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Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, November, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553

November, 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In the calendar of the Church Year the first day of November has from ancient times been kept as All Saints Day. Here at Our Saviour Church we keep this feast on the first Sunday in November. As is our custom, we will especially remember those who have been called to Christ’s nearer presence since the last All Saints Day: Joseph Silver, Philip Purviance, and the Rev. Gary Fisher, who was pastor of this Church from 1989 to 2006. In the Apostles Creed we confess our faith in “the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints.” The Church here on earth is but a very small part of the communion of saints, the whole Church in heaven and on earth. The word “saint” comes from the Latin word “sanctus” which means holy. All who have been baptized into Christ are saints in the sense that all our sin has been pardoned, washed away through the blood of Christ. And as we hear in the Epistle appointed for All Saints Day, the saints in heaven are those “who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). And how comforting are the words which follow! “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more…for the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd and lead them to springs of living water and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16,17). In the celebration of the Holy Eucharist we join in the heavenly worship: “Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name…” Saint Paul says: “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 4:18).

We are clearly living in an age which has lost the awareness of these unseen realities in an appalling way. One symptom of that loss is the deplorable decline in church attendance. To be a Christian is not a solitary thing, it is to be a member of the communion of saints which here on earth gathers every Lord’s Day and on festivals to worship the living God and receive our risen Lord and Savior in the Holy Sacrament of His Body and Blood. To be a living member of Christ’s Church is not a matter of just having your name on a membership list! It is to share in the Church’s sacramental life and worship and mission. And when we—without a valid reason—absent ourselves from worship we not only harm ourselves, we also deprive our fellow Christians of the encouragement and support our presence gives.

We will again this year have a service of Vespers on Thanksgiving Eve. Now Thanksgiving Day is not—strictly speaking—a festival of the Church Year, but it is our national day of thanksgiving for God’s blessings to us as a nation. Being of a certain age, I remember the time when our churches were filled on Thanksgiving Day—but that was a very long time ago! What has changed? What are our priorities? What truly matters? I encourage you to think about these things.

Everyone who was in church on the first Sunday in October, when we kept the 92nd anniversary of the dedication of this church building and rededicated the newly restored bells in the tower, will no doubt agree that it was a very happy occasion. We were blessed by Pastor Carl Kruelle’s wonderful sermon. And it is always delightful to share a meal together. I want to thank everyone who contributed to this celebration.

We still have not found a permanent organist and our search continues. But we are very fortunate that Deborah Lewis has agreed to help us in the meantime. She is an accomplished church musician and we are very fortunate to have her with us. Pray for God’s guidance and help as we continue our search.

Food for the GEDCO food pantry continues to be an urgent need. Do remember to bring food items to the boxes just inside the door from the small parking lot north of the church. There is also a box for contributions for the Helping Up Mission. This Mission has helped so many men and now women to get back on their feet. It is a wonderful work of mercy.

We will again this Thanksgiving and at again at Christmas provide ALDI gift certificates for needy families connected with the Waverly School. Be sure to mark your checks “Gift Certificates.”

Let us continue to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Quilla Downs, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Mary Mokris, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell is still at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. Queenie Hardaway has for some time now been at Augsburg Village, 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207

Our Sunday morning Bible Class has begun to study the First Letter of Saint Peter. It is a letter full of hope. The late Dr. Martin Franzmann, who for many years taught at our Synod’s Seminary in Saint Louis, has this to say about I Peter: “Anyone looking for a key book which will unlock for him the meaning of the whole New Testament would do well to give his days and nights to this letter.” Join us on Sunday morning at 9:45.

If you need a ride to church, please call me at (410) 554–9994 or email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com. If you want me to visit you or, if you are not able to come to Divine Service, bring you the Sacrament at home, please do not hesitate to ask. For those who are unable to attend church we continue to livestream our services at Our Saviour Baltimore Facebook.

The Lord’s People are at the Lord’s Own Service in the Lord’s House every Lord’s Day.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

Although May 2023 seems far away, we need to restock for the Free Flea Market. At the conclusion of this year’s Flea Market, items that did not “move” were given to Orphan Grain Train (clothing) and Savers (household items). As you go through items you would like to discard, consider donating them to us during the year. Please let me know if you will be making a donation; I can be reached at (443) 425–3437 or judyvolkman9961@gmail.com.

I had recently posted that there were jobs that needed to be filled. I am happy to say that most of them been spoken for! Jean and Wayne West have agreed to take on most of them. They will be handling the lily and poinsettia orders, contact with the Helping Up Mission, and the financial secretary position. Bernie Knox and Gabe Purviance will be handling the holiday baskets. So many thanks for those who stepped up to help. There is one more job that needs to be filled: that of taking canned goods to CARES, probably every other month. If you can help with this, it would be very much appreciated!

Four milk crates, filled with canned goods, were delivered to CARES on October 24. So now the cartons are empty and waiting to be refilled. Many thanks to those who contributed items and shared the bounty the Lord has given us.

—Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, October, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553

October, 2022

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
92nd ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH
REDEDICATION OF THE TOWER BELLS
FAMILY DAY
FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE, 11:00 AM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we celebrate the ninety-second anniversary of the dedication of this church we will rededicate the bells which were placed in the tower in 1934. Our guest preacher will be the Rev. Carl Kruelle, who grew up in this church and was ordained to the holy ministry in this place. Many people have contributed to the restoration of the bells. The project could finally be completed because of a very generous gift from Doug and Beth Skinner, a gift given in memory of Brian Lessor and his mother Gloria who were members of Immanuel Church in Alexandria, Virginia.

When King David had gathered together all the rich materials for the temple which would be built by his son Solomon, he prayed before all the people: “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from Thee, and of Thy own have we given Thee” (I Chronicles 29:14). These words powerfully remind us that everything we are, everything we have, finally belongs to God the Great Giver and of our obligation and privilege to give in return. Saint Paul exhorts the Christians in Corinth to be generous givers: “Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). It is sometimes said that we should “give till it hurts.” But Saint Paul is telling us to give until it feels good! “God loves a cheerful giver.” Do give some thought to your offering for the support of the Church’s work in this place. Ask yourself, does my offering truly reflect my gratitude for all God’s blessings as my Creator and my Redeemer, including the many blessings that are mine through His Church? Could I perhaps give more than I have been giving? Of course one must carefully consider one’s financial circumstances! Saint Paul instructs the Corinthians: each must give “according to what one has, not according to what one has not” (2 Corinthians 8:12).

And speaking of giving, do remember the Church’s organ fund. Checks for this purpose should be marked “organ fund.” And then there are the ALDI gift certificates that we give to needy families connected with the Waverly School at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Checks for this purpose should be marked “Gift Certificates.” And since giving involves more than financial contributions, let me also remind you that as a congregation we also support the GEDCO food pantry. There is a table with boxes just inside the door near the church office. It is all too easy to forget the many people who are so impoverished that they would go hungry were it not for the various agencies such as GEDCO that provide them with food at no cost. And finally there is our support for the Helping Up Mission which for so many years has helped men and is now also helping women get back on their feet and return to useful lives. There is also a box for the Helping Up Mission just inside the door near the office. Be sure to read Judy Volkman’s report on our free flea markets at the end of this newsletter. These free flea markets are yet another way in which we give.

The Fall Voters Meeting will be held after Divine Service on Sunday, October 16. Members of Our Saviour Church, eighteen years and older, are eligible to participate in the meeting.

On the last Sunday in October we celebrate the Festival of the Reformation, October 31 being the 505th anniversary of Dr. Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses—propositions for debate among theologians—which were a clarion call to repentance as can be seen in the very first thesis: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ‘Repent,’ He meant that the whole life of Christians should be one repentance.” The reforming work of Dr. Luther and his associates can only be rightly understood when that work is seen as calling the Church and its members to repent: to turn away from everything in the teaching and life of the Church which obscured or even denied the Savior’s gift of pardon and peace to penitent sinners. And so we read in the 62nd thesis: “The true treasure of the Church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.” It is by the Gospel of God’s grace in His Son, freely bestowed through His holy Word and Sacraments, that the Church lives. And so, every year at the Festival of the Reformation, we give thanks to God for the restoration of the Gospel to its rightful place and pray that the Holy Spirit will preserve this precious gift for all the Christian people. The Reformation began with Luther’s call to repentance and every anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation calls us to repent of all our own sins of ingratitude, indifference, and neglect of the Gospel in which is all our life and hope.

In the September Newsletter I said that we expected to announce the name of our new organist very soon, but we are still unable to do so. None of the applicants we interviewed has accepted our offer and so our search continues. We do have substitutes engaged for the whole month of October and are working on substitutes until a new organist is in place. We are discovering that the shortage of organists is all too real. Let us pray for God’s guidance and help.

The adult Bible Class continues to meet on Sunday at 9:45 AM. We have recently been studying the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the ancient Church in which the doctrines of the Holy Trinity and the Person of Christ were clearly confessed and errors that contradicted the truth were named and rejected. We are about to begin a study of the First Epistle of Saint Peter which was addressed to churches undergoing persecution in what was at that time northern Asia Minor, now known as Turkey. This Epistle is full of hope and joy in the crucified and risen Lord. Come join us! Our discussion is quite informal and questions are very welcome.

Let us continue to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Quilla Downs, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Mary Mokris, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. When I recently visited Maggie Doswell, she told me how much the cards she receives from our members mean to her. She is still at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. Quilla Downs is hoping to be with us some Sunday. Her new address is 1000 Brightseat Road, Apt.462, Landover, MD 20777.

As God fed the Israelites with manna during their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, God feeds us in the holy Sacrament of His Son’s body and blood. The Holy Sacrament is food for our journey through this world to the heavenly fatherland. Because the Holy Communion is the Sacrament of the unity of the Church, it is normally received during the Divine Service in God’s House. But if you are not able to come to God’s House, it is the pastor’s duty to bring the Sacrament to you in your home or in the hospital. Do not hesitate to ask me to visit you and bring you Holy Communion. My phone number is (410) 554–9994, and my email is charlesmcclean42@gmail.com. And please do not hesitate to contact me if you need a ride to church.

No one can fail to realize that we are living in more than usually unsettled times. There come to mind the words of Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble … Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:1, 10), And in the words of the Epistle that was read in church on the last Sunday in September: “As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). The need is truly staggering and, as Christians, each one of us must do what we can, not least continuing in fervent prayer for all who suffer in so many ways.

The Lord’s People are in the Lord’s House every Lord’s Day.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

Here is a summary of our Free Flea Markets: In September, 21 people visited us and 180 items were given out. Our total for the year of 2022 was 129 attendees and 913 items were distributed. As we look back over the 8 years that the Free Flea Market has been held, a total of 31 members assisted at the Flea Markets, totaling 310 hours. A total of 1323 people passed through our doors, receiving 9121 items. That’s pretty impressive for a small congregation. A job well done to share the bounty the Lord has given us! Many thanks to those who gave of their time and those who shared their bounty with us.
—Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, September, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Mark your calendar now! At long last we will be able to rededicate the bells which were placed in the church tower in 1934. This will take place on the first Sunday in October. This will also be a celebration of the 92nd anniversary of the dedication of the church and it will be Family Day. Lunch will follow Divine Service. So that we know how many to prepare for, please sign the sign-up sheet on the piano at church or call the church office ((410) 935–2553) no later than September 25. This will certainly be a happy occasion and I hope that many will attend. Our guest preacher will be the Rev. Carl Kruelle who grew up in Our Saviour Church and was ordained here.

