Thomas John Jonas January 5, 1948 – January 10, 2023
Thomas John Jonas, age 75, passed away peacefully after a long battle with diabetes and vascular dementia at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born January 5, 1948 in Slovakia and immigrated to the United States in 1968, finding his way to Cleveland, Ohio a year later. It was in Cleveland that he visited a social club for fellow Slovaks and met the love of his life Milena Straka, with whom he would build a family and share a life for over 52 years. After living in Ohio for over 47 cloudy and snowy years, he eventually convinced mom to move to Atlanta to spend the rest of their days in the sun closer to more grandchildren. Slovakia is where he was born and Georgia is where he will rest, but for dad, Ohio will always be “home”.
Dad was a self-made man, captivated by machinery and technology, and he could be defined by his work as an IT systems engineer, often working 2 or 3 jobs at a time to ensure that his family were never wanting. He rarely trusted a professional to do a job at a fair price, so he learned to do all the home maintenance skills himself, including electrical wiring, sink installation, roofing, driveway resurfacing, car brake replacement, oil changes, and much more. He even had his kids go with him up on the roof, under the car, or into the city to the office, working alongside him…sometimes trying to help him figure out why the car still worked even with several nuts and bolts still on the pavement. We watched him handle all the problems, like the time a racoon died stuck in the backyard fence. We cringed at his jokes, never passing up the opportunity to be a cheeky contrarian when offered payment options by a cashier. We appreciated him teaching us how to ice skate and play soccer. We were fascinated by his celebration of a fresh tomato from the vegetable garden he loved to tend. We adopted his loyalty and love of cheering for lost causes like Cleveland sports teams. We marveled and rejoiced at the sight of him doting on his grandchildren. And we wept tears of grief and relief for him as we huddled around his bed admiring and remembering what he had cultivated and grown in his most important garden, his family. We hope heaven is “just like downtown!”, dad. We miss you.
Thomas is preceded in death by his father George and mother Maria. He is survived by his wife Milena, sister Anna, brothers Milan and George, son Thomas Paul, daughter Christine Jonas O’Brien, son Justin and grandchildren Alice, Sydney O'Brien, Avery O'Brien, Thomas Clark, Hazel and many nieces and nephews in Slovakia. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association to support dementia research.
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 brother, Thomas Jonas, to give thanks for his life, to commend him 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.
CCLI Song # 14181 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.)For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License # 2888121
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
O God of grace and glory, we remember before you today our brother, Thomas. We thank you for giving him 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 REFLECTION
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 23 (read responsively)
The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.
Tommy Jonas, sonHe restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 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.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Word of God, Word of Life | Thanks be to God
Romans 8:31-39 Christine Jonas O’Brien, daughter
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Word of God, Word of Life | Thanks be to God
Standing
THE HOLY GOSPEL
John 14:1-7
The Gospel according to St. John, the fourteenth chapter | Glory to you, O Lord
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
The Gospel of the Lord | Thanks be to God
Seated
HOMILY
Pastor Mark
H.Larson Standing HYMN 779 Amazing Grace
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 Mary 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 Thomas 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 brother, Thomas life eternal. In your mercy, | hear our prayer.
Jesus, friend of sinners, you promised paradise to the repentant thief; bring Thomas to the joys of heaven. In your mercy, | hear our prayer.
Jesus, wellspring of life, you washed our brother in baptism and anointed him with the Holy Spirit; give him communion with all your saints. In your mercy, | hear our prayer.
Jesus, bread of life, you nourished Thomas at your table on earth; Welcome him at your table in the realm of heaven. In your mercy, | hear our prayer.
Jesus, bright morning star, comfort us in our sorrows at the death of Thomas: 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.
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.
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 brother, Thomas, whose baptism is now complete in death. Bring him 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 is 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
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, Thomas. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. | Amen.
