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Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, May/June 2019

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH
in the City of Baltimore

May/June,  2019

Thursday, May 30
ASCENSION DAY
FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE
7:30 P.M.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This month of May finds us in the Easter season of the Christian Year. Our celebration of the Lord’s resurrection does not end on Easter Day but continues for forty days. And that is why we continue to sing Easter hymns and why the Paschal – Easter – Candle burns at all the services as a sign of the presence of the risen Lord.

During the forty days following His resurrection our Lord appeared to His disciples in the splendor of His risen body and opened to them the meaning of the Scriptures of the prophets as bearing witness to Him. And then on the fortieth day He ascended into heaven. And so the fortieth day after Easter Day is Ascension Day, one of the great festivals of the Christian Year. We will as usual celebrate the ascension of our Lord with a Festival Divine Service at 7:30 P.M. “I go to prepare a place for you,” Jesus said, “and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am you may be also” (John 14:2-4). At the end of the reading of the Holy Gospel on Ascension Day the Paschal Candle is extinguished as a sign that in His ascension our Lord withdrew His visible presence from us. Weekday services provide an opportunity for those who must work on Sunday to hear the Word of God and receive the Holy Sacrament.

Before His ascension the risen Lord instructed the disciples to remain in Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit. Ten days after the ascension, on the Day of Pentecost – Pentecost means fiftieth, the fiftieth day after  Easter Day – the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples with the sound of a rushing mighty wind and appeared like tongues of fire resting on each one of them. Emboldened by the Holy Spirit, Saint Peter and the others proclaimed to the people gathered in Jerusalem the saving death and resurrection of Jesus calling them to repentance and faith in the Savior. Three thousand people were baptized! Pentecost is the birthday of the Church and is, together with Easter Day and Christmas Day, one of Three Great Feasts of the Christian Year. This year Pentecost falls on Sunday, June 9. I hope that everyone will make a real effort to attend the Divine Service on Pentecost. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit do we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer.

The Sunday after Pentecost is always kept as the Feast of the Holy Trinity. From Advent Sunday through Pentecost we celebrate what God has done for our salvation. On Trinity Sunday we celebrate the mystery of who God is: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: one God. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is that God is one but not solitary. He is Himself – in a way the mind cannot fathom nor words ever fully explain – communion in love. You and I are made in the image of this God who is one but not solitary. Made in that image, we human beings are called to live as a communion of love. All the sadness and misery of this present world is rooted in contradiction of that mystery.  And so we who have been baptized in the name of this triune God are called to repentance and new life. God works this in us through His Gospel and Sacraments. And that is why neglect of Gospel and Sacraments is such a sad and serious matter.

I want to thank everyone who helped to make possible the Saint Mark’s Conference held at the end of April: Mary and Paul Techau, Quilla Downs, Bernie Knox, Julia Silver, Richard Brown, and Jake Mokris. I was happy that Trent Demarest was able to be with us. I will be leaving to visit him and his family on the evening of Sunday, June 2, returning to Baltimore on June 6. It will be a real treat to see Maritza and their three young boys: John who is now three years old, Thomas who is two, and my namesake Charles who just turned one. Another child is expected in November. Trent is now serving as Headmaster of the classical Christian day school of Trinity Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming.                                                

On Saturday, May 4th, I attended the centennial celebration of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church which since 1919 has worshiped in the building which from its founding in 1892 until 1919 was our congregation’s church home. I was again delighted to see the large and wonderful painting of the risen Lord with His banner of victory which adorned the altar when our congregation worshiped there and continued to grace Holy Trinity’s altar for the next fifty years. It can still be seen. Since May 4th was Saturday in the week of Orthodox Easter, the Divine Liturgy was filled with resurrection joy. A delightful festive dinner followed worship. It is good to know that the building which once was our church home continues to be used for the worship of the Holy Trinity who has saved us.

I also attended the Church Workers Conference of our Southeastern District which was held in Roanoke May 6-8. Dr. Leopoldo Sanchez of our Synod’s Saint Louis Seminary spoke of the work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification. It was good to see old friends and new.

