Our Saviour Lutheran Church
3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-235-9553
November, 2018

 

Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday, November 4th. Put your clocks back.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For more than a thousand years November 1st has been observed as All Saints Day. Here at Our Saviour we observe this festival on the first Sunday in Novembers In keeping this festival we rejoice in the “blest communion, fellowship divine” of all who belong to Christ, Because He is the risen Lord, not even death can divide the Church which is His mystical Body — the struggling Church here on earth and the Church at rest in paradise. I love these ‘words of Saint Paul:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every days For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal, (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

On this festival we remember not only the great saints of the Church, those who have been “the chosen vessels of God’s grace, the lights of the world in their several generations” but also our own loved ones now at rest with the saints. We will as always especially remember those members of our congregation who have fallen asleep in the Lord since last All Saints Day.

I think that everyone who was present on Family Day had a thoroughly enjoyable time. I thank everyone who helped make this possible, especially Bernie Knox and her family,

The Baltimore City Historical Society held its 18th Annual History Honors event here at Our Saviour on Saturday, October 27 ÜI. It was very well attended and I think much enjoyed. I had the pleasure of seeing for the first time since graduation — 59 years ago! – a City College High School classmate, Matt Crenson, now retired from teaching history at Johns Hopkins University where he also served as Associate Dean and Acting Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. I think I must read his most recent book: “Baltimore: A Political History” (Johns Hopkins University Press,) It was also a pleasure to meet Wayne Schaumburg who grew up at Our Saviour and still gets together with people who were in the Church youth group in the early ’60s. Our Church has been on the register of historic buildings in Baltimore for almost a year now. There will soon be a permanent sign taking note of this on the 33rd Street side of the Church buildings

Last Sunday we kept the Festival of the Reformation. We sang four great hymns of Martin Luther. Joshua Rystedt led the adult Bible class as he will also on the first two Sundays in November. He is doing this to fulfill some requirements which will then make it possible for him to go to seminary and prepare for ordination to the pastoral office. Joshua is leading us in a study of hope as that is taught in the Holy Scriptures. It was a joy to welcome him together with his wife and three young children! It is quite appropriate to consider the topic of hope as we now approach the end of the Church Year in which the readings from Holy Scripture direct our attention to the Last Things, to that great hope for the coming again in glory of the risen Lord to raise the dead and make all things new.

Saturday, November 10th, will be the last free flea market of this year, 9:00 A.M. to 12 Noon, We of course need winter clothing for men and women, boys and girls, also used household items. The November flee market will also have a Christmas theme. So if you have Christmas decorations or other holiday items, try to get them to Judy Volkman by this coming Sunday, November 5flh.

I’m sure we all miss the playing of the bells in the Church tower. Something has gone wrong with the mechanism that plays them and we are in fact facing a rather costly repair job, roughly $20,000. The Church Council has decided that among other things a fund will be established for this purpose. You may contribute by writing a check and plainly marking it “Bells.” We are also exploring the possibility of grants

Mention of the bells brings to mind our organist emeritus, Don Weber, who played them for more than a half century! Don now lives at 2813 Woodland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215. His birthday is November 18th It would be wonderful if everyone could send him a birthday card! Let’s do it! We want Don to know that we love him and have not forgotten him.

We have yet to find a new sexton since the death of our very faithful Mr. Hawkins some months ago. We thought we had someone for the position but that did not work out. If you know of anyone who might be interested in such a job, please let me or Gary Watson (4100653.9290) or Paul Techau (703.531.0762) know.

Gary Watson has been working on a project to replace the single wrought iron railing at the west door of the Church with two identical railings on each side. This change will make it possible to use a portable ramp for anyone in a wheel chair. It will also make it less difficult to carry the casket from the church at funerals.

No one likes to dwell on the thought of funerals, but I want to take this opportunity to say that it is useful to put in writing whatever wishes you may have about your own funeral so that when the time comes your loved ones will know your wishes: hymns, readings from Holy Scripture, etc, I would be very glad to sit down and discuss all this if you wish. My phone number is 410.554.9994; I regularly check the answering machine.

On a happier note, several of you have suggested that we recognize birthdays, wedding anniversaries, etc, both in the Sunday bulletin and in the prayers of the Divine Service. To make this possible, we need to have everyone send this information to the church through the mail (3301 The Alameda, Baltimore 21218) or email (oslbaltirmore@yahoo.com). We unfortunately do not have all of this information readily available. So we need everyone’s help!

Thanksgiving Day this year is November 22nd. Here at Our Saviour we will celebrate our national day of Thanksgiving with Divine Service on Thanksgiving Eve at 7:30 P.M. When I was a boy, the churches were thronged with worshippers on Thanksgiving Day, but for far too many years now attendance has steadily and precipitously declined. I think we all rightly lament the always growing secularism of this exceedingly troubled age: the neglect of worship on Thanksgiving is just another example of this sad reality, Is it too much to ask that, out of the twenty-four hours of Thanksgiving, we spend just one hour in God’s house, together publicly thanking Him for all His blessings to us as a nation? If you are hesitant to drive at night, please call me (410654.9994) and I will make every effort to see that someone can drive you to Church and then back to your home In the words of Henry Alford’s (1810-1871) delightful Thanksgiving hymn, “Come, ye thankful people, come!”

The Lord’s people are in the Lord’s house for the Lord’s own service — the Holy Eucharist — every Lord’s Day.

I ask you to keep me in your prayers. You are in mine.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

On October 26 we made a generous delivery of men’s toiletries and clothing items to Helping Up Mission. The gifts were provided by members of our congregation, from our Christian friends outside of our congregation, and from the proceeds collected from the Church Poor Boxes. The receiving box is now empty; to the extent that you are able, please continue to help us support the worthy and successful work conducted on behalf of recovering men at the Mission. The need is ongoing for washcloths, tooth paste, shaving cream, lotions, etc. However, it was reported that underwear, socks and deodorant are of critical need. We welcome new, but menswear need not to be new; clean, gently used items are acceptable. We are hopeful that sufficient items will be available for a Christmas delivery.

We will be collecting Thanksgiving food items for needy families within the Waverly Elementary/Middle School Community. Any nonperishable Thanksgiving food item will be set aside for designated families. We do not yet have family information, but we usually provide for 10 families during Thanksgiving and Christmas, Many thanks to all for your consistent remembrance of men at the Mission and for our neiøhbors during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
– Quilla Downs