Two of our members celebrated significant birthdays in August. On August 16 Robert Siperek celebrated his 90th birthday and on August 18 Frank Ford celebrated his 93rd birthday. We congratulate them both and pray for God’s richest blessings in the days to come.

On Sunday, September 4, Wayne West was confirmed. Jean West and Justin Ricci, having been confirmed some years ago, were formally received as members of our congregation. We pray that the Holy Spirit will guard and keep them in faithfulness to Christ and His church.

In last month’s newsletter Judy Volkman asked for volunteers to take over some of the responsibilities she has faithfully fulfilled for many years. At the end of this newsletter she gives us an update on responses to her request. Wayne and Jean West have agreed to take care of ordering the poinsettias at Christmas and the lilies at Easter and will see to it that items donated for the Helping Up Mission will be taken there. Bernie Knox has agreed to send the ALDI gift certificates to needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we still need someone to contact Waverly School to get the names of needy families. And we still need someone to take over the job of financial secretary and someone to deliver food to the GEDCO food pantry. Be sure to read Judy’s update.

Remember that our next free flea market will take place on Saturday, September 10, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. This will be our last flea market until next spring. We always need volunteers. About 40 people came to the August flea market.

Paul Techau and I have met with three applicants for the position of organist. We expect to be able to announce the name of our new organist very soon. We have substitute organists for every Sunday through October 9. This is vacation time and substitutes are in high demand, and there has for some years now been an unfortunate shortage of organists. We are very grateful to Elaine Schwab for helping us the last two Sundays in August. She will be with us again for the last two Sundays in September and on October 2. She and her husband, retired Pastor Guenter Schwab, are members of Immanuel Church where she sings in the choir and serves as substitute organist.

Please remember to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Quilla Downs, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell remains at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. Queenie Hardaway has been living at the Augsburg Home for some time now: 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207. Quilla Downs’s new address is 1000 Brightseat Road, Apt. 462, Landover, MD 20777.

I continue to bring Holy Communion to members who are unable to come to church. If you want me to visit or bring you the Sacrament, call me at (410) 554–9994 or email me at charles.mcclean42@gmail.com. If you are in need of transportation to church, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to make arrangements for that purpose.

The beating heart of the Church’s life is the Divine Service in which God comes to us in His grace and mercy through His holy Word and Sacrament and in which we offer to Him our praise and thanksgiving and prayer—our prayer for the whole Church and for the whole world. The Divine Service is among other things a pattern for our whole life as Christians: and so, just as in the Holy Liturgy we pray not only for ourselves but also for the whole Church and the whole world, so also should we pray every day! I often think that one of my favorite psalm verses is the ninth verse of the 145th psalm: “His tender mercy is over all that He has made.” In prayer we claim God’s mercy for “all that He has made.”

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

UPDATE FROM JUDY VOLKMAN

Last month, a listing of positions was published in the newsletter and Jean and Wayne West have stepped up to take responsibility for the Flowers and the Helping Up Mission. Bernie Knox has volunteered to send the ALDI gift cards to the recipients of the holiday baskets. However, we still need someone to get in touch with the school to obtain the names of the recipients.

The financial secretary position is still open.

Not listed last month was the collection and delivery of food items to CARES, which takes place approximately every other month. This would include checking the donations and determining when a delivery needs to be made (usually 4 milk crates of items). They can be delivered to the CARES office on York Road Monday through Wednesday. If you can help with this task it would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks to Jean and Wayne for volunteering to take on these tasks. I now rest a little easier!

-Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, July-August, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

If you use the daily prayers in Luther’s Small Catechism, you know that both his morning and his evening prayer begin with thanksgiving: “I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ Your dear Son.” These morning and evening prayers are not only fixed forms of prayer, they also provide a pattern for our own personal life of prayer which should also shape our daily life. Thankfulness is a powerful medicine for the often besetting sin of discontent, of taking for granted God’s gifts which are new every morning!

John Igoe has been our organist for some time now and he has been a blessing to everyone who worships in this place. Anyone who has heard him play will know that he is a truly gifted church musician whose work at the organ has greatly enlivened our worship. And so I truly regret to tell you that August 14 will be his last Sunday with us. On the following day he will become the organist at Saint Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Catonsville. Our loss is surely their gain! We sincerely and heartily thank John and wish him well in his service at Saint Mark’s.

We also have yet another reason to thank John. I am tempted to say that he has left us a parting gift! For he recently created a video about our wonderful stained glass windows: “Windows That Witness: Stained Glass in Baltimore.” I have admired the beauty of these windows since I was a boy, and I often think that they are like sparkling gems. John’s video can be found online at on our web site (Stained Glass | Our Saviour Lutheran Church (oursaviourbaltimore.org)) and Facebook page (Our Saviour Lutheran Church – Home | Facebook) We also have a few “paper” copies of this work, a pdf of this can be found at the sam link. There are full color photographs together with commentary based on the leaflets published in connection with the dedication of the windows. My understanding is that it was Pastor Stiemke who planned the subject matter of the windows. It was in fact Marguerite Gaudin (1909–1991) of the Willet Stained Glass Studios in Philadelphia who designed them. She was a remarkable artist, and over a period of many years created windows for many notable churches including the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City and the National Presbyterian Church in Washington.

Our congregation has certainly been blessed with members who willingly and faithfully serve here. Judy Volkman has done just that for 60 (!) years and now is asking that other members assume her current responsibilities. From the time I arrived here she has been such a good friend to me and I am very grateful! At the end of this newsletter you will find a description of her current responsibilities. But she has done so much more over the years! She has served as president and vice-president of the congregation, as secretary, as director of stewardship and education, as Sunday School teacher and superintendent, as chair of a pastoral search committee. And since 2014 she has been the driving force of our free flea markets. We most certainly owe her a debt of gratitude.

Our dear brother in Christ, Phillip Purviance, fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, June 9, and was given Christian burial at the Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery following the funeral service here in church on Tuesday, June 21. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon him and may Christ our Savior comfort all who mourn with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.

Please remember to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Quilla Downs, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell remains at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. Queenie Hardaway has been living at the Augsburg Home for some time now: 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207. Quilla Downs continues to make a good recovery from surgery. Her new address is 1000 Brightseat Road, Apt. 462, Landover, MD 20777.

I continue to bring Holy Communion to members who are unable to come to church. If you want me to visit or bring you the Sacrament, call me at (410) 554–9994 or email me at charles.mcclean42@gmail.com. If you are in need of transportation to church, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to make arrangements for that purpose.

We continue to have the free flea market on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00–12:00 Noon. We always need volunteers to help. On July 9 there were 42 visitors and we distributed well over a 100 items.

Let us continue to pray for one another, for the whole church and for the whole world. Remember: The Lord’s People are in the Lord’s House at the Lord’s Own Service every Lord’s Day. Says the psalmist: “Lord, I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8).

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

After more than 60 years of involvement at Our Saviour, it is time to “pass the torch” along. I have been involved in numerous projects over the years and would like to work with the persons who would be willing to take over these responsibilities. I am still around, so I can support when needed. Instructions have been written for each position. Interested? You can contact me at (443) 425–3437 or judyvolkman9961@gmail.com.
– Judy Volkman

Poinsettias and Lilies
At Easter & Christmas, the altar is adorned with seasonal flowers. These need to be set out and orders taken. A listing of donors is compiled to be printed in the appropriate bulletin. A listing of monies collected is given to the money counters so these donations can be credited to the person’s contributions to OSLC.

Holiday Baskets
For a number of years, OSLC has provided holiday baskets for families associated with Waverly Elementary School.The names are requested through the school Social Worker, funds are requested from members of OSLC and from offerings at Lenten Soup Suppers, and gift cards purchased for families to buy their holiday dinners. These are mailed, with a greeting card, to the families. In the past, we have donated baskets 10 families.

Helping Up Mission
This Mission in East Baltimore assists men and women in turning their lives around. We have assisted them with donations of personal care items, clothing, and money. Help is needed to keep this mission before the Congregation, collect items to be donated and then delivered to the Helping Up Mission. Monies collected in the alms boxes in the church are used to purchase needed items.

Financial Secretary
According to our bylaws, this person shall:

  • Record all contributions from members
  • Acknowledge receipt of a contribution from a non-member
  • Purchase, prepare, and distribute offering envelopes
  • Prepare year-end statements of contributions by members
  • Inform the congregation of any noteworthy trends in contributions
Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, June, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553

Pentcost, June 5, 2022
Festival Divine Service, 11:00 AM

Memorial Service
for the Rev. Gary L. Fisher
Pastor of Our Saviour  1989-2006
Saturday June 11, 2022 12:30 PM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

During this past month our country has yet again been horrified first by the killing of African Americans in Buffalo and then by the killing of little children and their teachers in Uvalde, Texas. Included with this newsletter is a statement following the Buffalo tragedy by the President of Synod, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison. Although words can never be enough in responding to this kind of evil, I urge you to read and to ponder what he has to say. These killings are occurring with mind-numbing regularity. Each of us must, according to his or her particular role and place in society, do what we can and also pray for an end to these intolerable events. Surely God is calling us all to repentance.

Saint Peter called to repentance the large crowd gathered in Jerusalem on that first Day of Pentecost. In response to his preaching, about three thousand people were baptized. Together with Easter and Christmas, Pentecost is one of the Three Great Festivals of the Christian Year. On Good Friday the Savior finished His redeeming work, on Easter His victory was revealed, on Pentecost the Holy Spirit came, Christ’s victory was proclaimed and the Church was born. And since that first Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit has continued through the preaching of the Word of God and the administration of the Holy Sacraments to bestow eternal life. For the Holy Spirit is, as we confess Him to be in the Nicene Creed, both “the Lord and Giver of life.”

Everyone is invited to the Memorial Service for Pastor Gary Fisher on Saturday June 11 at 12:30 PM. Pastor Fisher served as pastor of this congregation 1989–2006. Be sure to let your friends who may have been members here during those years know about this service. Pastor Fisher’s children will be present.

On the cornerstone of this church building, following the name of this church, we find the letters “U A C,” which stand for Unaltered Augsburg Confession, the confession of faith which was presented by the Lutheran princes and cities to Emperor Charles V in the City of Augsburg on June 25, 1530. And so on the last Sunday in June we commemorate the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. This is the principal confession of the faith of the Lutheran Church. So important is this Confession that there was a time when the Constitution of Our Saviour Church and of other churches required members to know not only Luther’s Small Catechism but also the Augsburg Confession. The text of the Augsburg Confession can easily be found online. We also have a number of paper copies available for the asking.

At the Voters Meeting on May 15 we approved the budget for fiscal year 2022–2023 and elected members of the Church Council: Bernie Knox, Merton Masterson, Ben Orris, Gabe Purviance, Mary Techau, Paul Techau, Gary Watson. As pastor, I am very grateful for the faithful and willing service of these leaders in our congregation. I do not take them for granted; they often go far above and beyond the call of duty!

Two people are attending a membership class on Saturday mornings at 10 o’clock. Anyone wishing to be a member of the church may attend, as well as anyone wishing to review the essential Christian teachings. This will continue through the month of August.

The first free flea market of this year was held on May 14, and the next one will take place on Saturday, June 11, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. The Ednor Gardens/Lakeside Association held a yard sale on our parking lot on May 21 and will hold an Ice Cream Social on Saturday, June 11, at 4:00 PM.

Please remember to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Quilla Downs, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell remains at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. Queenie Hardaway has been living at the Augsburg Home for some time now: 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207.

