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| Woodlawn Christian Church Lake City, Iowa |
All of us here at Woodlawn will miss her and honestly, the shock that she's passed will take time to register for many of us. God's comfort and blessing to the family, please know that your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, was one of God's finest and today she is most assuredly strolling the streets of Heaven arm in arm with her husband Bob. Praise be to God!
Be a blessing to someone today!
In His Glory & Grace,
Roy
Link to Lou's obituary - Lampe Funeral Home, Lake City, IA
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| Woodlawn Christian Church, Lake City, Iowa |
Prelude:
Entrance:
All please rise.
Call to Worship:
Heavenly Father, You have assured us that through Your Son all shall have eternal life. Trusting in Your faithfulness and mercy, we await that glory filled day when You raise us all to life in triumph and we shall stand before Your throne. Standing there with all Your creation made new in Christ Jesus, basking in the glory of Your Heavenly Kingdom.
Please be seated.
Greeting:
We have come together within the strengthening fellowship of friends and family:
to praise God for the life of Lou Green;
to share our grief with God and with one another;
to reaffirm our faith in God's unfailing goodness;
to hear again God's promise of resurrection;
and to commend Lou to God's everlasting care.
Music: I Can Only Imagine – Mercy Me
Opening Prayer:
Father of all mercies and God of all consolation, you pursue us with untiring love and dispel the shadow of death with the bright dawn of life. Give courage to this family in their loss and sorrow. Be their refuge and strength, O Lord, reassure them of your continuing love and lift them from the depths of grief into the peace and light of your presence. Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by dying has destroyed our death, and by rising, restored our life. Your Holy Spirit, our comforter, speaks for us in groans too deep for words. Come alongside your people, remind them of your eternal presence and give them your comfort and strength. Amen
Hymn: How Great Thou Art No. 33
A Reading from the Old Testament:
Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV)
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 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.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
A Reading from the New Testament:
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Hymn: Amazing Grace No. 546
Message: Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church
On the afternoon of September 14th, 2017, Lula Belle Green, best known simply as Lou was born into the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lou was born into this world at home in Sac City, Iowa on August 6, 1932, to Lincoln and Agatha Walker. She was one of 13 children seven boys and six girls.
Lou graduated from High School in Somers, Iowa in 1950 and was joined in marriage to Robert Green on March 23, 1951. Bob and Lou had met at the roller skating rink in Gowrie, IA and the rest, as they say, is history. Their wedding was a small affair, as there was a snowstorm and most of the guests were unable to attend, in fact, the Minister almost didn't make it to the church. Praise God that the Minister was able to brave the storm, and so Bob and Lou's life together as one began.
On March 27, 1955, Lou was baptized into membership here at Woodlawn Christian Church by the Reverend Howard Prather, and so began her long devotion and dedication to this most fortunate Church here in Lake City.
Last night I was able to see photos of Lou and Bob, there is a photo of their wedding and in it, Lou is such a petite and pretty “smiling” young bride, how fortunate was Bob and how proud he must have been to have won her hand.
Lou and Bob's great desire for children was met in their adoption of their two children, their daughter Diane and their son Dennis. Lou is survived by both of her children, by her daughter-in-law Becky, her three grandchildren, Shelli, Brian, and Kristi along with Kristi's husband Pat, by two great-grandchildren Leighton and Hudson, and by three sisters Wilma, Jeanie, and Jo Ann. Ironically, Lou's sister Arlene passed just two days prior to Lou, though Lou sadly was unaware that her sister preceded her in death. I'm sure though that as Lou stepped from this world into the next, that Arlene was there to greet her. Can you just imagine the welcoming party that was waiting for Lou at Heaven's gates? Nine sisters and brothers, her husband Bob, her parents, grandparents, so many friends and relatives, so very many souls from right here at Woodlawn that loved her during her many years of membership and service. All of these folks and so many more, there waiting for Lou's special smile to brighten the realm of Heaven.
As I mentioned Lou was one of thirteen children, in order of birth she was the fourth youngest of her siblings. Lou's father was a hard-worker but the family always struggled financially, but with thirteen children that shouldn't be a surprise. The family said they were dirt-poor. In spite of their meager means, Lou's father was a generous man always willing to help. The family was as I said of very modest means, but I am told that they were always happy, last night at the visitation I noticed a photo of the family... so many children and such great smiles on all their faces.
