Those responsible for the care of the chancel in the sanctuary and also for the other paraments we use on Sunday morning have been very busy for the past two months. Unlike the summer months when we go for months and months without much change, during the winter months the liturgical seasons change frequently. So, since late November you have seen white, blue, white (again), and now green. Soon enough, near the end of February, we’ll use white (yet again) and finally purple. These color shifts help us to identify the season of Advent (blue), Christmas (white), Epiphany (green) and finally, at the end, purple (Lent). White was thrown in for some individual Sundays to mark special days. You may have noticed a correspondence with some of the Orders of Worship which we have used during these seasons.
I vary the Orders of Worship we use not so much to keep you on your toes but rather to add interest to the service and better reflect the season we might on any given Sunday encounter. When we were engaged in the season of Advent we used a very different form to open our service. Do you remember how we used the hymn O Come, O Come Immanuel as an alternative to the Kyrie and the Hymn of Praise? Beginning Christmas Eve the paraments changed and so did the service. We pulled out all the stops and used both the Kyrie and the Hymn of Praise. The portion of the service dedicated to Communion was also altered with the Great Thanksgiving (which included the Words of Institution) reflecting the day and season we had entered. Entering the season of Epiphany the colors returned to green and service changed again. For most of the February we remain in the season of Epiphany but on February 28 we’ll observe Ash Wednesday and we enter the season of Lent.
“Let me guess.” you say. “I’ll bet we change parament colors and the service will change again.” You would be right. The basic music of the service has pretty much remained unchanged since we began Advent. Now, the music will change too but I hope that it will be somewhat familiar. On the first Sunday in Lent the music of the service will have a little different feel about it. At least it does for me. I want it to better reflect the season of Lent so the music, I hope, will seem a little more reflective, a little more somber. Lent, after all, calls us to consider the great gift given to us at such a high cost.
Final notes. Thanks to all of you who were present and participated at the annual meeting. And thank you to all of those who have agreed to serve on the 2020 council. We have a great deal to celebrate. Peace and blessing to you, Stan

Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! Elizabeth and I have realized that we have just spent one full year with you and we want to thank you for the openness, support and affection you have shown us. As we move into this new year the congregation faces several significant decisions and we need your continued support.
In the next several weeks we need your presence if we are to move forward. So, here we go. On Sunday, January 5th, a special congregational meeting will be held to vote on accepting the most recent ELCA model constitution for the congregation. It contains changes accepted at the most recent churchwide assembly. Those changes generally addressed issues arising out of the new nomenclature for what were once identified as deaconesses and deacons. There is not much for Faith Lutheran to be concerned with here because we currently do not have those categories within our congregation. Before the vote there will be an opportunity to ask any questions you may have and Tom Landis will be present to provide you answers. If the model constitution is accepted amendments that will make the constitution work better for Faith Lutheran will be offered. Again, Tom Landis will be there to answer your questions.
Next, (you mean there’s a next?! Yep) on January 12th and 19th meetings after the service will be held to answer your questions about the 2020 church budget. We will have resources available at that time so that you can see how this budget was put together.
Finally, on January 26th the annual congregational meeting will be held to elect council members, to vote on the church budget and, if appropriate, to ratify the amendments considered at the January 5th meeting. All of this is a fair amount of work. If we do this now we will have accomplished a great deal but we will also be done with it. We need you to be there and vote on this. Please mark your calendars now.
Again, happy New Year. We look forward with hope and anticipation to what Christ accomplishes through us this coming year.
Peace, Stan

This coming Sunday, December 1, the church moves from observing Ordinary Time (the new designation) or Sundays during the season of Pentecost (the old designation), take your pick, to the season of Advent. You’ll notice several differences in the look of the sanctuary. One of those changes involves the Paschal Candle, the candle that has occupied a position to the south of the altar. With the advent of Advent (heh, heh) a ring holding four blue candles takes the place of the Paschal Candle. “What!?” you say! “Don’t we use the Paschal Candle for Christmas?”
Well, no, we don’t. The word Paschal is an adjective describing an object associated with Passover. Remember that Easter is intimately connected to Passover in that Jesus was betrayed by Judas the evening Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples. That meal which we call the Eucharist, or Communion is also often called the Last Supper. We light the Paschal Candle Easter morning to recall that Jesus is our paschal lamb, the lamb whose blood was shed for us, but then was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. Then that candle is lit every Sunday during the Easter season and when we celebrate a baptism or during a funeral service.
Since I believe we’ve gone on long enough with this topic I’ll stop here, at least for the time being. Perhaps we’ll continue this another month if I hear you wish to know more. For now, we’ll return to Advent and Christmas.
Elizabeth and I have now been with you for almost a year. During this time we have both been struck by the way the members of this congregation, both as individuals and as a community of faith, find ways to let their trust in Christ Jesus shine. You have welcomed strangers like us and we have met love. I’ve seen that happen not only to the two of us but others also. You find various and sundry ways to help those less fortunate by creatively providing food and other necessities. In the meals that this community celebrates, both within the service (Communion) and elsewhere (the Lunch Bunch, Pot-Lucks, et al.) we see people literally reaching out to others. We feel fortunate to have fallen into such loving arms.
During this holiday season may the warmth of Christ’s love for you shine forth.
Peace be with you, Stan
2019