The spring Voters Meeting will be held this coming Sunday after Divine Service. Any member of Our Saviour Church, eighteen or older, is eligible to participate and I encourage you to do so.

Charles Dowdy and Ethlyn Gosnell were recently hospitalized but now have returned to their homes. Remember them in your prayers together with all those whose names appear in our Sunday bulletin. Queenie Hardaway now lives at Augsburg Village.

Please let me know if you must go to the hospital or if there is some other need in your life for pastoral care. You may call me at any time: 410.554.9994. If I am not there, simply leave word on my answering machine and I will get back to you as soon as I can. And do not hesitate to let me know if there is someone who is not one of our members but who needs a pastor.

Wishing you joy in our risen and ascended Lord, I am

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

ABOUT THE FREE FLEA MARKET

The first Free Flea Market was held on May 11th and we need to stock up on some items for the remaining happenings.  We need:  men’s & ladies shoes, men’s jeans, household items, jewelry and plastic bags (to carry items home).  All items should be in fairly good condition (gently used).  You can place your items in the storage room down by the Multi-Purpose room, and let Judy Volkman know about your contribution.

– Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, April, 2019

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH
in the City of Baltimore

APRIL,  2019

HOLY WEEK & EASTER SERVICES
Palm Sunday — 11:00 A.M. Divine Service with Distribution of Palms
Maundy Thursday — 7:30 P.M. Divine Service and Stripping of the Altar
Good Friday — 7:30 P.M. The Liturgy of Good Friday
Easter Eve — 7:30 P.M. The Easter Vigil and First Holy Eucharist of Easter
Easter Day — 11:00 A.M. Festival Divine Service

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am glad to say that our Wednesday Lenten Vespers this year have been well attended and the soup suppers which precede Vespers certainly much enjoyed. Many thanks to everyone who had a hand in preparing these enjoyable meals!

As this newsletter is sent out we are approaching the concluding days of the Lenten season. The first Sunday in April is the Fifth Sunday in Lent, sometimes referred to as Passion Sunday, the Sunday when it was customary in many places to cover the crosses and crucifixes in purple veils for the last two weeks of Lent. The reason for this veiling is that in Christ’s passion His glory was hidden from human sight. There is some reason to think that the Fifth Sunday in Lent was chosen as the time to do this because of the concluding words of the Gospel (John 8:46-59) which from ancient times has been read on this Sunday: “So they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple” (John 8:59).

Every Christian knows that Holy Week and Easter are the heart of the Christian Year: the death and resurrection of our Lord are the ground of all our life and hope. Unless hindered by illness or by the need to care for someone or by the requirements of an employer, everyone should make the effort to be present in God’s house on the day of the Savior’s death for our salvation. Here at Our Saviour the Liturgy of Good Friday is as usual celebrated at seven-thirty in the evening. But if you wish to attend a service during the day, you can go to the Tre Ore Service (12:00 Noon-3:00 P.M.) in Bethlehem Church at 4815 Hamilton Avenue. Pastors of our Synod’s churches will preach on the seven last words of Jesus. No one is expected to remain for the whole three hours; come when you can and leave when you must. But do make the effort to join your fellow Christians on Good Friday in pondering and giving thanks for your Savior’s costly love!

Although the Easter Vigil, celebrated on Easter Eve, remains a somewhat unfamiliar service, it is in fact the oldest Easter celebration of the Church. In ancient times Christians gathered in the night before Easter Day for the baptism of converts to the faith, their baptism being preceded by readings from the Old Testament Scriptures which all point forward to the Lord’s resurrection to which we are joined in the waters of baptism. Saint Paul writes: “You were buried with (Christ) in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him” (Colossians 2:12). Because this service was held during the night it began with the kindling of fire and the lighting of the Paschal (Easter) Candle which then burns throughout the Easter season until on Ascension Day it is extinguished following the reading of the Gospel which tells of how in His ascension the risen Lord withdrew His visible presence from us. The Vigil concludes with the celebration of the first Holy Eucharist of Easter in which the risen Lord truly comes to us in the Sacrament of His life-giving Body and Blood. Our good friend Pastor Roy Axel Coats of Redeemer Church in Irvington will as usual be with us as the celebrant and preacher. Beginning in darkness, the Vigil moves forward into the light and joy of the Day of Resurrection.

