Our Saviour Lutheran Church
3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-235-9553
October 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Sunday, October 1st, is Family Day. This year is the 125th anniversary of our congregation which was founded in 1892 by laymen who were members of Immanuel Church, then on Caroline Street in east Baltimore. And so the preacher for Family Day this year will the Rev. Charles Minetree who is the present Pastor of Immanuel Church, now at Loch Raven and Belvedere. We look forward to welcoming him and hearing him preach. After Divine Service there will as usual be a splendid meal in the undercroft. Fried chicken and roast pork will be served and everyone is invited to bring a side dish. Family Day is always one of the happiest events of the year and so I hope you will be present and bring friends and neighbors with you. 

 But this year marks not only the 125th anniversary of our congregation but also the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It was on October 31st, 1517 that Martin Luther nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg his ninety five theses. These theses or propositions were simply intended for debate among theologians but they quickly became known throughout Europe and were in a real sense the spark which ignited the Reformation. Dr. Luther’s theses were a clear call to repentance and faith in the Gospel: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ says ‘Repent,’ he means that the whole life of Christians should be one repentance”(Thesis 1); “The true treasure of the Church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God”(Thesis 62). The Reformation was in essence a great movement of repentance, of turning away from everything that had come to obscure the blessed truth that sinners are justified – put right with God – by grace through faith in Christ Jesus who died for our sins and rose again for our justification. And so repentance is the keynote at every anniversary of the Reformation. We realize how we ourselves have sinned by coldness and indifference to these precious gifts of God and by our failure truly to love one another and all our fellow human beings as Christ has loved us. And so there is no place in our celebration for any kind of smug self-satisfaction but only for deep repentance, gratitude, and the ancient prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful people, and kindle in us the fire of Your love!”

As the life of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ when here in this world was such that His divine glory was hidden in “the form of a servant,” in all He suffered and endured for us sinners, just so the glory of the one holy Church which is His Body and Bride is hidden under the sufferings, sins, and divisions among us who profess and call ourselves Christians. Never in this age will the Church be free from the temptation of the world, our sinful nature, and the devil. And so we pray – in the words of Nicholas Selneccer (1532-1592) – that God would preserve us steadfast in faith to the end:

In these last days of sore distress,
Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness,
That we keep pure till life is spent
Thy holy Word and Sacrament.

Yes, “Thy holy Word and Sacrament“!  It is a cause for deep sadness that so many nominal Lutherans have today abandoned the Sacrament according to Christ’s institution. We see this in those – nominally! – Lutheran churches which now invite to their altars members of churches which deny that  the consecrated bread and wine are – as Christ says – His true body and blood, churches which have no objection to their people receiving Communion in churches which deny the Real Presence. As Dr. Luther so clearly saw, “this Sacrament is the Gospel” for here we truly receive that which Christ sacrificed for our salvation on the altar of the cross for forgiveness of sins, for life and for salvation. “This Sacrament is the Gospel” and so the beating heart and center of the Church’s life through all the ages. And so we pray – in the words of Samuel Kinner (1603-1668):

For Thy consoling Supper, Lord,
Be praised throughout the ages!
Preserve it for in every place
The world against it rages.
Grant that this Sacrament may be
A blessed comfort unto me
When living and when dying.

Sunday, October 29th is Reformation Sunday. There will be a Festival Divine Service at the usual time. At 4 o’clock in the afternoon there will be a Joint Reformation Service at Emmanuel Church in Catonsville. The Rev. Dr. Jon Vieker, senior assistant to the President of Synod, will preach. A dinner will follow the service.

Do remember that through October 29th there is an exhibit at the Walters Art Museum: Uncertain Times: Martin Luther’s Remedies for the Soul. If a number of us are interested in going, we can perhaps plan a visit for members and friends. The Walters Art Museum is one of Baltimore’s treasures. It is a place I have loved since I was a little boy. 

And do remember that plans are underway for a musical celebration of the Reformation Anniversary here in our church on the afternoon of Sunday, November 19th. Mr. Matthew Gerhardt will be our guest organist. He comes highly recommended, has studied in Europe and has in fact played the organ at Saint Thomas Church in Leipzig where Johann Sebastian Bach was for many years organist and choirmaster. Bach was both a pious Lutheran Christian and one of the greatest musicians of all time. How he managed to do all that he did is beyond my comprehension! He was among other things a married man with a great many children yet still managed to compose a cantata for every Sunday and festival of the Church Year, music which still gives glory to God and enormous pleasure to all who hear it.

