Memorial for Jeanne Merritt by redeemeratl

Jeanne Pfitsch Merritt March 29, 1927 - January 28, 2024 After a brief illness, Jeanne Pfitsch Merritt of Atlanta, GA, died peacefully on January 28, 2024 at the age of 96. She was born on March 28, 1927, in Baltimore, MD, the only child of John Irvin Merritt and Irene Pfitsch Merritt. Educated in the Baltimore Public Schools, Notre Dame Preparatory School, Notre Dame of Maryland University and George Washington University School of Medical Technology, she had a 40-year career as a medical technologist in the laboratories of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit and Emory University School of Medicine, Hospital and Clinic, Atlanta. She is survived by goddaughter Miriam Hamilton Bellis of St. Louis, MO, cousins, a host of friends and her little dog Tori. A member of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer since 1967, she served on the Congregation Council, the Board of Lutheran Towers, and as a volunteer in many other ministries. Supporting families and children in crisis was a major theme throughout Jeanne’s life. Through Lutheran Services of Georgia (now Inspiritus), she became personally involved in the resettlement of refugees in the Atlanta area. Through Plan International USA, she sponsored children around the world from 1951 until her death. In 1994, a group of congregations created Genesis Shelter (now a part of Our House) to provide a home for at risk newborns and their families. Jeanne represented Redeemer Lutheran as a founding congregation, serving on the Board. Her great joy was the coordination of the Genesis clothes closet for infants and children. Her legacy was the encouragement of the ministry’s expansion including a move to a larger location – providing transformative care to more families on the verge of homelessness and poverty. Congregational care was of great importance to Jeanne. She was involved in the reorganization of the RedeemerCare Ministry, then providing leadership for this network of support to members in need throughout the metro Atlanta area. Her most recent involvement was as co-coordinator of the congregation’s Visitation Ministry, enabling members to be the hands and feet of Christ to those who are homebound. Jeanne was also a trained Stephen Minister and provided one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people experiencing life difficulties. Her care receivers were fortunate to experience her listening skills as she provided encouragement and emotional and spiritual support. 1

Faced with potential isolation during the pandemic, Jeanne was determined to stay connected and involved. Nowhere is this more evident than with her beloved Lifespan Resources. From 1999 until her death, Jeanne was an active member and proponent of life-long learning. She mastered the art of Zoom© and stayed connected via her laptop. She never missed an educational or social experience and even developed a new artistic expression in the creation of Zentangle© masterpieces. PRELUDE GATHERING Standing Welcome in the name of Jesus the Savior, who died and was raised to new life by the grace of God. We are gathered here to worship, to remember before God our sister, Jeanne Merritt, to give thanks for her life, to commend her to our merciful redeemer, and to comfort one another in our grief. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of all mercy and the God of all consolation. He comforts us in all our sorrows so that we can comfort others in their sorrows with the consolation we ourselves have received from God. | Thanks be to God. THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM When we were baptized in Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new 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. ACCLAMATION 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, be glory and honor, forever and ever. | Amen.

HYMN

Onward Christian Soldiers

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. 3

PRAYER OF THE DAY O God of grace and glory, we remember before you today our sister, Jeanne. 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. Seated REMEMBRANCES • • • •

Michael Polacek Marlit Hayslett Katie Bellas Peg Wyse

SCRIPTURE READINGS Joshua 24:15 Job 13:15 SOLO

Congregation please join as directed

Surely the Presence of the Lord William Bolick, soloist

Lanny Wolfe

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place, I can feel his mighty power and his grace. I can hear the brush of angels’ wings, I see glory on each face; Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. CCLI Song # 7909© 1977 Lanny Wolfe MusicFor use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.comCCLI License # 2888121

Psalm 121 (read responsively) I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 4

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 1 Corinthians 13 Standing GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

