed us from the dust of the earth, who by your breath gave us life, we glorify you.
We glorify you.
Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life, who suffered death for all humanity, who rose from the grave to open the way to eternal life, we praise you.
We praise you.
Holy Spirit, author and giver of life, the comforter of all who sorrow, our sure confidence and everlasting hope, we worship you.
We worship you.
To you, O blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be glory and honor, forever and ever.
Amen.
Opening Hymn Beautiful Savior ELW 838
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 flowers 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!
Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray: O God of grace and glory, we remember before you today our sister Marian. We thank you for giving her to us to know and to love as a companion in our pilgrimage on earth. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us faith to see that death has been swallowed up in the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ so that we may live in confidence and hope until, by your call, we are gathered to our heavenly home in the company of all your saints; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
First Reading Isaiah 43:1-7
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’, and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
Behold, he who watches over Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep;
the Lord himself watches over you; the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
so that the sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; it is He who shall keep you safe.
The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth forevermore.
I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Musical Offering Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green;
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree.
His beauty doth all things excel;
By faith I know, but ne’re can tell,
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought;
I missed of all, but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the apple tree.
I’m weary with my former toil,
Here I will sit and rest awhile;
Under the shadow I will be:
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.
Second Reading Ephesians 3:14-20
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing ELW 807
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,
Come, thou Fount of ev’ry blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise,
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger
Safely to arrive at home.
Oh, that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see thy lovely face;
Clothéd then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless days.
Holy Gospel John 11:23-27
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eleventh chapter
Glory to you O Lord.
Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you O Christ.
Sermon
Hymn Blessed Assurance ELW 638
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love. Refrain
Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in his love. Refrain
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of the People
Almighty and everlasting God, all of your creation stands before you. You are the light of all lights, the fountain of wisdom and goodness. For your servant, Marian, for all who have confessed your glory, and for the welfare of the whole world:
We praise you, O Lord, and bless your holy name.
For all dear friends, family, and kindred spirits whom you and we have loved and whose faces we see no more, but whose memories we cherish:
We praise you, O Lord, and bless your holy name.
For the faith they held and for the trust and hope in which they lived and died:
We praise you, O Lord, and bless your holy name.
That Marian’s family and all who loved her may be comforted in their grief and blessed in their remembrance of her, a fellow servant of Christ, a mother, and a friend,
Lord, hear our prayer.
And that we may continue to hold all departed loved ones in Christ in remembrance, that the examples of their wisdom and faithfulness may influence our lives, and that we may prepare ourselves to follow them in all our days,
Lord, hear our prayer.
That we and all your children may have a hope beyond this life for whom Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life, and that we may proclaim the Lord’s love and salvation to all the world,
Lord, hear our prayer.
In communion with the Holy Spirit, with the redeemed in all ages, with Marian, our sister in Christ, who dwells in your eternal presence, we, who remain on earth and await our coming into your eternal presence, unite together in saying:
Holy are you, O Lord, now and forever! Amen!
Lord’s Prayer
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.
Hymn Abide With Me ELW 629
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
I need thy presence ev’ry passing hour;
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me!
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Commendation
Let us commend Marian to the mercy of God, our Maker and Redeemer. Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Marian, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming, into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light.
Amen.
Now Lord, you let your servant go in peace,
Your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
Now Lord, you let your servant go in peace.
Amen.
Benediction
Dismissal
Let us go forth in peace,
in the name of the Lord. Amen.
Hymn Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound ELW 779
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Then when we’ve first begun. Amen.
Postlude
Officiant
Rev. Pamela Smith
Readers
Marty Lewis
Peggy Eckel
Kathy Hammar
Andy Lewis
Organist
Gene Hodges
Reception – The family of Marian Lewis is grateful for the comfort of your presence here today. Following the service, you are invited to gather with them in Fellowship Hall for refreshments and remembrances.
Committal – The Committal Service and Interment will take place at St. John’s Cemetery, Silver Spring, Maryland on January 22, 2023.
Memorial Offerings – Expressions of sympathy taking the form of offerings in Marian’s memory may do so to Grace Lutheran Church, 755 S. Ingraham Avenue, Lakeland, Florida 33801 or Lutheran Missions at lcms.org/globalmissionfund.
+ Marian Joan Hoff Lewis +
Marian Lewis was born on February 20, 1930. in Wishek, North Dakota, the daughter of Nellie Fraser Hoff and William Friedrich Hoff. She grew up in Wishek and Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, lived in San Francisco, California during World War II, and graduated from Wishek High School, Wishek, North Dakota in 1948. She then worked as a nurse’s aide at Stillwater State Hospital, Stillwater, Minnesota where she met Russell S. “Bud” Lewis from Washington, D.C. They were married in Anoka, Minnesota on December 27, 1948. Marian and Bud made homes in Clemson, South Carolina; Glenmont and Rockville, Maryland; Crane and Bloomington, Indiana; Maitland, Florida, and Rockville, Maryland. Marian’s home for the last year was in Lakeland, Florida.
Marian was a homemaker tending her family for many years. Marian attended classes at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Marian was a volunteer Pink Lady at Bloomington Hospital, Bloomington, Indiana, and at Montgomery General Hospital, Olney, Maryland. She then worked in the pathology department of Montgomery General Hospital as a medical secretary and lab manager for thirty-three years.
Marian was involved in church service, particularly the choir and altar guild, and taught confirmation classes. She was a knitter, worked needlepoint, and crafted candles. Marian tended gardens and shared beautiful flowers with countless others. Marian was a prolific writer of postcards, and a gift giver. The sun and sand were a joy to her. She and Bud spent many wonderful hours on their sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Marian packed her suitcase and traveled throughout the world.
Marian was baptized on April 13, 1930 at Grace Presbyterian Church, Wishek, North Dakota. She and her family were members of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Clemson, South Carolina; St Mary’s Episcopal, Aspen Hill, Maryland; Calvary Lutheran, Silver Spring, Maryland; Faith Lutheran, Bloomington, Indiana; Trinity Lutheran, Orlando, Florida; The Lutheran Church of St Andrew, Silver Spring, Maryland; and Grace Lutheran, Lakeland, Florida.
Marian died peacefully at her home in Lakeland, Florida, on December 23, 2023. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Russell “Bud” Lewis. Marian is survived by her children Marty (Sharon) Lewis of Lakeland, Florida; Peggy (Kurt) Eckel of Sandy Mush, North Carolina; Kathy (Claes) Hammar of Stockholm, Sweden; and Andy (Deni) Lewis of Yorktown, Virginia; 10 grandchildren: Ben Nieting, Reba (Ian) Robinson, Susannah (PG) Jönsson, Meagan King, Michael (Niki) Lewis, Philip Hammar, Leif (Tabea) Hammar, Adam (Emily) Nieting, Jona (Beth) Lewis, Aaron Lewis; and 18 great-grandchildren: Kaylee, Leo, Karina, Nellie, Kaitlyn, Matthew, Riley, Emily, Isabel, Zachary, Brooks, Eskil, Stone, Joshua, Ilon, Sadie, Even, Alvis; and many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.
Marian was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Elizabeth Hoff Paul, and brother Gordon Hoff; step-mother Rebecca Hoff Hochhalter, stepsister Mabel Boschee, and stepbrother Howard Hiller. Marian is survived by her sister Charlotte Hoff Biemiller, brother Larry (Renee) Hoff, stepsister Idella Vossler, stepbrother Harlan Hiller, and sister-in-law Vangie Hoff.