I continue to bring Holy Communion to members who are unable to come to church. If you want me to visit or bring you the Sacrament, call me at (410) 554–9994 or email me at charles.mcclean42@gmail.com. If you are in need of transportation to church, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to make arrangements for that purpose.

Let us continue to remember one another in prayer and to pray for peace and tranquility both in our own country and throughout the world. And let us each and every one follow the example of the Church in the days after that first Pentecost, as described in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers… And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42, 47).

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

A number of people regularly attend our Free Flea Market; this is the story of one of those persons: She is an older lady who is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Loch Raven. She is always looking for school supplies and other items for children, and she also checks out clothing, especially shoes, for adults. At the May Free Flea Market, she had 3 large bags of items to take home; as she travels by bus, that presented challenges for her. So I offered to take her home—I knew she lived off Loch Raven Blvd since I had seen her walking in that area. She accepted my offer, and on the ride home, she filled me in on her background: She is from Jamaica and has lived here for many years. Her mission is to support families who come here from Jamaica and help them learn about the USA. And there are occasions on which she insists on giving us a donation! It is a joy to know that our outreach to the community is helping those in need.

Many thanks to the volunteers who faithfully come out on the second Saturday of each month. We couldn’t do it without your hel

—Judy Volkman

A Word in the Wake of the Buffalo Tragedy

reporter.lcms.org/2022/a-word-in-the-wake-of-the-buffalo-tragedy

May 18, 2022

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Once again violence saddens our nation. A young man, gripped by the satanic delusion “you shall be like God,” has stolen the precious lives of innocent mothers, daughters, sisters, fathers, sons and brothers in Buffalo, N.Y. In his writings, the perpetrator rejected Christianity and espoused the demonic ideas of racial hatred and violence. Yet each one of the slain was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and each was as valuable as the blood of Jesus (John 3:16).

Acts of evil such as this make us ask, “Is there no reasonable path to preclude the deranged from the legal acquisition of firearms?” “Are threats of violence from such a person free speech?” “Must free speech mean the infinite, unending gush of hatred and filth on the internet, including evil, racist rants with associated threats of violence?” “Is there no stronger pre-emptive remedy available?” We cannot settle for the status quo.

Yet Paul reminds us to persevere in goodness. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). But who of us does not grow weary? Good citizens, loving family and friends, are murdered in cold blood; a heroic retired police officer gives his life for others … again. We pray with the psalmist, “I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God” (Psalm 69:3).

On Nov. 30, 2021, a shooting occurred at the high school my niece and nephew attend in Oxford, Mich. They had attended school with the eventual assailant for years. Their friends were murdered. Other close friends barely survived being shot, including the grandchild of a retired LCMS pastor. The signs were all evident in the young man whose life had become captive to sin, death and the devil, a participant in the demonic. I think of how devastating this incident has been for my sister’s family. I thank God for their resilient faith in Christ and courage in the face of evil, even when answers are not easily at hand.

I now pray for the courage of the victims’ families in Buffalo, that Christ’s merciful love would surround them all and that they would look to Jesus’ cross and resurrection for eternal hope.

Today I think of the beautiful and ever-growing collage of saints in the LCMS. I think of your love and humility. I think of your clear confession and witness to Jesus Christ, a Jew from Palestine, whose racial identity few among us share. He is our precious Savior. I think of His zeal to reach the Jews, the Samaritans and the Syrophoenician woman. I think of Simon from Cyrene, the African who bore our Savior’s cross (Matthew 27:32), and his family who were vital members of the earliest church (Mark 15:21; Acts 11:20; Romans 16:13). I think of my pagan Slavic and German ancestors — apart from Christ and all hope — who were grafted into the family of God when they heard the witness to Jesus. I think of my own precious granddaughter, who has more African genetic material than German. I think of our black brothers and sisters whose hearts have been so won by Jesus and His Word that they hold the Gospel as the greatest treasure and confess the Lutheran faith from deep conviction, despite our many weaknesses and failings.

I thank God that in this dark world of sin and hatred, you are light in Christ. “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness” (1 John 2:9). Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Paul says that “the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:9). Peter reminds the church, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Let us act as good citizens of this world as we demand reasonable laws and strict prosecution of evil doers to thwart evil. “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who

carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. … Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:3–4, 8). It is a good work of love to practice civil righteousness toward our neighbor and to demand justice from our leaders. “Public remedy, made through the office of the public official, is not condemned, but is commanded and is God’s work” (Apology of the Augsburg Confession XVI 59).

Please join me in praying for the saints of our LCMS Eastern District and their president, the Rev. Dr. Chris Wicher, that they would not lose heart, but be greatly empowered in their witness to Jesus, the light of the world.

May the words of Paul and Barnabas continue ever more to mark us: “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 13:47).

O Spirit, who didst once restore Thy Church that it might be again The bringer of good news to men, Breathe on Thy cloven Church once more, That in these gray and latter days There may be those whose life is praise, Each life a high doxology To Father, Son, and unto Thee.

(Lutheran Service Book 834:4)

Pastor Matthew C. Harrison President

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
LCMS.org/president

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, May, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
May, 2022

ASCENSION DAY
Festival Divine Service May 26, 7:30 PM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On the last Thursday in May we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, because it was on the fortieth day after His resurrection that the crucified and risen Lord ascended into heaven in the presence of His disciples. From ancient times Ascension Day has been one of the great festivals of the Christian Year, for through His ascension Christ took the humanity that is yours and mine, the humanity He took from His blessed mother and has never put aside, into the very presence of God that He might make us “partakers of His divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

Until Ascension Day we continue to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. Easter hymns are sung and the Paschal (Easter) Candle burns at all church services. After 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. During the rest of the year the Paschal Candle stands next to the baptismal font as a sign that through our baptism we share in Christ’s death and resurrection. At funerals the Paschal Candle stands next to the casket as a sign that through Christ’s resurrection death has become for believers an entrance into eternal life. Many years ago Pastor and Mrs. Stiemke gave the beautiful candlestick which was hand carved in England.

Included with this newsletter is an article written by the Rev. Dr. Alvin L. Barry, who from 1992 until his death in 2001 served as the President of our Synod. In it he addresses the topic of Fellowship in the Lord’s Supper in accord with Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions—which we Lutherans accept as a true exposition of Holy Scripture. This article explains why the following notice always appears in our Sunday bulletin:

Holy Communion: We welcome you to this Divine Service in which our crucified and risen Lord speaks His Word of pardon and peace and comes to His people in the Holy Sacrament of His True Body and Blood. Because the pastors of Christ’s Church are, as Saint Paul writes, “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1), and therefore accountable to Him for their administration of the Sacrament, visitors who are not members of this congregation yet wish to receive Holy Communion are asked to speak with the pastor before the Divine Service.

I am always happy to answer any questions you might have about this or any other matter of doctrine and practice.

Paul Techau’s father, Wallace Techau, fell asleep in the Lord early in the morning of Maundy Thursday and was given Christian burial on Easter Tuesday. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon him, and may the risen Lord comfort Paul and all who mourn his father’s departure with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.

I am sure we are all glad that the bells in our church tower are ringing again! There will be a rededication of the bells on the first Sunday in October when we celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of this church

building. This is also Family Day. Do plan now on being present and tell your friends, especially former members of Our Saviour, about this happy occasion.

The first Free Flea Market of this year will take place on Saturday, May 14, 9:00 AM–12:00 noon. As always we are in need of volunteers to greet those who come and to help distribute the items they choose. I am not able to be present since a great nephew’s wedding will take place that day in Pennsylvania.

The Ednor Gardens-Lakeside Association will be using our parking lot for a Yard Sale on Saturday, May 21, from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM. This is an opportunity to meet and greet our neighbors, so—if you can—why not spend some time at the yard sale? Come when you can, leave when you must. The rain date is May 28.

I must thank Paul and Mary Techau, Bernie Knox, Richard Brown and Ben Orris for all their help in making this year’s Saint Mark’s Conference a success. A number of people who attended this year’s conference have written to tell me how much they appreciated it and that they look forward to next year. Dr. Stephenson of Concordia Seminary, Saint Catharines, Ontario, showed us how that great confessor of the faith, Dr. Hermann Sasse (1895–1976), responded to conditions in Hitler’s Germany and how Dr. Sasse continues to provide solid teaching and reliable guidance for us who are living in the church and in the world of the early 21st century. Our good friend Pastor Coats provided a vivid picture of the remarkable works of Pastor Frederick Roth Webber (1887–1963) who regarded our own church building as a superb example of what a church building should be. Next year’s conference may well be devoted to the topic of prayer.

Please remember to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell remains at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. Queenie Hardaway has been living at the Augsburg Home for some time now: 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207.

I continue to bring Holy Communion to members who are unable to come to church. If you want me to visit or bring you the Sacrament, call me at (410) 554–9994 or email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com. If you need transportation, do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to make arrangements for that purpose.

Let us continue to pray for peace in the world, and especially for an end to the sufferings of the people of Ukraine. When in the Creed we confess that the Lord Jesus “ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father,” we are confessing our faith that our merciful Savior—though all unseen—rules all things for our true and eternal good. So let us then on Ascension Day come and worship Him with joy and with penitent and faithful hearts Him in His glorified Body and Blood!

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

Saturday, May 14 will be our first Free Flea Market of the season. We have a great deal of household items and clothing, but we need volunteers. We will be open from 9:00 AM–12:00 noon. Each person attending will receive 10 tickets and can redeem them for 10 items. This is our way of sharing the bounty the Lord has given us!
—Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, April, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
April, 2022

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER DAY

PALM SUNDAY—Procession and Distribution of Palms
Divine Service,  April 9, 11:00 AM
MAUNDY THURSDAY—Divine Service and Stripping of the Altar
April 14, 7:30 PM
GOOD FRIDAY—The Liturgy of Good Friday
April 15, 7:30 PM
EASTER EVE—THE EASTER VIGIL
April 16, 7:30 PM
EASTER DAY—FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE
April 17, 11:00 AM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I must begin by thanking you for the wonderful celebration of my 80th birthday on the last Sunday in March. It was a real treat for me to have a guest preacher that morning, my good friend Pastor Brian Westgate. The brunch that followed Divine Service was delightful in every way. Many thanks to everyone who had a hand in preparing it and to everyone who sent cards and gifts! I have been asked a number of times how it feels to have reached this age. My answer to that question is that I am very grateful to God and to all the people through whom He has blessed me for so many years, including the people of Our Saviour congregation. But I must admit that I am also astonished! As God gives strength, I look forward to serving you in the days to come. Thank you—and God bless you for your kindness and generosity!

This coming Saturday, April 9, we are having a work day at church to prepare the church for the coming festival. We begin at 9:30 and conclude at noon. Do join us if you can.

April 10, Palm Sunday, is the deadline for ordering Easter lilies. As with many items, the price has gone up to $15 for each plant. Order envelopes can be found on the table in the back of the church. Remember to fill out the form to honor or remember a loved one and return it to Judy Volkman.

For the third year in a row we will be celebrating Easter during a pandemic that has yet to end and very unsettled conditions in the world. I must admit that I had assumed that something like the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the kind of thing that belonged only to the increasingly distant past. It has now been almost eighty years since the end of the Second World War. Given all these circumstances, I find myself returning yet again to some words that were written not long after that catastrophe by the distinguished Lutheran theologian, Walter Kuenneth (1901–1997):

The course of history, as it has so terribly disclosed itself to us, can only be a confirmation of the Christian insight that all mankind is trembling on the brink of destruction and groaning under the tyranny of death. In this dark night of the world there is only one single source of light: the joyful news, “Christ is risen!”