Lou's husband Bob served in the Army during the Korean Conflict and for a while, he was stationed in Oregon, while stationed there he and Lou drove back and forth several times to visit family in Iowa and Lake City. When she and Bob were first married Lou worked as a waitress and later when back home in Lake City she worked at a variety of locations. Lou worked at one time or another at the Kid's Spot, Harris Drug, Sweet Things, the Snack Bar at the Hospital, she volunteered at Shady Oaks, and she also volunteered at a Hospital in Arizona. Lou enjoyed working at places where she could interact with and work with people. She liked to keep busy, she never cared to sit still. When her husband Bob's health took a turn with heart issues, she became his caregiver.
Bob started farming in 1956 here in the Lake City area and started selling Winnebago's in 1967. He was very successful at selling Winnebago's, so much so that he stopped farming in 1970 and rented out his land. By 1976, Lou and Bob owned the number two Winnebago dealership in the US and Canada. The family remembers them winning trips overseas and to Hawaii.
Bob was also a pilot owning Beechcraft and Cessna airplanes. The family told how Bob kept a map with all the airports that he'd flown into and how he would place pins on the map to mark those airports, and then attach a string between these pins and a pin in the Sac City airport which is where he kept his planes.
Lou and Bob would vacation for many years down in the Mesa, AZ area along with other couples from the Lake City area. Bob and Lou both enjoyed golf and continued to play golf for as long as their individual health conditions allowed. The family told how Lou once made a hole-in-one, and that Bob was always a bit jealous of this feat and would tease Lou about having cheated. Dennis commented like anyone could imagine his mother cheating at anything.
The family mentioned camping trips to Swan Lake and around the local area and also trips to the Black Hills. The family discussed memories of several trips to Florida to visit Bob's parents. Please talk to the family to learn more about all of these memories and so many more stories.
One of the stories that the family told me that truly amazed me was that Lou used to ride a motorcycle. I really wish they had a photo of Lou riding a cycle, it's just something I find so hard to imagine her doing. And Lou didn't just ride a motorcycle, she rode one to Sturgis! But after all, Lou was a farm wife, she helped slaughter chickens and milk cows, there is a photo of Lou riding a horse, so why not a motorcycle... still I'd love to see a photo of Lou riding a cycle.
When I asked the family for words to describe Lou, they mentioned giving, sweet, kind, and that she loved her family, and how much she loved her church. I would have to say that having had the great pleasure of getting to know Lou in the two and a half years I've been here in Lake City and also having had the great pleasure of being Lou's Pastor, that all of these words do well, to sum up just who and what Lou was. The only word I could add to the list would be joy-filled, Lou always seemed so joyful. Anytime I met Lou I was always greeted with a happy and joyful smile.
What I know of Lou was that she was always here pitching in at Woodlawn. She loved to help out with whatever the current project was that the Woman's group was working with. Honestly, it wasn't that long ago that she was here helping the woman working on crocheting mats for the homeless down in Des Moines. You could always count on Lou to pitch in and lend a hand and to always be there with a smile.
I have a story about Lou, that was just relayed to me this morning by Kim Anderson. A few years ago during the winter months, the ladies were here working in the Church building and a woman that none of them knew, a stranger to them all, came into the Church. The woman didn't own a coat and it was freezing outside. Lou gave the woman her own coat, a brand new coat that she had just purchased. What a wonderful story, and a story that so perfectly describes Lou.
Lou was certainly one of the sweetest, kindest, and most gentle souls that I've ever had the privilege to meet. She was a constant fixture here at Woodlawn and I know that all of us here will miss her being here with us. But perhaps as long as there are some of us left that remember her, well maybe then she like so many others will never have ever really left. Her impact... their impact, and devotion to this Church shall and will yet remain.
As I have mentioned several times already, Lou always seemed to be smiling, and she had such a great smile. I can see in my mind's eye Lou walking into Church on a Sunday morning, with a good morning greeting and that little smile... and of course that small laugh that we all know and love about her. I believe it's that wonderful little smile that she always wore that most of us will remember about Lou and cherish forever in our hearts. A sweet, beautifully genuine smile that was never forced nor false. Even when we all knew that Lou was suffering, that she didn't feel well, when we knew she was in actual pain... she still had a smile and of course a little laugh. In the end that smile, that ability to be joy-filled in spite of the circumstances, that's what really defined Lou. That wonderful and amazing ability to persevere, to maintain a sense of humor, to remain joyful, cheerful, and filled with grace even in the midst of illness, injury, heartbreak, and failing health. In no small part, I believe Lou's ability to maintain her spirits in spite of her situation had to do with her unwavering faith in God. As I said, she was baptized here at Woodlawn in 1955 and she remained an active member from that day until the end of her life.
Psalm 92:1-5 New Century Version (NCV)
1 It is good to praise you, Lord,
to sing praises to God Most High.