And speaking of music, one of the items to be considered at the Voters Meeting on October 15th is the possibility of acquiring our Synod’s new hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book published in 2007. About 85 percent of Synod’s congregations have adopted it for use in their worship. This new book combines what is best both in The Lutheran Hymnal– the “red book” – published in 1941 and Lutheran Worship – the “blue book” published in 1982. Several copies of the Lutheran Service Book will be available for members to borrow and examine. No decision will be made at the October Voters meeting. We hope to make a decision at the January Voters Meeting after there has been ample time to examine and discuss the book. I am more than willing to answer any questions you may have (Telephone: 410.554.9994; Email: charlesmcclean42@gmail.com).

Darlene Grant is now a resident at Caton Manor Nursing Home, 3330 Wilkens Avenue in Baltimore. Peter Buchanan was in Good Samaritan Hospital for a few days but is again at home as of this writing. Remember them in your prayers and also all those whose names appear in the Sunday bulletin.

I am told that the lengthy process of placing our church building on the City of Baltimore’s register of historic buildings is coming to an end. We are especially grateful to Mary Pat Clark of the Baltimore City Council for her continuing support of this project. She is a true friend of our congregation.

Looking ahead to December, there will be a Christmas Bazaar here on Saturday, December 2nd, 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. The cost of a table will be $25.00 with any profits going to the person who pays for the table. There will also be a table with good things to eat and to drink. More information about this will be given in due course.

In last month’s newsletter I neglected to mention that our wonderful bells can again be played from the organ console. It took far too long to remedy the situation but we can now be thankful that we can again enjoy them and that they continue to be a witness to our Church’s presence here on the corner of 33rd Street and The Alameda.

As I think of all the blessings we enjoy in this congregation, my thoughts often turn to some words of the 16th Psalm (verse 6): “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” 

Remember me in your prayers as you are in mine.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

The last Free Flea Market was held on September 9^th. Many thanks to the loyal volunteers who assisted during these 5 months and to those who donated items to be distributed. Attendance was a little lower in September. 33 Attended and 309 items distributed (the day was sunny so I guess many were out enjoying it!) As a total, we assisted 215 individuals by distributing 1,750 items. I think that is pretty good for a small congregation! The Lord has given us bounty and this has been shared with those who need it.

Plans are being made to distribute coats in November at Waverly School. If you have coats, especially children’s, please drop them off at the church. A definite date will be announced later.
-Judy Volkman-

As in the past, it is our intention to provide Thanksgiving dinners for ten needy families from the Waverly Elementary/Middle School which is located here in our community. We have monies designated for the turkeys, thanks to our soup supper collections. We will be collecting dinner items, such as stuffing, cranberry sauce, boxed mashed potatoes, canned sweet potatoes, string beans, etc. The dinner boxes are packed according to family size; the families will pick up their boxes from the church on the week of Thanksgiving. We’re looking forward to another successful Thanksgiving food drive. Many thanks for your continued generosity in this annual food sharing project.
–Quilla Downs-

Our Saviour Lutheran Church
3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-235-9553
Aug/Sept 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

These summer months have gone by very quickly. This coming Sunday will be our summer Vicar’s last Sunday with us here at Our Saviour. We will again hear him preach and there will be a farewell lunch following the Divine Service. Brett Witmer has been with us since the Feast of Pentecost, June 4th, and his presence among us has been a blessing. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him and I have heard from many of you how much you have appreciated his work here. After this coming Sunday he will be spend a week at his home in Pennsylvania and will then return to the Fort Wayne Seminary to begin his second year of study. Keep Brett in your prayers as he continues to prepare for the Office of the Holy Ministry. I am convinced that he will be a very fine pastor indeed.

 Speaking of Sunday worship, let me say how much I wish I could speak with each one of you after Divine Service whenever you are in church. I certainly do not intend to ignore anyone. But we do not have – what for lack of a better word I’ll call a – “receiving line” nor do I think that would be a practical thing here at Our Saviour. So I’ll continue to do the best I can; do know that I look forward to greeting and speaking with you on Sunday morning and on other occasions when we come together as a congregation. 

We have been using the “blue book,” Lutheran Worship, but will again use the “red book,” The Lutheran Hymnal, beginning in October. As I mentioned in the July Newsletter we will begin to consider the possibility of adopting the “new” hymnal published for our Synod in 2007, the Lutheran Service Book. There seems to be general agreement that it has the best of both the books we have been using. This topic will be introduced at the October Voters Meeting but no decision will be made until the January Voters Meeting. Copies of the new book will be available for you to examine between those two meetings. 