When the forty days of the Easter season are completed the Paschal Candle is placed next to the baptismal font and lit whenever there is a baptism. At funerals it burns near the casket as a sign of the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

I believe that the visit to our former church building on Saturday, March 9th was much enjoyed by everyone who participated. From its founding in 1892 until 1919 our congregation worshiped in this building which since then has been the home of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church. We were graciously welcomed by several members of Holy Trinity and their pastor, Father John Vass, who explained the teachings and practice of their church. For me the highlight of the visit was seeing the large and wonderful painting of the risen Lord which hung over the altar of the church throughout the time our congregation worshiped there. When our congregation moved to its present location, the painting was given to Holy Trinity. We learned that it in fact continued to hang over their altar until 1975. Holy Trinity this year celebrates its centennial; I have been invited to attend its centennial celebration on Saturday, May 4th. It is interesting to note that our old church building is just one block east of what was at one time Saint Mark’s Lutheran Church where Don Weber, our organist emeritus, grew up and learned to play the organ.

On Saturday, April 13th, we will be having a Clean Up Day from 10 0’clock until 12 noon to prepare the church for Holy Week, Easter, and this year’s Saint Mark’s Conference which takes place on April 29th and 30th. “Many hands make light work” – so do join us if you are able! Information about the Saint Mark’s Conference can be found on our church’s website.

Palm Sunday is the deadline for sending in money for the Easter lilies together with the names of those you wish to be honored or remembered.

I look forward to seeing you every Lord’s Day and especially on Easter Day when we shall again with great joy celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. Let us continue to remember one another in our prayers!

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

On April I, 2019, Mary Techau and I delivered socks, underwear, deodorant, body power, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other assorted grooming items to Helping Up Mission. The gifts were purchased by individual members, and other gifts were purchased from monies collected from the two poor boxes. While we have always asked for grooming gifts for men at Helping Up Mission, we have just learned that the Mission also operates a 20-bed, 3- month, recovery facility for homeless and alcoholic women. The women’s facility is housed at a separate location. In addition, the Mission is in the process of expanding its outreach to vulnerable women and their children. The Mission informed us that plans are well on the way to build a Women and Children’s shelter in the immediate vicinity of the present location.

Fund raising started with the launch of the “Inspiring Hope Campaign” with a fund-raising goal of $61,OOO.OOO; the construction goal has already reached the half way mark. The building is expected to be up and operational in the next 2 years. In the meantime, we will continue to provide essential grooming items for the 580 plus men, and now women. The small gifts which we give from our plenty, will go a long way in uplifting hope and building confidence in the spiritual recovery of those who are the least of these. Thank you for helping the Mission to save and change lives in the City of Baltimore.

Men who have completed the one-year Spiritual Recovery Program will celebrate the occasion at The Annual Graduation Banquet on Sunday, April 28, at Martin’s West on Dogwood Rd. in Baltimore. The program will feature a meal, stories of hope from the graduates and music from the HUM Choir. Tickets are available at $85 per person

– Quilla Downs

Gate of Heaven

Oculi, The Third Sunday in Lent

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gate-of-heaven-violet-1024x1024Oculi

The Third Sunday in Lent
March 24, 2019 AD

Old Testament:  Exodus 8:16-24
Epistle: Ephesians 5:1-9
Gospel: Luke 11:14-28

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“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”   Luke 11:23

When you were baptized and when you were confirmed you were asked, “Do you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways?” And you answered – either through your godparents at our baptism or you yourself answered at your confirmation – with the single word “Yes.” “Do you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways? Yes.” A simple answer to a simple question! But what follows in not simple at all for by answering that question with a “Yes” you in fact enlisted as a soldier in the battle with Satan and his legions, a battle which never ends until we leave this present world and like the poor beggar Lazarus are carried by angels into the paradise of God. “Do you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways? Yes.” A simple answer to a simple question, but the living out of that answer is the work of a lifetime.