2 It is good to tell of your love in the morning
and of your loyalty at night.
3 It is good to praise you with the ten-stringed lyre
and with the soft-sounding harp.
4 Lord, you have made me happy by what you have done;
I will sing for joy about what your hands have done.
5 Lord, you have done such great things!
How deep are your thoughts!
Lou's life was a ministry of love, joy, grace, and faith. Hers was such a gentle ministry, not flashy, not boastful, just kind and genuine. Each of us would do well to seek the inspiration of Lou's life to motivate us to not only be better Christians but better human beings. Human beings who love each other and who most of all love our Lord. It is often said that we should live our lives with the understanding that our lives may be the only Bible that someone will ever read. I think this applies very well to Lou's life, a life of gentle witness;
Hebrews 12:1-3 New International Version (NIV)
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Let us like Lou, never lose heart, to always remember to smile and gently laugh, even while the world throws its worst upon us... for we know that beyond all that we see and endure here, that our Lord and our Savior loves us.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 New Century Version (NCV)
17 Fig trees may not grow figs,
and there may be no grapes on the vines.
There may be no olives growing
and no food growing in the fields.
There may be no sheep in the pens
and no cattle in the barns.
18 But I will still be glad in the Lord;
I will rejoice in God my Savior.
On September 14th our friend and loved one Lula Belle Green was born into the Kingdom of Heaven and looked not only into the faces of all of her loved ones that have gone on before her but into the very face of God the Father. Praise be to God... thank you, dear Lord, for giving us Lou to know and to love on this earthly journey. Though we shall always miss her, we know that gentle smile... that we've talked so much about... today lights the very streets of Heaven, and its memory shall long be lit in our own hearts. Praise God.
Closing Prayer:
Following the interment at Lake City Cemetery, the family wishes for you all to join them in further celebration of Lou's life and a time of shared remembrances and closure, by gathering with them for lunch in the Church's fellowship hall. For those who do not wish to attend the graveside service, please feel free to remain behind and wait here in our Fellowship Hall.
Let us please pray:
O God, our Strength and our Redeemer, Giver of life, and Conqueror of death, we open our hearts to you just as we are. We celebrate your gift of life freely given but are grieved by a sense of loss in the face of death. The love which binds us to one another leaves us aching as ties are broken. Accept our tears as emblems of devotion, and transform them into waters of life to nourish us in the days ahead.
We trust you. We love you. We know in Christ that your love is everlasting. Nothing can separate any of us from your abiding care. With you is eternal life.
With confidence, we now entrust Lou to your unfailing love and overflowing goodness. Through the power that raised Christ from the dead to live eternally with you, lift up this, your servant, to life fulfilled beyond our imagining. We give you but your own, enfold her in your everlasting arms, hold her for she is your child.
Now strengthen us, through the gift of your Spirit, to face into the future with confidence that you stand with us. Grant that the changes of life may leave us stronger as we journey through life.
Reassured of your abiding presence, help us to knit more firmly the ties that bind us one to another. Renewed by your love, help us to love in ever larger circles so as to embrace your people everywhere till at last we are all united eternally through Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Benediction:
Postlude:
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| Woodlawn Christian Church, Lake City, Iowa |
Selfishly, we as mortals wish to hold on to Lou. It brings great pain to let her go. Living in the resurrection hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the trust of a loving God and in the promise of eternal life, we now commit her body to its place of rest. We will continue to mourn Lou, but now her smile and laughter will warm the kingdom of God. We will continue to love Lou, but God will now take care of her. We will continue to carry Lou in our thoughts, but she will be kept safe in God's hands. Receive her in the arms of your mercy, O God, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of all your saints.
A reading from the 3rd Chapter of Ecclesiastes:
For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Believing in the Resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we now entrust Lou to the care of Almighty God and we ask Our Father to open the doors to his mansion and lead Lou to the room made ready just for her. As we now commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, we commend her spirit to its new home. Rest eternal grant her, and let light perpetual shine upon her.
God has blessed and enriched our lives in giving us Lou to know and love here on this earth. Though our time together was not nearly enough, in committing her body to the earth, we give over to God the care of her spirit, and we acknowledge that we will one day reunite with her in God's Kingdom. The Lord bless her and keep her; the Lord make his face shine upon her and be gracious to her; the Lord look upon her with favor and give her peace.
Let us now pray together the prayer that our Lord and Savior taught us to pray.... (Lord's Prayer)
This concludes our graveside service.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may His strong arms encircle you and uphold you in your hour of grief. God's peace and strength to you all.
Amen
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| Woodlawn Christian Church, Lake City, Iowa |
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