That is the foundation of our faith, the sure and certain ground of all our hope! It was Saint Augustine who said, “We Christians are an Easter people and alleluia is our song.”

But before we come to Holy Easter there is the Holy Week of the Lord’s Passion. I invite you to participate in the blessings of this holiest week of the Christian Year. On Maundy Thursday we go in spirit to the upper room where the Savior institutes the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. As the altar is stripped, we remember how at the Savior’s arrest in Gethsemane all the disciples forsook Him and fled. On Good Friday we stand beneath the cross. Easter Eve brings the Easter Vigil with the lighting of the Paschal Candle, the reading of Old Testament lessons which point forward to Christ’s resurrection, we renew the vows of baptism in which we were joined to Christ’s saving death and life-giving resurrection, and then finally meet the risen Lord as He truly comes to us with that holy Body which death could not hold and with His precious Blood. On Easter morning we again receive Him in the Holy Sacrament, celebrating with great joy the Day of Days, the Queen of Feasts. Because of the Real Presence of the crucified and risen Lord in the Holy Sacrament, our worship is no bare remembrance of all He has done and suffered for us: He is truly present in these Holy Mysteries. And that is why this Holy Sacrament is the beating heart of the Church’s life! I love the old anthem:

O sacred banquet
in which Christ is received,
the memory of His passion renewed,
and a pledge of future glory given unto us!

Let me also call your attention to the Tre Ore Service which will again this year be held on Good Friday at Bethlehem Church, 4815 Hamilton Ave, 12:00–3:00 PM. Come when you can, leave when you must. This is a fine opportunity for anyone who is hesitant about driving after dark. Seven pastors will preach on the Savior’s Seven Last Words.

The annual Saint Mark’s Conference will take place April 25, Saint Mark’s Day, and April 26. Last year we were privileged to hear the Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, the President of our Synod, and the Rev. Prof. John Pless of Concordia Seminary, Fort Wayne, speak about the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Hermann Sasse (1895–1976). This year the Rev. Dr. John Stephenson of Concordia Seminary, Saint Catharines, Ontario, will speak on Dr. Sasse’s life and witness during the terrible years of the Nazi rule in Germany. Our good friend, Pastor Coats, will speak on the life and work of the Rev. Frederick Roth Webber (1887–1963), and I will speak on the relationship between Dr. Sasse and the Rev. Dr. (Colonel, US Army Chaplain Corps) Arthur Carl Piepkorn (1907–1973). Both Pastor Webber and Dr. Piepkorn had a direct connection with Our Saviour Church: When the decision was made to build this Church, Pastor Stiemke invited Pastor Webber, an authority on church architecture, to address our congregation. Pastor Webber’s book, The Small Church: How to Build and Furnish It has pictures of our Church and praises it as a model church building. Dr. Piepkorn was the officiant at the service in which our beautiful chancel windows were dedicated in October 1951. Saint Mark’s Conference is primarily intended for pastors, but everyone is invited. Information about the Conference can be found at oursaviourbaltimore.org.

Work on restoring the use of our bells is continuing. There are a few more issues that the McShane Company is working through. We hope to have them fully in order in the next several weeks. The bells were placed in the tower in 1934. We expect to rededicate them sometime during the Easter season.

Please remember to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, Wally Techau, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell remains at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. Queenie Hardaway has been living at the Augsburg Home for some time now: 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207.

I continue to bring Holy Communion to members who are unable to come to church. If you want me to visit or bring you the Sacrament, call me at (410) 554–9994 or email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com. If you need transportation, do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to make arrangements for that purpose.

Holy Week and Easter are the heart of the Christian Year. My hope and prayer is that you will gladly make use of this yearly opportunity to follow our Savior through His passion and death to His glorious resurrection.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

The food collection baskets were overflowing, so we made a delivery to CARES to replenish their stock. We ended up with 5 milk crates of canned goods. Many thanks to all who were faithful contributors. The baskets are now empty and need to be refilled. Let us continue to support those who are in need with the bounty that the Lord has given to us.

The Free Flea Market will resume May 14 from 9 AM–12 PM. Many household items have been donated, so we are good with that. One faithful worker, Quilla Downs, will no longer be there to greet visitors and hand out tickets. We need someone who is willing to take on this responsibility. As always, we need faithful volunteers to serve their Lord in this outreach to the community.
—Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Savior Parrish News, March, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
March, 2022

ASH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2
DIVINE SERVICE 7:30 PM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The beginning of this month brings the beginning of the holy season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday there will as usual be Divine Service with the imposition of ashes. The ashes are an expression of sorrow for sin and are a sign of our mortality: “You are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

Lenten Vespers will be held at 7:30 PM every Wednesday until Holy Week. This year the meditations will be based on the Passion of our Lord according to Saint Luke:

March 9 – Christ in Gethsemane
March 16 – Christ before Caiaphas
March 23 – Christ before Herod
March 30 – Christ before Pilate
April 6 – The Way to Calvary

We will as always use the Order of Vespers which is the Church’s liturgy for daily evening prayer. And we will pray the Litany, a prayer which comes to us from the ancient Church, and of which Dr. Luther said that it is “next to the holy Lord’s Prayer the very best that has come to earth.” It was in view of the looming threat to Europe of invasion by the Turks in the year 1529 that he translated the Litany into German and urged its use in churches. It has been said that in praying the Litany we can turn to the whole world, Christian and otherwise, and say, “This is how we pray, this is how we are taught to think of life and death, of God and man.” In a word, the Litany is one of the treasures of the Church. And how timely are its petitions: “From pestilence and famine, from war and bloodshed, good Lord, deliver us”!

We will be having our soup suppers on the last four Wednesdays in Lent: March 16, 23, 30, and April 6. At these suppers we always have an offering which is used to provide gifts for needy neighbors at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 13th. Be sure to put your clocks forward one hour.

Order envelopes for Easter Lilies are on the table in the back of the church. As with many items, the price has gone up to $15 for each plant. Remember to fill out the form to honor a loved one and return to Judy Volkman by April 10th, Palm Sunday.

Pastor Gary Fisher’s family recently informed me that they still intend to have a memorial service for him this spring. I am happy to be able to report that the work on the restoration of the bells is nearing completion. Be sure to read the Historic Preservation Update concerning the waterproofing of the undercroft at the end of this newsletter. The Church Council continues to address these problems.

Please continue to remember in prayer all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, Wally Techau, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. During a recent visit with Maggie Doswell, she told me how grateful she is that members of Our Saviour keep in touch with her. She remains at Cadia HealthCare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell was recently hospitalized but has now returned to Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208.

I continue to bring Holy Communion to members who are unable to come to church. If you want me to visit and bring you the Sacrament, never hesitate to call me at (410) 554–9994 or to email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com. If you are in need of transportation to church, do not hesitate to contact me; I will be glad to make arrangements for that purpose.

We naturally pray for our families and friends and for our fellow members at Our Saviour. It goes without saying that we also continue to pray for those who govern our city, our state, our nation, and indeed all the nations of the world. It was Saint Paul who wrote, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (I Timothy 2:1,2). We of course do just that in the general prayer of the Church at every Divine Service, but we must be faithful intercessors also in our own personal prayers throughout the week. If you find yourself at a loss for words, not knowing what to pray for, you might consider a suggestion once given me by an older and wiser friend. She urged me in such circumstances to pray repeatedly, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”

Let us make good use of the Lenten season that now begins! God does not need Lent. We poor mortal sinners do.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

HISTORIC PRESERVATION UPDATE

Waterproofing the undercroft: Rainwater in the undercroft has been a problem for many years; thus a French drain system was installed in the undercroft last week. During the installation the kitchen cabinets were removed; as they were too water damaged to be reinstalled, we are looking into installing new cabinets/countertops. The contractor has also given us quotes to replace the tile floor in the undercroft and paint the walls.

—Mary Techau

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Our own Pastor McClean is turning 80 on March 26. In honor of this event, Our Saviour is having a celebration for him on March 27. We will have a guest preacher for Divine Service that day (11:00 AM), the Rev. Brian Westgate of Redeemer Church in Oakmont, PA. Pastor Westgate has served each year as the organist for the St. Mark’s Conference. We will also have a brunch immediately following the service. If you are able to attend, please either call the church office ((410) 235–9553) and leave a message or sign up on the sheet on the piano by March 15 so we can properly prepare for the amount of food that we will need.

—Paul Techau, Council President

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parrish News, February, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
February, 2022

ASH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2
DIVINE SERVICE 7:30 PM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Sunday, February 6, we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord which is both the last Sunday after Epiphany and the last Sunday of the Christmas cycle of the Church Year, which consists of the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. At the Divine Service on the morning of Christmas Day we always hear the wonderful prologue of Saint John’s Gospel (John 1:1–14) which ends with these words: “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The transfiguration was that moment in the Savior’s life when the apostles Peter, James, and John beheld the glory Christ had with the Father from all eternity, the presence with Him of Moses and Elijah showing that He is the One to whom all the prophets bore witness (Acts 10:43). In the reading of both the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures in the Divine Service, the prophets and apostles continue to bear witness to Him who then comes to us in His glorified Body and Blood. On the mountain of transfiguration Saint Peter cried out, “Lord, it is good that we are here!” (Matthew 17:4)—and so can we when on the Lord’s Day we hear His holy Word and receive Him in the holy Sacrament!

By now you will have heard of the passing of our dear brother in Christ, Joseph Silver, who fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday, January 5. His funeral was held in church on Friday, January 14. The burial took place at the Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery on Wednesday, January 19. He was much loved and loving. He loved this church, serving here in several capacities. He served on the Church Council, was President of the congregation, and served as a Reader and as Sexton. As long as he was able to do so, he was present in the Lord’s house every Lord’s Day. He was in so many ways an example to us all. May the Light perpetual shine upon him and may our heavenly Father comfort his dear wife Julia, his family, and all who mourn his departure with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection. Copies of the Obituary folder are still available at church and provide a wonderful picture of his life.

The COVID pandemic continues to be with us. I wish to thank Paul Techau for leading the service on Sunday, January 16, when I was confined to my home with COVID. I am very grateful that my symptoms were quite mild which no doubt had something to do with the fact that I had received all three vaccinations. A number of our members and friends have gotten this virus but—to the best of my knowledge—for more than a year now no one has been hospitalized. For that we clearly must be grateful! We continue in prayer for everyone affected, for all our medical personnel and for those who are searching for effective medications and preventive measures. None of this is easy.

Lessons in patience continue. Be sure to read the Historic Preservation Update at the end of this newsletter. We continue to owe Mary Techau a tremendous debt of gratitude for her tireless efforts to make all of this happen. Thank you, Mary!

We have recently received several generous gifts from friends of Our Saviour, and for that too we are most grateful.

A date has yet to be set for the memorial service for Pastor Gary Fisher.

We continue to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, Wally Techau, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell continues to recover at the Cadia Health Care, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 20782. Louis Bell is at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. In addition to remembering them in prayer, sending cards is a good way to express our love and concern.

I continue to bring the Holy Sacrament to those who are unable to be present in church. Believe me when I say that I am always glad to visit members confined to their homes and bring Holy Communion to them. You need only call me at (410) 554–9994 or e-mail me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com.

The last three Sundays in February are the Sundays of Pre Lent, when the Church prepares for the Lenten season which this year begins on March 2nd. We will as usual have the Wednesday Lenten Vespers. Depending on circumstances, we may also have our Lenten soup suppers as well.

