Truckee Lutheran Presbyterian Church

August 31 16th Sunday after Pentecost

elott — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:28:33 +0000

Sermon Text: Exodus 3:1-15
Sermon Title: “The Deliverer”
Sermon Notes: Moses was reared in pharaoh’s household, but fled to Midian after he murdered a Egyptian for beating a Hebrew slave. In the desert, Moses raises sheep, gets married, and starts a family. But, God still has a purpose for Moses - a purpose that includes his returning to the scene of his crime. While we blithely recite the creed, the world hungers for leaders who will tear away the foundations of poverty, racism, ignorance, war, sexual exploitation, slavery, and oppression. This is why God came down to Moses, calling him to lead, to deliver a people sitting in darkness, a people shackled in chains, a people harassed and oppressed. Make no mistake about it. Moses’ calling was not to labor out of the public eye, addressing only his parishioners’ spiritual needs as if their spiritual needs were something other than for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to observe, hear, and “know their sufferings” - and get them out! There was not available to Moses this convenient bifurcation of spiritual truths from political realities.

Order of Worship

Readings and Prayers

Chartering Task Force Report to the Congregation-August 2008

elott — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:30:20 +0000

Over one year ago in April of 2007 Pastor Ed, Jeff Rogers, Denny and Edie Lott met with Lutheran and Presbyterian officials to discuss chartering as a congregation of both denominations. On Sunday, September 7, 2008 TLPC will be holding a special Congregational Meeting after worship to remove the Presbytery designated status from Pastor Ed’s call and make it officially a call of Truckee Lutheran Presbyterian Church. On Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. we will hold a Chartering Celebration Service. At that service we will officially become Truckee Lutheran Presbyterian Church (TLPC); a Union Congregation of the Presbyterian Church-USA and a Federated Congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. During the process of chartering we have adopted a constitution that is acceptable to both parent denominations and elected a council-session. We owe great thanks to Kaw Prairie Community Church, who preceded us in chartering as a joint congregation, for loaning us their constitution as a model. This is an exciting time for TLPC and for the Sierra Pacific Synod and Nevada Presbytery. We are the first congregation in both the Synod and Presbytery to accomplish this! Over the past year, at various meetings, we have been recognized by the Sierra Pacific Synod, the Nevada Presbytery and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church-USA. Everyone seems truly excited that we are doing it better together at TLPC!

Be sure to invite family, friends and neighbors to our Chartering Celebration Service on September 28th. A PDF file invitation is linked to this post. It will be an exciting event! Bishop Mark Homerud, the newly elected bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod, will be preaching. Many officials of both denominations will be attending.
Finally, please hold up TLPC in prayer as we begin this new phase in our walk together as a faith community.
Edie Lott, Chartering Task Force Chairperson

Chartering Service Invitation

August 24 15th Sunday after Pentecost

elott — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:57:32 +0000

Sermon Text: Exodus 1:8 - 2:10
Sermon Title: “Abusing Neighbors, Destroying Kingdoms”
Sermon Notes: Genesis concludes with Israel having gone down to Egypt. Exodus narrates the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would multiply and possess the land God gave them. Without knowing Joseph or his leadership pharaoh sanctions Israel, setting the stage for Moses, the future leader of Israel’s return from exile. The scriptures say, “A new king arose over Egypt, [one] who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). Now, this is a simple enough thing to say. Yet, of that ignorance-of-my-neighbor-and-what-does-he-matter-to-me-anyway attitude is born suffering untold. Slavery, torture, oppression, shanty-towns, sexual exploitation, and genocide all grow in this soil. These are the bitter fruits of a human heart set on getting its own way, whatever the cost to her/his neighbors.

Order of Worship

Readings and Prayers

August 17 14th Sunday after Pentecost

elott — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:51:06 +0000

Sermon Text: Romans 11:t1-2a, 29-32
Sermon Title: “The Mystery of Mercy”
Sermon Notes: Struggling with issues about who is included in God’s family - specifically, whether the Jews have been rejected or not - Paul affirms that the call to be God’s people is irrevocable. Paul continues to struggle with the place of Jew and Gentile in God’s realm. Yet the Jews have not been rejected. Jesus struggles to extend his ministry to Gentiles, and Joseph struggles with reconciliation with his family. Through it all, we are reminded that God’s ways are not always comprehensible.

