Autumn Dawn Middleton
March 11, 1996 -- April 9, 1996
The Order for Burial of the Dead
Lutheran Book of Worship, pages 206 ff.
Saturday April 13, 1996 10:00 a.m.
A Remembrance of Baptism
| 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. |
| 1. Thy holy wings, O Savior, Spread gently over me, And let me rest securely Through good and ill in thee. Oh, be my strength and portion, My rock and hiding place, And let my ev'ry moment Be lived within thy grace. |
2. Oh, wash me in the waters Of Noah's cleansing flood; Give me a willing spirit, A heart, both clean and good. And take into thy keeping Thy children great and small, And while we sweetly slumber, Enfold us one and all. |
| O God our Father, your beloved Son took children into his arms and blessed them. Give us grace, we pray, that we may entrust Autumn Dawn to your never-failing care and love, and bring us all to your heavenly kingdom; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. |
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After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." |
| 1. The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want. He makes me down to lie In pastures green, He leadeth me The quiet waters by. |
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4. My table Thou has furnish’ed In presence of my foes. My head Thou dost with oil anoint. And my cup overflows. |
| 2. My soul He has restored again My feet to walk does make Within the paths of righteousness But for His own name’s sake. |
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5. Goodness and mercy all my life Shall surely follow me. And in God’s house forever more My dwelling place shall be. |
| 3. Ev’n though I walk through Death’s dark place, Yet I will fear no ill. For Thou are with me and Thy rod And staff will guard me still. |
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6. The Lord has promised good to me; His Word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures. |
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People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." |
| 1. Wash, O God, our sons and daughters, where your cleansing waters flow. Number them among your people; bless as Christ blessed long ago. Weave them garments bright and sparkling; compass them with love and light Fill, anoint them; send your Spirit, holy dove and heart’s delight. |
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2. Oh, how deep your holy wisdom! Unimagined, all your ways! To your name be glory, honor! With our lives we worship, praise! We your people stand before you, water washed and Spirit born. By your grace, our lives we offer. Recreate us; God, transform! |
creator of heaven and earth. He was conceived by the powr of the Holy Spiritand born of the virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended into hell.On the third day he rose againHe ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead. the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting.| For our dear little Autumn Dawn, let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ who said, "I am the resurrection and the life." Lord you consoled Martha and Mary in their distress, draw near to us who mourn for Autumn, and dry the tears of those who weep. Let us pray, |
| You wept at the grave of Lazarus, your friend, comfort us in our sorrow. Let us pray, |
| You raised the dead to life; give your precious child, Autumn, eternal life. Let us pray, |
| You promised paradise to the thief who repented, bring Autumn your beloved child to the joys of heaven. Let us pray, |
| Autumn was washed in the waters of baptism and anointed with the Holy Spirit; give her fellowship with all your saints. Let us pray, |
| Comfort us in our sorrows at the death of Autumn; let our faith be our consolation, and eternal life our hope. Let us pray, |
| Grant us grace to entrust Autumn Dawn to your never-failing love which sustains us all in this life. Receive her into your arms of mercy, and remember her according to the favor you bear for all your people. Let us pray, |
| God of all grace, you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to bring life and immortality to light. We give you thanks because by his death, Jesus destroyed the power of death and by his resurrection has opened the kingdom of heaven. 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. |
hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as in heaven.as we forgive thosewho sin against us.and deliver us from evil.and the glory are yoursnow and forever. Amen| Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant, Autumn Dawn. Acknowledge, we humble 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. |
| 1. Children of the Heavenly Father Safely in his bosom gather. Nestling bird or star in heaven Such a refuge e’er was given. |
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3. Neither life nor death shall ever From the Lord his children sever; Unto them his grace he showeth, And their sorrows all he knoweth. |
| 2. God his own doth tend and nourish, In his holy courts they flourish. From all evil things he spares them, In his mighty arms he bears them. |
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4. Though he giveth or he taketh, God his children ne’er forsaketh; His the loving purpose solely To preserve them pure and holy. |
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