Please remember me in your prayers; you are in mine.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

HISTORIC PRESERVATION UPDATE

Bell Update: New “bell strikers” have been mounted for each of the 18 bells and some electrical work has been completed. We are working with McShane and an electrician to complete the work. The process is taking longer than anticipated but we know we will have the bells working again.

Water in the undercroft: We have secured a bid to install a “French-drain” system in the undercroft using the money we received from the state. A contractor has been hired and we hope the work will be completed over the next few months.

—Mary Techau

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parrish News, January, 2022

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
JANUARY, 2022

EPIPHANY (THURSDAY, JANUARY 6)
FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE, 7:30 PM

Sunday School and Bible Class will not meet on January 2.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Writing on this fifth Day of Christmas, December 29, I want to thank you for your Christmas cards and gifts. Thank you for your kindness in remembering me! At the end of this newsletter Quilla Downs tells us about the gifts our congregation has given to needy neighbors at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I must thank her for taking the lead in making all of this possible. In the Christ Child we see the astonishing generosity of God, a generosity we try to reflect in our own generosity to those in need. I must also thank Judy Volkman for her untiring efforts in connection with our Free Flea Markets.

The Church celebrates Christmas for twelve days—and then on January 6 celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord. As always, there will be a Festival Divine Service at 7:30 PM. We will sing familiar carols: “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” “The First Nowell,” “What Child is This” and that wonderful Epiphany hymn, “As with Gladness Men of Old.” Since the wise men brought the gift of frankincense to the Christ Child, it is fitting that incense will be used in our celebration. This Feast has been called the Manifestation—Epiphany means manifestation, revealing, appearing—of Christ to the Gentiles. The coming of the wise men to worship the Christ Child is both a fulfillment of prophecy and itself a prophecy of the gathering of all nations in Christ’s one holy Church. Since the shepherds who came to the manger were Jews, Epiphany has also been called the Christmas of the Gentiles. Epiphany is a bright culmination of Christmas: “We have seen his star in the east and are come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2).

The Christmas decorations will be taken down following Divine Service on the First Sunday after the Epiphany, January 9. Many hands make light work. Everyone is invited to stay for brunch which will be prepared by Richard Brown and Ben Orris.

The January Voters Meeting will be held following Divine Service on Sunday, January 16. Every member of Our Saviour, 18 years old and older, is eligible to participate.

On Monday, December 13, I received from his daughter, Heidi, the sad news that Pastor Gary Fisher, who served this congregation from 1989 until 2006, had been found dead in his home that morning. May he rest in peace and may Light perpetual ever shine upon him. A memorial service will be held for Pastor Fisher later in January. Due and timely notice will be given.

It seems that we can never have too many lessons in patience! We had hoped to have our bells ringing for Christmas. Men from the McShane Bell Company were indeed here to work on them from December 14 through 16, but there is still some electrical work that must be done. I think we can still reasonably expect to have a service of rededication of the bells on February 27, the last Sunday before Lent. We all owe Mary Techau a tremendous debt of gratitude, as without her tireless efforts we would not have been able to make this progress in repairing the bells. When they are ringing again, they will give pleasure to all who worship in this church and will also be a witness to Christ’s Gospel in our neighborhood.

We are also in need of patience as the COVID pandemic continues, with all its twists and turns. Ongoing prayers are in order for all who have suffered and continue to suffer, for physicians and nurses and first responders, and for those who are doing research to find effective prevention and cures. God Himself has given all of this to us, and it makes no sense to expect the help of God while despising the help He has in fact provided for us in so many ways. I am glad that our Church has twice been able to serve as a location for mobile vaccination units.

We continue to remember in prayer all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Joseph and Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, Wally Techau, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell continues her recovery at Cadia Health Care, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. During my recent visit she said how much she appreciates the cards sent by members of our congregation. Yolanda Ford is making some progress as she recovers at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell is at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208.

I continue to bring the Holy Sacrament to those members who are unable to come to church. Never hesitate to email (charlesmcclean42@gmail.com) or call me at (410) 554–9994 if you want me to visit or bring you the Sacrament when you are unable to leave your home.

The new year of 2022 is almost here. No one knows what the new year will bring, but we do know Who holds all things in His hands: Those are the hands that still bear the marks of the nails and the spear, the marks of His love. And so we can be at peace.

Keep me in your prayers as you are in mine.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

On behalf of Pastor McClean, our church family and giving friends, we thank you for your continued generosity in support of our efforts to bless some of our less fortunate neighbors. As the list of referred families has increased, so has the outpouring of generosity to meet the needs. Your donations made it possible for our small congregation to provide 31 families with Aldi’s gift cards during the combined Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. During Thanksgiving, we gave $35 gift cards to 15 families; during Christmas, we gave $65 gift cards to 16 families. In addition to our usual Waverly elementary/middle school referrals, we responded to a direct plea from a caregiving grandmother on behalf of her grandchildren— providing a $65 gift card and a few items of clothes, books, and toys for the children. The gifts were received with gladness and thanks.

The need at the Helping Up Mission remains the same—grooming items. When the men and women arrive at the Mission, most times, they have let themselves go for a long time. The residents are given a daily supply of grooming items; so basic, but so important to the overall confidence of the residents and the success of the recovery program. Know that your gifts contribute to that success. Thank you for helping the Mission to save and change lives in the City of Baltimore. “Inasmuch as ye have done unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me.” May the Lord continue to bless and favor you in the new year.

—Quilla Downs

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, December, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
DECEMBER, 2021

CHRISTMAS AT OUR SAVIOUR

CHRISTMAS EVE—FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE, 7:30 PM
CHRISTMAS DAY—FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE, 10:00 AM

SAINT STEPHEN’S DAY (SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26)
DIVINE SERVICE, 11:00 AM
NEW YEAR’S EVE—DIVINE SERVICE, 7:30 PM

EPIPHANY (THURSDAY, JANUARY 6)
FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE, 7:30 PM

Sunday School and Bible Class will not meet on December 26 or January 2.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This will now be the second Christmas celebrated during the COVID pandemic which still—alas—has not come to an end. I recently heard from an apparently reliable source that there now is evidence that one third of all who have stopped coming to church will probably never return. Although this is far from certain, it is disturbing; and I doubt that there is any easy remedy for the situation. I am, however, certain that this pandemic has only uncovered and made worse some already long-standing problems. Among them is the fact that we now live in a world where, not only is church attendance no longer a cultural expectation, but the neglect of worship on the Lord’s Day has also become common even among practicing Christians. There are all kinds of reasons for this, but we utterly deceive ourselves if we fail to realize that this sad neglect of worship on the Lord’s Day and on the festivals of the Christian Year is caused—among other things—by three enemies of Christ: By a world which does not know Him, by our own sinful human nature, and by the devil. These three malign forces have always fought against Christ and His Church and they will continue to do so until on the Last Day the risen Lord comes in glory to judge the living and the dead.

On every Lord’s Day and on every festival the Savior Himself graciously invites us to a rich banquet in which He mysteriously yet truly feeds us with His precious body and blood: The price of our redemption, the pledge of the resurrection, holy communion with Him and with all who together share in this heavenly feast of love and joy. But like the invited guests who made excuses in the parable the Savior told of the great wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14), there are so many who ignore His gracious invitation and make light of it! Beloved, these things ought not so to be!

Christmas is the great festival of the Incarnation: Of God come in the flesh for our salvation. In his splendid book, The Conservative Reformation and its Theology, Charles Porterfield Krauth (1823–1883), the greatest English-speaking Lutheran theologian of the 19th century, had this to say about the Sacrament of the Altar:

The glory and the mystery of the incarnation combine there as they combine nowhere else. Communion with Christ is that by which we live, and the Supper is “the Communion.”

In the English-speaking world we call the festival of the Nativity of our Lord “Christmas” which means “Christ’s Mass.” The “Mass” is quite simply the service of the Holy Communion: The very heart and center of our celebration of Christmas is our Christmas Communion in which we find in the hallowed bread and cup the Savior whom the shepherds found “wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” If you are in fact unable to come to church, I will be happy to bring Christmas Communion to you at home. You need only e-mail me charlesmcclean42@gmail.com or call me at (410) 554–9994. And do contact me if you are in need of a ride to church. I will see to it that you have one; you need only ask. Remember that all our services are livestreamed at Our Saviour Baltimore Facebook for those who are unable to come to church.

The decoration of the church for Christmas will take place following Divine Service on December 19, the Fourth (and Last) Sunday in Advent. Many hands make light work!

Judy Volkman reminds us that it is again time to order poinsettias to either remember or honor loved ones. The price is still $10 each, and the payments need to be made to Judy by Sunday, December 19. Order envelopes may be found in the back of the church. Judy also reminds us that offering envelopes for 2022 are available in the back of the church. Please be sure you pick up yours, but don’t use them until January!

Be sure to read Works of Mercy at the end of this newsletter. Quilla Downs fills us in on our efforts to reach out at Thanksgiving and Christmas to needy families in our community by providing them with Aldi’s Gift Cards. If you wish to contribute to this effort, be sure to mark your check Aldi’s Gift Cards. Quilla also tells us about the work of the Helping Up Mission which we have supported for many years. As we support these works of mercy, we are mindful of the Savior’s words: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

This Christmas we will again hear the bells in our tower! From December 13th through December 16th the McShane Bell Company will be replacing the mechanism that rings them. In the new year there will be an occasion on which we will rededicate the bells to the glory of God. We plan to do this on Sunday, February 27, the last Sunday before Lent begins.

The wise men offered to the Christ Child their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In the familiar Christmas carol, “We Three Kings of Orient Are”, we find the words: “Frankincense to offer have I, incense owns a deity nigh.” In the liturgy for Vespers the Church has from ancient times prayed, “Let my prayers be set forth before Thee as incense…” (Lutheran Service Book, page 231; The Lutheran Hymnal, page 42). Incense has been used in Christian worship since ancient times and in fact continued in use in the early Lutheran Church. In his Order of Mass and Communion for the Church in Wittenberg, published in 1523, Dr. Luther mentions its use. As late as the year 1619 it was still in use at the Lutheran Cathedral Church of Saint Catherine and Saint Maurice in Magdeburg and was in use at Christmas Matins in the Duchy of Weimar. The revival of its use in some churches of our Synod can be dated back to the 1930s. We will be using it here in church on five days in the Church Year: On Christmas morning, on Epiphany (January 6), on Easter Eve, and on Ascension Day and Pentecost. Incense is of course a symbol of our prayers ascending to God.

Our Sunday morning Bible class is continuing its study of the book of the prophet Micah. Dr. Luther spoke of the Scriptures as “the cradle in which Christ is laid”: Christ is the Real Content of the entire Bible, both the Old and the New Testament. Come join us! We meet at 9:45 AM.

Be sure to remember in your prayers all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Eric Phillips, Joseph and Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell is still at the Cedia Health Center, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford is still at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21224. Louis Bell is at Autumn Lake Health Care, 7 Sudbrook Lane, Pikesville, MD 21208. Sending cards is a way of showing that we have not forgotten them.

As we approach Christmas let us continue in prayer for one another and for our city and state and nation; for the whole church and for the whole world. These Advent days are a time when we not only prepare to remember our Savior’s birth but also prepare for His coming again at the Last Day to be our judge. Keeping in mind that each one of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, we are especially conscious of the fact that our whole life as Christians must be one of repentance: Of turning from sin, embracing God’s mercy and walking in newness of life. I look forward to seeing you at the altar rail for your Christmas Communion.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

Many thanks to our church membership and friends of our congregation for donations towards our annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Gift Card program. This year the referral list of families increased to 15 from last year’s 11. This year, we were unable to match last year’s $70 gift cards. But despite the increase in the number of families and the lack of funds from our Soup Suppers, we were still able to purchase 15 gift cards of $30 each from Aldi’s. Thanksgiving wishes and Aldi’s Gift Cards were sent to the families by mail on November 16, 2021. We continue to collect monetary donations for our Christmas gift cards. If you plan to make a donation for Christmas, please make your monetary gift by Sunday, December 12, 2021. Any donations made by check should be made out to the church with the notation “gift cards” in the memo.