Order of Worship

Readings and Prayers

August 10 13th Sunday after Pentecost

elott — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:43:09 +0000

Sermon Text: Romans 10:5-15
Sermon Title: “Believe With Your Heart”

Sermon Notes: Through this reading shines Paul’s primary focus: it is not living by the law that makes us righteous with God, but faith in Jesus Christ. Through faith we are saved, and experience grace. But what does it mean to have faith, and what does it mean to experience salvation? Coming to a new understanding of these classic terms can enrich our lives and strengthen our relationship with God.

Order of Worship

Readings and Prayers

August 3 12th Sunday after Pentecost

elott — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:16:37 +0000

Sermon Text: Romans 9:1-5
Sermon Title: “Do You Get It?”
Sermon Notes: These verses begin a long “sermon” from Romans 9-11, wherein Paul struggles with the reality that his own people have not come to experience the new life that Christ offers. Paul struggles with issues of who is included in the family of God and offers to trade places with those who may be left out. Jacob struggles with his past and his future. Neither gets resolution, yet neither gives up.

Order of Worship

Readings and Prayers

Donner Lake Fun Day

elott — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:19:49 +0000

Sunday August 17 Donner Lake Fun Day

After church, everybody should head for Donner Lake. The Persons are about half way down the south side of the lake at 14386 South Shore Drive.

Semi-Potluck Lunch
Bill and Molly will provide lemonade, grilled chicken & burgers, buns, and condiments. Also ice-cream and chocolate sauce. Finger food, drinks, salad, fruit, or other desserts are up to the rest of you. Sign-up at church or just come.

Water play is available: swimming, water toys, kayaks, rowboat, sailboat, canoe, etc so bring swimsuits. We have towels and an assortment of life jackets including lots for adults and a few kid sizes. We’d like to have some more adults and older kids to take turns watching non-swimmers. There will be a wading pool on the deck for tiny tots.

The climbing wall is available. All climbing must be with harness and belay rope. We’d like to have another experienced adult to help belay. Please let us know if you can help. We have an assortment of climbing harnesses including a child harness for toddlers and small kids and one for mid-size kids.

We will need an assortment of folks to hold down the chairs on deck and dock of course.

Directions: You need to come around the west end of the Lake and east about 2 miles on South Shore Drive past the sewage station. Coming up from that low point just before the top of the hill and Stub drive you’ll see on the left a fire hydrant and a post with lots of house numbers marking the turn onto a private road parallel to the main road. Pass three garages and come on down the steepest drive you have seen lately. There is room for about 4 or 5 cars at the bottom and we are available to help get back up if needed.

Revised Food for August 17 FUN Day 2008

We will provide a grill and an enormous corn pot of boiling water
- kid hot dogs, chicken thighs, burgers
- burger buns and condiments
- lemonade
- ice-cream and chocolate sauce

Suggested stuff to bring - (please take home any left-overs)
- beverages to share
- veggies, chips, or other finger food
- corn
- green salad/veggie salad
- potato salad or macaroni salad
- something special to grill
- fruit for ice-cream or for just eating
- nuts etc for ice-cream
- cookies or brownies

July 27 11th Sunday after Pentecost

elott — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:08:26 +0000

Sermon Text: Romans 8:26-39
Sermon Title: “Persevere through Prayer”
Sermon Notes: Paul understood the age following Christ’s ascension to be an in-between time - a time when Christians enjoy a taste of redemption, yet await the completion of that redemption in Christ’s return. Authentic Christianity is not magical. It doesn’t require creative incantations or clever transactions. God is present to us, and God’s will is clearly revealed in scripture. Our prayer is subsidized by the Spirit. Set aside the worry; accept the connection and the promises that you have with God.

Order of Worship

Readings and Prayers

July 20 10th Sunday after Pentecost

elott — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:27:31 +0000

Sermon Text: Romans 8:12-25
Sermon Title: “God’s Family System”
Sermon Notes: Paul writes with longing of the future glory that God will reveal to God’s children. The Spirit makes us children of God. As children, adopted by God, we are family - family with God, family with Christ, and family with one another. This birthright sets us free from fear and free to fulfill our callings as Paul fulfilled his.

Order of Worship

Prayers and Readings

July 13 9th Sunday after Pentecost

elott — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:38:24 +0000

Sermon Text: Romans 8:1-11
Sermon Title: “Flesh in the Presence of the Spirit”
Sermon Notes: Paul delves into a complex explanation of the work of the Spirit of God. Our lives are enhanced not by a rejection of our humanity, but rather by a spiritual presence that informs and shapes our humanity.

Order of Worship

Prayers and Readings