In the Gospel for the this day Jesus speaks of the work of Satan by means of a comparison, an illustration. He says, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe, but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.” Satan is like that strong man, fully armed, guarding his own palace, his goods safe – until one stronger that he attacks and overcomes him. What our Lord is saying is this: By nature you and I and every human being who has ever lived is a palace or castle of the evil one, a place where he swells and does all the mischief he can. As long as God permits this, Satan has his own way. There is no struggle, no distress, no misgiving of conscience – people go contentedly down the broad way which leads to destruction. This is that full power of Satan which Saint Paul speaks when he writes of those who are “without God in the world,” and, worst of all, not even aware of their plight.

From this condition the merciful Lord delivers us when we are brought to Holy Baptism and there made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. Says Saint Paul, “God has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” God did that for each one of you when you were baptized, when you in fact renounced the devil and all his works and all his ways. But the struggle to live out the renunciation goes on as long as we live – just as we learned in the Catechism: Baptism “signifies that the Old Adam in us should through daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires and again a new person comes forth who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”

Every day of our lives, every moment, we are caught up in that struggle between the power of Satan and the power of Christ. “Whoever is not with Me is against Me,” says the Lord Jesus, “and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” There can be no neutrality! “Do you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways? Yes.”

In the Epistle for this day Saint Paul spells out something of what that means for our daily lives, what if means to be WITH Christ rater than against HIM. Paul says, “Be imitators of God as beloved children,” the point being that just as little children who love their parents will try to be like them as much as they can, just so we as the children of God try to be like the heavenly Father, we know in His Son Jesus. Paul then immediately adds: “And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Anything that contradicts love contradicts Christ, is against Christ. And so we are called to love the human beings God places in our lives. And that isn’t always an easy thing! It is so much easier to be indifferent and ignore people or even respond in kind when they do us harm. “Christ loved us and gave himself for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” If there is someone you find it hard to forgive, picture in your mind the crucified Savior, and then picture yourself on one side of His cross an this difficult person on the other, and listen to the Savior as He prays, “Father, forgive them…” Whoever is not WITH Me is AGAINST Me and whoever does not GATHER with Me scatters.”

The world in which the Lord’s apostles lived and worked was a world no less decayed than our own. The cities of that time were in fact notorious havens for vice of every description And so Paul admonishes the Christians in Ephesus: “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you…Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking which are out of place.” And Paul hastens to add: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

But it is never enough to avoid what is wrong in the eyes of God, it is also necessary to replace what is wrong with what is pleasing in God’s eyes. How we need to take to heart the words Saint Paul addressed to the Christians in the city of Phillipi! “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, it there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

“Whoever is not WITH me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Our Lord clearly teaches that in the battle with Satan and with sin there can be no neutrality. These are the words of the Son of God who will come to be our Judge and they speak to the conscience of every one of us. No doubt some may find it hard to accept them, just as it is hard, very hard to bring home to ourselves that although we cannot save ourselves – only God can do that – we are in fact mysteriously free to damn ourselves. And from that fate may God in His mercy save us all!

He is the merciful Lord who, as Saint John writes, appeared “to destroy the works of the devil.” We heard in the Gospel, that when Jesus was accused of casting out devils with the help of the Prince of the devils, He replied: “If I by the finger of God cast out devils, the kingdom of God has come upon you.” God’s kingly rule of compassion, mercy and that “love to the loveless shown what we might lovely be.” In Jesus’ struggle with Satan in the wilderness, in His life of perfect obedience to the Father’s will, in His precious pouring out His life-blood to cleanse us from the stain of all our sins, Satan has met his match: the Savior had defeated Him, the decisive battle has been won. And now we but await the unveiling of His victory on that Last and Great Day when the world as we now know it will come to its end and the risen Lord of Love will make all things new. That new world dawned from the open tomb when the Lord rose victorious from the dead, the triumph we shall soon again celebrate with great joy.