Our recent delivery to Helping Up Mission included the usual staples: Socks, underwear, deodorant, soap, foot powder, towels, toothpaste and brushes, etc. In addition to these grooming items, Judy Volkman donated men’s pants, coats and various other men’s apparel left over from the summer giveaway. All items were of good quality, clean and gently used.

The Helping up Mission has opened its doors of opportunity to women and children. The Center for Women & Children will offer a yearlong recovery program provided free of cost to women and their children. As women enter the center, they all receive a package with toiletries, towels, books to support spiritual growth, and nice, clean donated clothes. The facility offers an on-site primary healthcare and wellness clinic, workforce development and job training, professional clinical mental health and substance abuse counseling, pastoral care, art and music therapy, and much more. To the extent that you are able, please include in your giving gifts of clothing and grooming for the female residents and their children.

Again, many thanks for your generous donations to the Thanksgiving and Christmas outreach programs and for the loose change which you drop in the Poor Boxes. The collected change goes towards purchase of grooming items for the residents of the Mission.

—Quilla Downs

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Pariish News, November, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
NOVEMBER, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

November 1st is All Saints Day. We will keep this great festival of the Christian Year on the following Sunday. This festival brings to mind some words of Pastor Wilhelm Loehe (1808–1872) who for many years served as pastor in Neuendettelsau but whose labors proved to be a blessing far beyond that little Bavarian village. The Father Founder of our own Synod, Pastor Ferdinand Walther (1811–1887), once said that our own Synod owes more to Pastor Loehe than to any other human being. In his Three Books Concerning the Church Pastor Loehe has this to say: “We are born for fellowship. The Lord did not make the earth for one man nor heaven for one man. The divine fellowship is the Church of God, the communion of saints. In my pilgrimage through this dark vale I am not alone. The Church is an eternal fellowship here and hereafter.” On the feast of All Saints we celebrate and give thanks to God for this blessed reality, remembering especially all those who have loved and served Him in this world and now rest in His nearer presence. Here at Our Saviour it has long been the custom to remember especially fellow members of this congregation who have fallen asleep in the Lord since last All Saints Day. This year we remember our dear sister in Christ, Dorothy Bell, who entered eternal rest this past January. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon her.

On All Saints Sunday we will for the first time use the new white frontal—altar cloth—which now replaces the one that had been in use here since at least the 1940s. The old frontal had begun to fall apart and could not be repaired. The new frontal is like the old one decorated with blue and gold orphreys—decorative vertical panels of fabric—and with two pieces of embroidery from the old frontal: a decorative cross and what appear to be the letters I H S. These letters are actually the first three letters of the name of Jesus in the Greek language: iota, long e, sigma. The frontal has been made by Davis d’Ambly of Philadelphia. He is unquestionably one the finest ecclesiastical artists of the present day; examples of his work can be seen at his website: liturgicalartist.com.

This month of November will see the replacement of the mechanism which rings the eighteen bells in the church tower. Many people have contributed to this effort. We are now able to complete this project because of a very generous gift from Doug and Beth Skinner of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, who are friends of Our Saviour Church. And we all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mary Techau who has done so much work to make this happen!

In the October newsletter I neglected to mention that the Church Council has decided to begin an organ fund. We are of course blessed with a fine Moeller organ which was built when this church was dedicated in 1930 and rebuilt in 1988. But like all organs it requires ongoing attention and care. There are some things that need to be done now and others that can be done when funds are available. If you wish to contribute to the organ fund, simply write a check to the church and mark it “organ fund.”

Family Day was certainly a happy occasion. We had the best attendance we’ve had since Family Day last year. On the same day we were able to welcome a mobile vaccination clinic of the Baltimore City Health Department which was also here on Sunday, October 24th. In making space available for this effort we have been able to help our neighbors in this difficult time.

Our Sunday morning Bible Class has finally finished its study of the Gospel according to Saint Mark and has begun to study the book of the prophet Micah. We meet at 9:45 AM. Questions are welcome. Come and join us!

It seems as if I have much the same thing to say every year as Thanksgiving Day comes around: When I was a boy, the churches were filled, but that was a very long time ago. Nowadays it seems as if most people feel no need to be present in God’s House at Thanksgiving. But is it really too much to expect that Christian people worship in God’s House on our national day of Thanksgiving? I suspect that question answers itself. “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come!” (Lutheran Service Book, hymn 892) Like all our evening services, Thanksgiving Eve Vespers is at 7:30 PM.

The last Sunday in November is Advent Sunday, which is the beginning of the Advent season and the beginning of the new Church Year. The word “Advent” means “Coming,” and during this season the Church has always considered the three-fold Coming of our Lord: His coming in lowliness at Bethlehem, His daily coming in His holy Word and Sacraments, His coming in glory at the Last Day to judge the living and the dead. It is of course no secret that for many years now the holy season of Advent has been eclipsed by the frenzied “holiday season” which knows nothing of the necessary spiritual preparation for the Christmas festival. As human beings, we are (among other things) creatures of habit. Church attendance is (among other things) also a habit. Everyone knows that bad habits have a life of their own whereas good habits require effort! If during this Church Year now drawing to its close you have been negligent in joining your fellow Christians for Divine Service on the Lord’s Day, I strongly recommend that you use the arrival of the new Church Year as an opportunity to recover the good habit of worship every Lord’s Day. Worship on the Lord’s Day is a happy privilege because every Lord’s Day is a celebration of Christ’s Resurrection in which is all our hope.

Remember in your prayers James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Eric Phillips, Joseph and Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell continues to recover at Cedia Health Care Center, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. During a recent visit she told me how much she appreciates the cards Our Saviour’s people have sent to her. Frank Ford’s daughter, Yolanda, continues to recover at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell is now living at Autumn Lake Healthcare, 7 Sudbrook Lane, Pikesville, MD 21208.

We continue to livestream our services; we must thank Richard Brown for making this happen. Never hesitate to contact me via telephone (410) 554–9994 or email charlesmcclean42@gmail.com if you wish to receive the Sacrament at home or if you would like me to visit or just have a friendly chat. Please remember me in your prayers: you are in mine.


Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

Although we are not having Free Flea markets over the colder months, we are still collecting items for next spring. We need both men’s and women’s summer clothes, jewelry, and household items. We did receive books and some other assorted items from Holy Cross Lutheran on Loch Raven Blvd. These were not sold at their Yard Sale on October 9 and they kindly donated them to us. Donations can be dropped off at the church.

—Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, October, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
OCTOBER, 2021

FAMILY DAY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3
91ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH
FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE
(followed by luncheon)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, You may remember the familiar story of Jacob’s dream in which he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending on it. When Jacob awoke from sleep he exclaimed, “Surely the Lord is in this place I did not know it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God and this is the Gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16,17). Jacob’s words, “The House of God and Gate of Heaven,” appear on the sign in front of our church building and also in the Sunday bulletin to bear witness to the truth that a church building is in fact a holy place where God comes to us through His Word and Sacraments, especially in the Sacrament of the Altar where our crucified and risen Lord is present in His holy body and precious blood. Here we truly meet and receive Him, and here we worship “with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven”—as has been said in every celebration of the Holy Eucharist from time immemorial.

On Sunday, October 3rd, we will celebrate the 91st anniversary of the dedication of our church building. Our guest preacher will be the Rev. Lucas Witt, who is the associate and missionary pastor at Immanuel Church on Loch Raven Boulevard. Since it was a group of laymen from Immanuel Church, then on south Caroline Street, who in 1892 founded this congregation, it is fitting that one of Immanuel’s pastors will be the preacher for this anniversary. October 3rd is also Family Day, and as usual lunch will be served after the Divine Service. So that we can know how many expect to join us for lunch, please call Bernie Knox at (410) 355–3744 if you plan on being with us. Last year we had the best attendance we’d had since the beginning of the pandemic, and we hope that we will have a good attendance again this year. And do remember that it is not only our duty as Christians to be present for Divine Service every Lord’s Day, it is also our privilege—and our joy!

We recently learned that the McShane Bell Company hopes to have our tower bells back in working order by Thanksgiving. It would certainly be wonderful to have them ringing again as we celebrate Christmas!

This year the last Sunday in October is Reformation Day. In the Ninety-five Theses—those propositions for debate among Christian theologians which Dr. Luther posted on October 31, 1517, the Eve of All Saints’ Day—there are two which wonderfully point to the heart of Dr. Luther’s faithful witness to the truth. The first thesis reads: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ he meant that the whole life of Christians should be one of repentance.” And the sixty-second thesis reads: “The true treasure of the Church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.” Like Saint John the Baptist, Dr. Luther points to Christ saying: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)” The Church called Lutheran invites all Christians to see all Christian doctrine and life in the light of that blessed, saving truth as found in the Word of God and confessed by Christ’s one holy Church. Dr. Luther invented no new religion, but recalled the Church to unity in the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Reformation Day always comes as a call to repentance for our own sins of indifference and neglect, and also as an occasion for thanksgiving and for prayer that God would preserve us in the truth of the Gospel. How we need to join our Lutheran forbears in praying:

Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide,
For round us falls the eventide.
O let your Word, that saving light
Shine forth undimmed into the night.

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

Remember in your prayers all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Joseph and Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell continues to recover at Cedia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Frank Ford’s daughter Yolanda remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell, the husband of the late Dorothy Bell, is living at Autumn Lake Healthcare, 7 Sudbrook Lane, Pikesville, MD 21208. Sending a card is a good way to let them know that they remain in our thoughts and prayers.

Remember that our services are livestreamed at Our Saviour Facebook on Sundays at 11 AM. Remember that I am always glad to bring the Sacrament to anyone who is unable to come to church. Never hesitate to call me at (410) 554–9994 or to email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com. As Christians have from earliest times we pray for the needs of the whole Church and the whole world at the Divine Service on the Lord’s Day. It goes without saying that we should also do so in our own prayers at home, especially in this time when the need is everywhere so great. Do remember me in your prayers as you are in mine. The Lord’s people are in the Lord’s house every Lord’s Day.

Affectionately in our Lord,


Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

Free Flea Market: Attendance in 2021 has picked up from the previous year. We hosted 106 individuals who received 1025 items. Since we began this outreach in 2014, we have touched the lives of 1144 people and distributed 8208 items to them. At the outset, there were 24 volunteers assisting; in 2021 there were 9 faithful members who came to assist on the second Saturday of the month, May through September. Outstanding for a small Congregation!

There were a number of “new” visitors who came in September and so we will continue this outreach to the community next year, starting in May. The inventory from this year has been donated to Orphan Grain Train. So we need to restock with new items for next year. Adult clothing, shoes, and household items are needed. Donations can be dropped off at the church. or let Judy Volkman know if you need something to be picked up. She can be reached at (410) 377–8833 or judy.volkman@verizon.net.

Helping Up Mission: Our Saviour has been supporting them also since 2014. Our donations have been small, but it all adds up. A recent flyer received from them told of the impact that donations have made: 998 men and women served, 139,561 bed nights of shelter, and 415,000 full meals served. They are certainly filling a great need in Baltimore. We continue to collect personal care items for them, and well as donating many dress slacks and shirts for men from our inventory from the Free Flea Market.