THE HOLY GOSPEL John 14:1-7 Seated HOMILY Standing HYMN 654

Pastor Mark H. Larson The Church's One Foundation

APOSTLES' CREED God has made us his people through our Baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope, we confess our faith. 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 suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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. Kneeling or Seated PRAYERS Let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ who said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus, full of compassion, you consoled Martha and Mary in their distress; draw near to us who mourn for Jeanne and dry the tears of those who weep. In your mercy, | hear our prayer. Jesus, man of sorrows, you wept at the grave of Lazarus your friend; comfort us who mourn. In your mercy, | hear our prayer. Jesus, firstborn of the new creation, you raised the dead; give to our sister, Jeanne, life eternal. In your mercy, | hear our prayer. Jesus, friend of sinners, you promised paradise to the repentant thief; bring Jeanne to the joys of heaven. In your mercy, | hear our prayer. Jesus, wellspring of life, you washed our sister in baptism and anointed her with the Holy Spirit; give her communion with all your saints. In your mercy, | hear our prayer. Jesus, bread of life, you nourished Jeanne at your table on earth; Welcome her at your table in the realm of heaven. 6

In your mercy, | hear our prayer. Jesus, bright morning star, comfort us in our sorrows at the death of Jeanne: let our faith be our consolation, and eternal life our hope. In your mercy, | hear our prayer. God of all grace, we give you thanks because by his death our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed the power of death and by his resurrection opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Make us certain 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 Spirit, one God, now and forever. | Amen. Standing PEACE The peace of Christ be with you always. | And also with you. Please share a sign of blessing with your fellow worshipers in whatever way is comfortable for you. Seated ANTHEM

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring

Standing GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you. | And also with you. Lift up your hearts! | We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. | It is right to give our thanks and praise. EUCHARISTIC PRAYER You are holy, O God of majesty, and holy is your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He lived as one of us, and knew our joy, our pain and sorrow, and our death. By his death on the cross you revealed that your love has no limit. By raising him from death you conquered the last enemy, crushed all evil powers and gave new life to the world. In the night in which he was betrayed our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me. 7

J.S. Bach

Remembering your gracious acts in Jesus Christ, we take from your creation this bread and wine and joyfully celebrate his death and resurrection, as we await the day of his coming. Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these gifts of bread and wine, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ. By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name. Remember our sister Jeanne, whose baptism is now complete in death. Bring her into your eternal joy and light, together with all who have died in the peace of Christ; through whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen. Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray… 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. INVITATION TO COMMUNION The risen Christ dwells with us here. All who are hungry, all who are thirsty, come. Seated

HYMNS DURING COMMUNION HYMN 810

HYMN 616

Oh, Jesus I Have Promised

Jesus Remember Me Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Text and music © 1981 Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Onelicense.net #A725004

HYMN 733

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Standing POST COMMUNION PRAYER The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. | Amen

Let us pray. | Almighty God, we thank you that in your great love you have given us a foretaste of your heavenly banquet. Grant that this sacrament may be to us a comfort in affliction and a pledge of our inheritance of life eternal where there is no death, neither sorrow nor crying, but the fullness of joy with all your saints; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. | Amen.

COMMENDATION Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant, Jeanne. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. | Amen. HYMN 660

Lift High the Cross

Jeanne requested that everyone remain seated until the conclusion of the Postlude POSTLUDE

Toccata from Symphony V

Charles-Marie Widor

DISMISSAL Let us go forth in peace. | In the name of Christ. Amen. Please join the family in the Sims Atrium for a time of fellowship and refreshment Liturgy from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2013 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #21979.

Officiants: Pastors Mark H. Larson, Jonathan Trapp, Deacon Mary Houck Reader: Pastor Mary Peters Organist: Sarah Hawbecker Pallbearers: David Besherse, Walt Carpenter, Larry Connelly, Michael Polacek, Len Studley, and Guy Tucker Everyone is invited to the Sims Atrium for a reception following the service. The burial will take place in Baltimore at a later date.