Through October 29th there is an exhibit at the Walters Art Museum, Uncertain Times: Martin Luther’s Remedies for the Soul. It is an exhibit in connection with the five hundredth anniversary of the Reformation which occurs on October 31st of this year. Admission is free at the Walters Art Museum which is one of the great treasures of our City. If a number of us are interested in going, we can perhaps plan a visit for our members and friends. 

Also in connection with the Reformation Anniversary there will be a Joint Reformation Service of all the Missouri Synod congregations in Baltimore on the afternoon of Sunday, October 29th, at Emmanuel Church on Ingleside Avenue in Catonsville. There will be more about this in next month’s newsletter. 

Plans are also underway for a musical celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation here at Our Saviour on the afternoon of Sunday, November 19th. Mr. Matthew Gerhardt, a graduate of Concordia University in Wisconsin, will be the guest organist. He comes highly recommended, has studied in Germany, and has in fact played the organ at Saint Thomas Church in Leipzig where Johann Sebastian Bach was organist and choirmaster for many years. We plan to publicize this event through many channels as our own contribution to the celebration of this Anniversary.  

Family Day this year will be kept on the first Sunday in October. This is always a well attended and delightful occasion. There will be more information in the Sunday bulletins and in the October newsletter which will go in the mail during the week before October 1st. There will as usual be a guest preacher and a wonderful meal after Divine Service. 

Our Savour has received a bequest from the estate of David West in the amount of $5,716.26.  This will remain invested with Ameriprise Financial.  David and his family planned ahead and included Our Savour in his will. The same can be done in your personal estate planning. 

Progress continues to be made toward the placement of our Church on the City of Baltimore’s register of historic buildings. This has been a lengthy process but we are coming to what will almost certainly be a very happy outcome.  

In September confirmation class for young people will begin again. There are four young people in the class: Dominick and Elijah Carmichael-Myrie, Dymond Hawkins, and Ted Jones. Remember them in your prayers as they prepare to be confirmed and admitted to the Holy Supper of our Savior’s Body and Blood. 

Darlene Grant is now at home after continuing hospitalization. Keep her in your prayers. 

I think almost everyone will agree that we live in exceedingly troubled times. In such times there is great comfort in remembering our heavenly Father’s protection of us through His holy angels. When preaching on the Festival of Saint Michael and All Angels (which since ancient times has been kept on September 29th) the Father Founder of our Synod, Dr. C.F.W. Walther (1811-1887), had this to say of the holy angels: 

“They are God’s hands by which we are continuously led. They are our invisible companions, receiving us upon our arrival in this world and continuing to accompany us throughout our life. They never leave us alone. They are with us each night so we can sleep peacefully. They encamp around our home like an army, ready to defend us against all evil. They are with us when our path leads us over mountains, through dark forests, and over rushing ocean waves. They protect us from precipices and false ways, and they prevent the bottomless depths from devouring our little ships. Even in the hour of our death, the presence and service of the holy angels continue, giving us ample reason for comfort and reassurance. As the angels refreshed the Savior when He struggled with death in the Garden of Gethsemane, so Christians, according to Scripture, can expect to receive the aid of the angels in their final battle. They gather around the deathbed, and when the soul leaves its mortal body, they bear it up into the blessed dwellings of the heavenly Father. Oh, what love of God we thus see revealed in the doctrine of the holy angels!” 

Let us then rejoice in the protection of the holy angels and let us continue to remember one another in our prayers and to pray fervently “for the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all.”

Do keep me in your prayers as you are in mine.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

The August Free Flea Market was a rousing success.  Although it was a cloudy day, it was a good one for shopping!  46 people came to see us, including Mary Pat Clarke of the Baltimore City Council.  And we distributed 415 items.  The last Free Flea Market will be held September 9th.  Donations of household items are welcome, as well as winter coats.  Judy Volkman has been in touch with the social worker at Waverly School and is planning a coat distribution in November.  Many thanks for all the generous donations, sharing the bounty with which God has blessed us.  And we are reaching those in our neighborhood who need these items.
-Judy Volkman-

 On August 10, 2017, Vicar Brett, Mary Techau, and I visited Helping Up Mission. We delivered a wide variety of grooming items to the recovering men. Many thanks for the generosity shown by our Church members. We collected a good supply of men’s undergarments, socks, and tee shirts. Delivery also included deodorant, foot powder, toothpaste, mouthwash, and wash clothes. Please continue to remember the Mission in support of this very successful Christian centered recovery program.

In addition, the loose change which you drop in the alms boxes is designated to purchase grooming items for Mission residents. Many   thanks to all.
–Quilla Downs-