—Judy Volkman

Again this year, Our Saviour Church will be providing Aldi’s Gift Certificates to needy families. We give the certificates at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please mark on your check memo line or on an accompanying note any funds donated toward these gift certificates. Generally we use the offering taken at our Lenten Soup Suppers to help support our food gift certificates; this year we had to forego Soup Suppers due to COVID.

Last Thanksgiving we distributed 10 Aldi’s Gift Certificates for $30 each and, because of a generous donation at Christmas, we were able to give 11 Certificates for $70 each. We thank you in advance for your gifts for the 2021 Aldi’s gift certificates.

—Bernie Knox

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, September, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
SEPTEMBER, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Mark your calendars now: Sunday, October 3, will be Family Day; we will also be celebrating the 91st anniversary of the dedication of our Church. It was in fact dedicated on September 7th, 1930, being the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, but there is an old church custom that the anniversary can be kept on another day if the actual date is in some way inconvenient. Because  the first Sunday in September occurs during Labor Day weekend, and because Baltimore’s hot and humid summer weather can still be with us, last year we celebrated the 90th anniversary on the first Sunday in October. We will continue to do this every year. Such a celebration provides an opportunity to thank God for this splendid building in which we are privileged to worship and to remember all the faithful Christians whose life in Christ has here been sustained through the Gospel of Christ and His holy Sacraments. Family Day has always involved a meal and will again this year. As we get closer to the date, a decision will be made as to how this will be done in the light of whatever constraints the continuing pandemic may require, but be sure to plan now on being present.

We certainly need to be diligent in our prayers that this affliction will come to an end. Here in Maryland we seem to have been managing fairly well, but other parts of our country have not been so fortunate. Our church has approached the State of Maryland to have a mobile COVID vaccination clinic on our parking lot. More information on the time and date will be sent when information becomes available. I am hoping that we will be able in this way to make some small contribution to the well-being of our neighbors. You may remember that, in his explanation of the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill,” Dr. Luther instructs us that we “should help and befriend [our neighbor] in every bodily need.” Providing space for a mobile vaccination clinic does just that.

We continue to receive contributions in memory of our longtime organist and choirmaster, Don Weber. We recently received a generous check in memory of Don from Pastor Ron Ritter who was a member of Our Saviour and was both married and ordained here.

The lighting in the multipurpose room has been less than satisfactory for some time now. Maurice Dixon has sent a generous check which will make possible new lighting fixtures which will be provided with long-lasting LED lights. And speaking of the multipurpose room, we have notified the Ednor Gardens/Lakeside Association that they are very welcome to use it again when they are able to do so. We have of course been continuing to use the multipurpose room for our Free Flea Markets, the last of which for this year will be Saturday, September 11th, 9:00 am–12 noon. We always need volunteers to greet our visitors and help them. Be sure to read what Judy Volkman has to say at the end of this newsletter. Judy has for several years been our leader in all this and I thank her!

Remember in your prayers James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Eric Phillips, Joseph and Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell continues to recover at Cadia Health Care, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Frank Ford’s daughter, Yolanda, continues to recover at FutureCare North Point, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. The late Dorothy Bell’s husband, Louis, now lives at Autumn Lake Healthcare, 7 Sudbrook Lane, Pikesville, MD 21208. Sending a card is one way of letting them know that they are remembered and prayed for.

I continue to bring Holy Communion to members who are unable to come to church. Never hesitate to call me at (410) 554–0994 or e-mail me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com if you wish to receive Communion at home or simply desire a pastoral visit. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as you are in mine.


Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

Since 2017, volunteers at Our Saviour have held Free Flea Markets during the summer months—and 7998 items have been distributed to the community.  Pretty good for a small congregation.

We started out with a core group of 17 volunteers.  We now have 9 people involved.  The number of people attending has declined from 215 in 2017 to 85 this year (with one more month to go).  When we started, there were several assisted living facilities whose residents attended, but we no longer see them.  Most people attend because they see the signs we put up on church property.

This is our only outreach to our community.  What can we do to enhance this?  Is there something we are missing?  What are your thoughts on this, and what are YOU willing to do to make it happen?  The Lord has blessed us with bounty.  Let us share it with those who need it! Contact Judy at judy.volkman@verizon.net or (410) 377–8833.

A generous donation of $1,000 has been received from Pastor Ron Ritter and his wife Judy for the Bell Fund.  This is to acknowledge the 50+ years of faithful service of Don Weber as Organist and Choir Director.  Pastor Ritter grew up in Our Saviour and received mentoring support from Pastor Adolph Stiemke.  He was ordained and was married at Our Saviour (Don played for their wedding), so he has many fond memories.

—Judy Volkman

On, Saturday, August 28, 2021, a delivery was made to the Helping up Mission.  After inventory, Judy Volkman determined that we had an overabundance of men’s suits, pants and coats left over from our monthly Saturday giveaway.  Not willing to have such good items go unused, Judy donated a good portion of the inventory to the Mission.  In addition to the clothes, we delivered several large boxes of shampoo, hair conditioners and assorted personal grooming items, all of which were donated by a friend of Our Saviour and the Mission.   Needless to say, personal grooming items are always needed.  Let’s not forget that, during the last few years, the Mission expanded its outreach to homeless and addicted women.  These women have committed their lives to overcoming their situation in an all-round supportive and Christian environment.  Many thanks for any and all contributions to the Mission for the fine work that they do in restoring the lives of men and women in the City of Baltimore.

—Quilla Downs

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, August, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
AUGUST, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In last month’s newsletter I said that there was reason to believe that we would soon be able to do more for the restoration of the tower bells. Paul Techau informs me that this project can now be completed because of the generosity of some friends of Our Saviour Church, Doug and Beth Skinner of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. They have donated the full amount for replacing the mechanism that rings the bells. This leaves the remaining monies in the Tower Bell Fund to cover other costs, such as the painting of the support beams (which has already been accomplished) and electrical work needed as part of the project. Doug and Beth were formerly members of Immanuel Church in Alexandria where I served before being called to Our Saviour. Doug and Beth’s only wish is that the new mechanism be dedicated to the memory of Gloria Lesser and her son Brian who were also long and faithful members of Immanuel. The McShane Bell Company, which made and installed the bells in 1934, will be doing the work. We give thanks for God’s generosity through these good friends!

Mary Techau informs me that, after a rather long Department of General Services meeting, a State Bond Bill in the amount of $40,000 has been approved to address the recurrent rain water problem in the undercroft of our church. After heavy rain in June we had to use a shop vac to remove 20 gallons of rainwater! So it is very good news that we can finally address this problem. We owe Mary a tremendous debt of gratitude for her untiring efforts to make this happen!

Judy Volkman reports that at our “Christmas in July” Free Flea Market we shared 183 items with 27 people. They also gathered over 150 items from our clothes. We now need new stock for household items, so check out your closets and cabinets and see what you can share. Judy reminds us that this is our outreach to share our bounty with our community. The next flea market is Saturday, August 14th, 9:00-12:00 Noon. As always, we need volunteers to greet and help our visitors.

Beginning on Sunday, August 1st, and continuing to the end of October, we will be using Divine Service I from the Lutheran Service Book. This is the familiar liturgy from the blue hymnal, Lutheran Worship. Although the musical setting is different, it is essentially the same as Divine Service III which we have been using for many months. Both liturgies are rooted in the Common Service of 1888 in which the historic Lutheran liturgy was provided in the English language. But Divine Service I includes some modest changes which were made in the second half of the last century. Most notable is the use of the hymn, “This is the Feast,” in place of the Gloria in excelsis, which begins with the “Christmas hymn of the angels”: “Glory be to God on high and on earth peace goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14). “This is the Feast” consists of excerpts from the Book of Revelation (5:12-13; 19:5-9) and points to the Sacrament of the Altar as the anticipation of the heavenly feast, the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” As we sang on the last Sunday in July: “This Sacrament God gives us, binds us in unity, Joins earth with heaven beyond us, time with eternity” (Lutheran Service Book 639).

In the Calendar of the Lutheran Service Book August 15th is the Day of Saint Mary, Mother of our Lord; August 29th is the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist. Since these days occur on Sunday this year, we have the opportunity to celebrate these ancient festivals: one in commemoration of the Mother of our Lord, the other in commemoration of the Forerunner of our Lord. In keeping the festival of our Lord’s Mother we join in fulfilling her prophecy, “All generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48). Our Lord Himself said of John the Baptist, “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). In keeping these festivals we are deeply conscious of the unity of the Church both in heaven and on earth.

Your continued prayers are asked for Maggie Doswell who remains at the Cadia Healthcare Center, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782; also for Frank Ford’s daughter Yolanda who remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. We continue to pray for(Jake, add the list). If there are others you wish us to pray for, please let me know. I am always ready to bring the Holy Sacrament to those who are unable to come to church. Call me at (410)554-9994 or email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com.

It seems that new uncertainties and difficulties have arisen in connection with the COVID pandemic. Let us then pray that both our country’s leaders and all our citizens may act in wisdom with the common good at heart; and let us continue to pray for the doctors and nurses and all who care for the sick, and for the scientists who continue to search for a cure for this scourge. Nothing less is required by our Lord’s commandment, “You shall love your neighbor.” I continue to take comfort in these words: “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9).

Affectionately in our Lord,


Pastor McClean

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, July, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
JULY, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For several years now we have been missing the ringing of the bells in our church tower. The old mechanism for ringing them no longer works, and so we have been faced with the need to replace the old with the new. We have obtained several estimates of the cost and, as of this date, have chosen one. During the week of June 13th the wooden beams which hold the bells were sanded and stained. The wood is in good condition; this refurbishing will protect it for years to come. But none of this would be happening without the tireless efforts of Mary Techau! We owe her a great debt of gratitude! Progress is being made! And there is reason to believe that we will soon be able to do even more on this restoration project. We also are indebted to Gabe Purviance for his fine video about the bells which can be seen at Our Saviour Facebook. This video has helped to raise funds for this project. We remember the playing of the bells before every church service, and we look forward to their return. The bells are also a lively witness in our neighborhood. Since the bells were installed way back in 1934, they have wordlessly proclaimed that, here at the corner of The Alameda and 33rd Street, Our Saviour Church goes on proclaiming the good news of our crucified and risen Lord.

There are a number of projects having to do with our buildings. Mary Techau has also been working through a process to receive funding from the State Bond Bill Initiative to take care of rainwater issues. She has also researched the cost of remodeling the downstairs bathrooms. We have an estimate of $11,000 for the men’s room and $17,000 for the ladies’ room. We also have a quote to replace the ceiling lights in the multipurpose room with LED lights for $3,000. One task of the Church Council is prioritizing these projects.

As the weeks go by, we are seeing more and more people who for a long time were unable to come to church due to the COVID pandemic. And there are certainly some promising signs that this scourge will indeed come to an end. We continue to livestream our services at Our Saviour Facebook.

