Jaynne Marguerite Wiesner, April 17, 2025, 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Order of Worship

Welcome & Gathering

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and I am life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, yet shall they live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

Friends, we have gathered here to praise God and to witness to our faith as we celebrate the life of Jaynne Marguerite Wiesner. We come together in grief, acknowledging our human loss. May God grant us grace, that in pain we may find comfort, in sorrow….hope, in death….resurrection.

Added encouragement and

prayer.

Slideshow Segment, I can Only Imagine

We will hear chosen music by the family that honors Jaynne and reminds us of the promises of our faith, while watching pictures of fond memories of her life.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 23:4 NIV

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Add words of encouragement

Pastoral Prayer

O God, who gave us birth, you are ever more ready to hear than we are to pray. You know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in asking. Give to us now your grace, that as we shrink before the mystery of death, we may see the light of eternity. Speak to us once more your solemn message of life and of death. Help us to live as those who are prepared to die. And when our days here are accomplished, enable us to die as those who go forth to live, so that living or dying, our life may be in you, and that nothing in life or in death will be able to separate us from your great love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Add prayer for:

Don (husband)

Lillian (mother) and brother (Ken)

Skye, Lexi, and Tori

Rest of the family, grand children, friends, and all those who mourn today.

Amen.

Slideshow Segment 2, Amazing Grace

Eulogy - Tori

New Testament Reading and Message

2 Timothy 4:7–8 NIV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

We are here today to honor and remember the life of Jannye Weisner—a mother, a friend, a woman of quiet strength and deep love. It’s hard to sum up a person’s life in words, especially someone like Jannye who didn’t seek the spotlight, who preferred to be behind the scenes—making sure everyone else was okay, comfortable, and cared for.

If you knew Jannye, you knew that she had a heart for bringing people together. Whether it was a family meal, a holiday gathering, or just time around a table, she was often the one who made it happen—not because she wanted attention, but because she cared. She found joy in making space for others. In that way, Jannye reflected something of God’s own heart: the One who prepares a place for us, who welcomes us with love. Most of the gatherings of Jesus in the gospel accounts were surrounded by meals. There is something holy and sacred that can happen when we come together and share.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” At the end of his life, Paul reflects not on his achievements or reputation, but on the perseverance of his journey. And while Jannye’s faith may not have been something she spoke about often or wore on her sleeve, she fought the daily fights that matter—raising her family with love, enduring the hard seasons, and choosing others above herself. That, too, is a kind of faithfulness. There are these great qualities that she instilled in her girls. Skye, Lexi, and Tori can speak to the inherited characteristics of boldness, determination, the ability to say what needs to be said, gracious inclusion of others. None of them representing all but all found in them. The best parts of Jaynne are from God and those investments do not pass away, they continue.

This passage reminds us that life is a journey. It has a beginning and it has an end. And in between, we all walk a path that will one day bring us to this moment—when our story is told and others remember what we lived for. Paul talks about a crown of righteousness—a reward not just for him, but for all who long for Christ’s appearing. That phrase is an invitation. It reminds us that there’s more to life than just what we see. There’s more than the race we run in this world. There’s a finish line beyond this one, and a reward for those who turn their hearts toward God.

Today, as we remember Jannye’s kindness, her care, her gift for bringing people together, I think she would want this moment not to be about her—but about the people she loved. She would want you to consider what matters most in life. She would want you to stay close as a family, to forgive quickly, to make the most of the time you have. But maybe, just maybe, she’d also want you to think about what lies beyond this life.

There’s a kind of quiet courage in living a life of love and service. And there’s an even deeper strength in turning toward God with honest questions and open hands. If today prompts you to do that—to seek, to reflect, to ask God what this life is really about—then Jannye’s legacy will continue in a beautiful way.

So we give thanks for her life. We honor the ways she made this world better, warmer, more connected. And we open our hearts to the God who walks with us in grief, and who invites us all to run the race that leads to life.

Pray.

Segment 3, I’m Your Angel

Benediction

The peace of God He which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Graveside

A SERVICE OF COMMITTAL – Jaynne Wiesnery

April 17, 2025

Greeting

Listen, I will tell you a mystery!

We will not all die, but we will all be changed.

For this perishable body must put on imperishability,

and this mortal body must put on immortality.

Then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:

"Death has been swallowed up in victory."

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

But thanks be to God,

who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 CORINTHIANS 15:51, 53, 54 b-55, 57)

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;

my body also dwells secure.

You, [Lord,] show me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy,

in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (PSALM 16:9, 11, UMH 748)

The following prayer is offered:

Let us pray.

O God, you have ordered this wonderful world

and know all things in earth and in heaven.

Give us such faith that by day and by night,

at all times and in all places,

we may without fear commit ourselves

and those dear to us

to your never-failing love,

in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

Scripture

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled and unfading,

kept in heaven for you.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you suffer trials

so that the genuineness of your faith may prove itself worthy

at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Without having seen him, yet you love him;

though you do not now see him,

you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy.

As the harvest of your faith you reap the salvation of your souls.

(ADAPTED FROM 1 PETER 1:3-9)

Jesus said: "Very truly, I tell you,

unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,

it remains just a single grain;

but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Those who love their life lose it,

and those who hate their life in this world

will keep it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me,

and where I am, there will my servant be also.

Whoever serves me, the Father will honor." (JOHN 12:24-26)

Commital

Standing at the head of the coffin and facing it (preferably casting earth upon it as it is lowered into the grave) the pastor says:

Almighty God,

into your hands we commend your daughter Jaynne,

in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This body we commit to the ground

(to the elements, to its resting place),

earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. (TRADITIONAL)

One or more of the following or other prayers is offered:

Eternal God, you have shared with us the life of Jaynne Marguerite Weisner.

Before she was ours, she is yours.

For all that Jaynne has given us to make us what we are,

for that of her which lives and grows in each of us,

and for her life that in your love will never end,

we give you thanks.

As now we offer Jaynne back into your arms,

comfort us in our loneliness,

strengthen us in our weakness,

and give us courage to face the future unafraid.

Draw those of us who remain in this life closer to one another,

make us faithful to serve one another,

and give us to know that peace and joy which is eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The pastor dismisses the people with the following or another blessing:

Now to the One who is able to keep you from falling,

and to make you stand without blemish

in the presence of God's glory with rejoicing,

to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

be glory, majesty, power, and authority,

before all time and now and forever. Amen. (JUDE 24-25, ALT.)