On Sunday, November 24th, every member of Faith Lutheran will be offered an opportunity to give serious consideration to the blessings that God, especially through our Lord Jesus, has given and shown us. The Stewardship Committee is sponsoring a Harvest Potluck after the 9:30 a.m. service when we can celebrate those blessings. Additionally, you are invited to participate in a thank offering. “What is that?” you say? I’m so glad you asked.
In the sacrificial practice of ancient Israel a thank-offering gave the people an opportunity to reflect upon the blessings that God had given them over the year. The practice was not exclusively a part of the harvest but that was a traditional time for it to take place. Thank-offerings were completely separated from those sacrifices meant to address the problem of guilt and sin, marks of separation from God and from other people. Thank-offerings were, are, a means of taking a concrete action expressing thanks to God for what has already been bestowed.
Today’s world rarely provides such an opportunity. We are bombarded with words that appeal to our fears implying that we do not have enough, that we have the wrong thing or that it will be taken from us. We constantly hear or are taught that we deserve, that we are owed, that we should have _________. What’s in the blank?
Newer cars, nicer clothes, a vacation, smoother skin, a fatter wallet, more fun, a more exciting life, a better looking body and on and on. “And why not?”, goes the reasoning. “After all, we have it coming since we earned it.” Such a perspective never, ever, allows us, let alone encourages us, to take a moment to express thanks for that which we have been given. Instead it encourages us to see life, or a certain kind of life, as a right, not a privilege.
I am hoping that between the time you receive this letter and Sunday, November 24 we take a moment , that we make a moment to consider the many blessings our Lord has showered upon us. Perhaps on the first day, say Sunday, November17, we might reflect upon the gift of life that God has given us. Monday we use to celebrate the families of which we are a part. This family might be the one we were born into or the one God has provided by those who surround us and love us but are not related by blood. On Tuesday we look at the incredible place in which we live, surrounded by mountains and valleys and living oh, so close to that gem, Lake Tahoe. On Wednesday we celebrate the access to nutritious and abundant food of all kinds. Thursday might be used to recognize we have the shelter we need for warmth and comfort. Friday might be spent reflecting upon the health care that under most circumstances is available for us and our loved ones and which is absent in so much of the world. On Saturday, as we prepare for worship the next day, we might do well to reflect upon the opening statement of our confession, “that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves”. What we hear in the words of absolution, the declaration that in Christ Jesus our sins are forgiven, is a renewed word of life given by God. Not just biological life but life lived fully.
Echoing a prayer used at the offertory, we have “what (God has) first given us–our selves, our time, and our possessions, signs of (God’s) gracious love.” Aware of these gifts, is it not possible to respond to such generosity?
Attached to this letter is a form I invite you to fill out as you will. It is an indication of how you might financially support Faith Lutheran Church. Is that the only way you might respond? Of course not. But, I do believe that supporting the congregation this way is one way of responding. All the gifts we receive support the ministry of Faith Lutheran and we are good stewards of those gifts. The slips of paper will be gathered up near the end of the service on November 24.
Trusting that the weather is favorable, we will take the gathered slips and burn them during a brief rite at the entry to the church. The information you put on the slips will not be seen by anybody; not the pastor, not the financial committee, not the stewardship committee. This is not about the budget. This is your thank-offering to the Lord of life and love.
The peace of the Lord be with you
always,
Stan

Dear Friends,
The Lunch Bunch met yesterday, October 2 (yes, I know this letter is being written late). We were enjoying the great meal provided by the participants, (let’s see ; what can I remember? Meat balls, salad, seasoned potatoes, a rice and chicken dish, a dish made of kernels of corn mixed with other ingredients, . . . well, you know, a real pot-luck. Always good.). We started to move on to dessert (a special fall cake, fresh peaches with whipped cream, lemon meringue pie; mmm, good) when someone brought up the topics discussed at the Tuesday Bible Study. What I remember hearing was the question, “I wonder what Stan will do with the Habakkuk reading.” Now, don’t worry, I’m not about to launch into a recapitulation of that conversation, one that lasted a good 20 to 30 minutes. I am telling you that the experience has put a grin on my face as I consider the interest shown by so many people at Faith Lutheran about understanding the Bible a little better.
I should not have been so surprised. We have had 8-12 people get together after the Sunday services to find out more about the Reformation, to hear how Lutherans Interpret the Bible and who are now considering whether to find out more about either the Old or the New Testament. If any of this sounds intriguing, you are invited to join us at about (as in, about) 11:15 Sunday morning. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll stop being surprised at your willingness to be engaged by scripture. But I won’t stop grinning!
On to other more mundane matters. Throughout the summer two committees have put in a great amount of time and effort. They are the budget and constitutional committees. Both of them have worked hard and they are now just about to bring forth the fruits of their labor to the congregation. After some review by the church council we expect to have the documents put together by these committees presented to the congregation for their consideration. I have been extremely impressed by the work these people have done. They are to be congratulated.
Two more items. Congratulations to the call committee who were installed at the September 29th Sunday service. They have already scheduled some meetings and will now begin their work. Much of their deliberations must remain confidential but they will make periodic reports as they are able.
Finally, don’t forget Sunday, October 27 when we celebrate the Reformation. Color of the day is red. Be creative. The grace and peace of our Lord be with you, Stan
2019
2019
OCTOBER