It goes without saying that the gathering of Christians every Lord’s Day is not some kind of “optional extra”! From earliest times, the Lord’s Day has been the day of the Lord’s Supper on which the crucified and risen Lord imparts His true Body and Blood to the Church which is His mystical Body. Through the Holy Communion Christ gathers believers into one communion and strengthens them in that holy fellowship which even death cannot destroy. For the early Christians, the Sunday celebration of the Holy Eucharist was so important that, even in the days when attendance at the Eucharist could result in imprisonment or even in death, the Christians nevertheless faithfully gathered each Lord’s Day, the Day of the Lord’s Resurrection. A kind of religion which thinks of the Sunday Divine Service as an “optional extra” was simply unthinkable and indeed unheard of! In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, we learn that on the Day of Pentecost—ten days after His ascension—the risen Lord sent down the Holy Spirit on the disciples: The result of the coming of the Holy Spirit was that “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). In other words, they continued to gather around the preaching of the Gospel and the Holy Communion of the Lord’s Body and Blood. And from early times provision was also made for those who, by reason of sickness or some other hindrance, were unable to share in the Holy Communion. The Lord’s people are in the Lord’s house for the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day. Some of us can still remember when it was more or less a cultural expectation that one should go to church every Sunday. Those days are long gone! But participation in the Divine Service every Lord’s Day is not only our duty as Christians: It is also our joyful privilege as Christians! The failure to see this, and to act accordingly, is a regrettable symptom of the spiritual illness of our time. When we needlessly absent ourselves from worship on the Lord’s Day, we not only sin against God, we also sin against our fellow Christians by our failure to provide them with the encouragement that our presence in God’s house provides them. Do you join the psalmist in praying, “Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house and the place where Thine honor dwelleth” (Psalm 26:8)?

If you examine the Calendar in the Lutheran Service Book (page xi), you will find scattered through the year days commemorating—among others—the Mother of our Lord, Saint John the Baptist, and the Apostles and Evangelists. This is in keeping with the Augsburg Confession, that principal confession of our Church’s faith, which teaches “that saints should be kept in remembrance so that our faith may be strengthened when we see what grace they received and how they were sustained in faith. Moreover, their good works are to be an example for us, each of us in his own calling” (Article XXI). On July 25, the last Sunday of this month, the Church remembers Saint James the brother of John, who was the first to die as a martyr for his Savior and Lord (Acts 12:1).

I continue to visit members who are unable to come to church and bring them Holy Communion. If you are unable to come to church, never hesitate to ask me to bring you the Sacrament. My phone number is (410) 554–9994 and my email is charlesmcclean42@gmail.com. Frank Ford’s daughter, Yolanda, continues to recover at Future Care on North Point Road as does Maggie Doswell at Cadia Healthcare Center in Hyattsville. During a recent visit to her, Maggie told me how glad she was to receive cards from our members. The Cadia Healthcare Center is located at 4922 La Salle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Future Care is located at 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. We continue to pray for James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Joseph and Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, and Gary Watson. If there are others you wish us to pray for, please let me know.

Although it is several months away, mark your calendar now for Family Day which this year will be Sunday, October 3. We are hoping that this will be a reunion day after the lengthy separation of the pandemic. And continue to pray for all who continue to be affected and for all doctors and nurses and all who care for them. And let us remember always to thank our gracious heavenly Father for His mercies which are new every morning!

Affectionately in our Lord,


Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

After months without a delivery to Helping Up Mission, a delivery was made on May 9. The donation box is now empty and ready to be refilled. Personal hygiene and grooming items are staples; socks, underwear, towels, deodorant, soap, foot powder, toothpaste, and brushes are essential. Clean and gently used clothing is also acceptable. The Mission’s doors are now open to homeless and addicted women committed to overcoming these afflictions. The women’s new building is located on Chase Street, but donations for the women are accepted at the East Baltimore Street address. Many thanks for your contributions to the Mission and its work in restoring the lives of men and women in the City of Baltimore.
—Quilla Downs

Free Flea Market

The theme for the July 10 (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) Free Flea Market will be “Christmas in July.” With the donation of many Christmas items, we will be able to share these with members of the community. If you have any items you would like to donate, please get them to Judy Volkman by July 4. Supply for costume jewelry is also running low. Several large size men’s slacks were donated to the Flea Market but weren’t given out; Quilla Downs has taken them to the Helping Up Mission. We make sure items get to those who need them!
—Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, June, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
JUNE, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing these lines on Monday in the Week of Pentecost which is the birthday of the Church. Empowered by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the apostles spoke in many languages of all that God had done in Christ and, in response to Saint Peter’s powerful witness to Christ crucified and risen, about three thousand people repented of their sins and were baptized into Christ and His mystical Body, the Church. And all members of the Church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). And so the Church has continued and will continue until our risen and ascended Lord comes again in glory.

On the cornerstone of our church building, following the name of the church, “The Church of Our Saviour, Evangelical Lutheran,” we find the letters “U A C.” And what does that mean? It means “Unaltered Augsburg Confession” and shows that, for those who built Our Saviour Church, the Unaltered Augsburg Confession was tremendously important, indeed that it is part of the very foundation of this congregation as it is of faithful Lutheran churches everywhere. Another piece of evidence, which shows the great importance of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, happens to be the fact that, in an earlier version of the Constitution of Our Saviour Church, members were required to be familiar not only with the Small Catechism of Dr. Luther but also with the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.

Although we Lutherans have accepted the name “Lutheran,” which was first given by the enemies of our church to those who had joined in Dr. Luther’s confession of the Gospel, the name that most accurately and most truly shows what the Church called Lutheran in fact is, is this: The Church of the Augsburg Confession, a name that unmistakably shows that this Church is not a “Luther cult,” but rather those churches which join with him in the confession of the one faith of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church which has been in the world since the Day of Pentecost. The Augsburg Confession affirms the teaching of the Three Ecumenical Creeds—the Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian—thereby showing that the Augsburg Confession is not a sectarian document, still less the charter of some new church, but the confession of the one faith of the one Church of Christ: nothing more, nothing less! And so, far from being a divisive document, the Augsburg Confession invites all Christians to join as one in this confession of the “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). In a sadly divided Christendom, the Augsburg Confession is a clarion call to unity in the one truth of the Gospel as received by the one Church of God.

It was on June 25, 1530, that the Lutheran princes and the two free imperial cities of Nuremberg and Reutlingen presented this unifying Confession to Emperor Charles V in the City of Augsburg. Because of the threat of a Turkish invasion of Christian Europe, and because of the growing division in the Western Church, the Emperor had summoned all the estates of the Empire to ask for their help in repelling the Turkish threat and in resolving the controversy dividing Christians in his Empire. The Lutheran princes were loyal to their Emperor, and their confession of faith was an effort to restore unity in the churches.

Because of the importance of the Augsburg Confession we shall, beginning this year, always keep June 25th when it falls on Sunday or, if not, the Sunday following as the commemoration of The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession, an observance noted in the calendar of commemorations in our Lutheran Service Book. In a bewildered Christendom and a divided world, the Augsburg Confession is a light shining in a dark place, calling all Christians to unity in the truth that is Christ our Savior as He is revealed in God’s written Word and confessed by His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

On the first Sunday in June the Offertory Chant will be restored to the Divine Service. For several reasons it was dropped when I first became pastor here, but those reasons no longer exist. And so, following the hymn that follows the sermon, we will sing: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and uphold me with Thy free spirit.” These words from King David’s great penitential psalm (Psalm 51:10–12) are prayed looking forward to the reception of Holy Communion, the Real Presence of the crucified and risen Savior with His holy body and precious blood, His Holy Gifts for forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

One of many blessings we enjoy as Our Saviour congregation is that we have the privilege of worshiping in a church building of great beauty, an architectural gem. This church has also been lovingly furnished by its members down through the years. We have very fine altar cloths. The white and the black altar cloth are full frontals: a frontal cover the whole front of the altar. The others are superfrontals: an altar cloth which hangs at the top—”super/over or above”—of the front of the altar. On Pentecost, we used for the first time a new red frontal which complements the red superfrontal. I have given this in memory of Miss Lula Louis, my cousin and my father’s cousin and godmother, who for sixty years (1901–1961) was secretary of the altar guild of Martini Church in south Baltimore. She taught me to love the beauty of God’s house and was like a grandmother to me. I owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon her!

I am sure that everyone who attended the Memorial Service for Don Weber, who for almost sixty years served this congregation as organist and choirmaster, will agree that it was a worthy tribute to Don, giving thanks to God for Don’s long and faithful service and commending Him to our heavenly Father in sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Two of Don’s many friends— David Dasch and Kevin Clemens—served as organists and, through the generosity of one of Don’s friends, there was a quartet which sang music which surely would have brought much joy to him. The singing of several of Don’s favorite hymns was fervent indeed; and, also through the generosity of his friends, we were able to enjoy a delightful reception, enjoying each other’s company and happily reminiscing about Don in many ways! And, through livestreaming, members of Don’s family and friends who could not be with us were able to see and hear the Service. And so we gave hearty thanks to the Giver of all good gifts for our dear brother in Christ. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon him!

At the Voters Meeting on May 16th we approved the budget for fiscal year 2021–2022 and elected members of the Church Council: Bernie Knox, Merton Masterson, Ben Orris, Gabe Purviance, Mary Techau, Paul Techau, Gary Watson. As pastor, I am truly grateful for the faithful and willing service of these leaders in our congregation. I do not take them for granted; they often go far above and beyond any call of duty! Our congregation has reason for gratitude.

It seems as if, with every passing week, members who have not been able to come to church in months are returning to Divine Service. I am also happy to note that—despite COVID and all that—some of our members have since the beginning of the year in fact increased their giving for the support of the Church’s work. I am hoping that on October 3, when we shall observe both Family Day and the 91st anniversary of the dedication of this Church, circumstances will be such that it will be possible to keep this Lord’s Day also as homecoming and reunion after the long siege of COVID. So we pray that God in His mercy will bring an end to this plague and bless us all with patience and hope as we look forward to that happy day.

Congratulations are in order for Lauren, Don and Lisa Watson’s daughter, Joe and Julia Silver’s granddaughter, who after graduating May 4 Summa Cum Laude from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis is now Doctor Lauren Watson. She will now be doing a residency at Lynn Community Health Center in Lynn, Massachusetts. Congratulations are also in order for Elijah Carmichael who has graduated from high school and will be attending Morehouse College in Atlanta. Congratulations to both Lauren and Elijah! And do keep Dr. Watson and Elijah in your prayers as they enter this next chapter in life. And remember in your prayers Joe and Julia Silver as they face various health problems.

Maggie Doswell is now at Cardia Healthcare (4922 Lasalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782) recovering from COVID. Frank Ford’s daughter, Yolanda, is at Future Care Northpoint (1046 North Point Rd, Baltimore, MD 21224). She is recovering from a stroke suffered on Christmas Day. Sending cards to them is a way of expressing our love for them and letting them know that we have not forgotten them. Queenie Hardaway continues to live at Augsburg Village (6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207). Remember Maggie and Yolanda and Queenie in your prayers together with all those whose names appear in the Sunday bulletin: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Beverly Pittelko, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson.

If you are not able as yet to come to Church and wish to receive Holy Communion at home, please call me at (410) 554–9994 or email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com and I will be happy to respond. Remember that all our services are livestreamed at Our Saviour Baltimore Facebook and that sermons can be heard by calling (410) 587–0979.

It is Satan, the Father of Lies, who tries to sow in our hearts seeds of discouragement and discontent which obscure the sheer goodness of our heavenly Father, whose mercies are new every morning, and whose heart of love we see in the thorn-crowned face of His only Son, our crucified and risen Lord, whose Holy Spirit comforts all sad and troubled hearts. And so the Church’s prayer, not only on the Feast of Pentecost but every day, is this: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful people, and kindle in us the fire of Your love.

As we continue to grow in love for God and in “fervent love toward one another,” as we pray in the Post-Communion Prayer, the Father of all mercies is working His good and gracious will in us and among us. Prompted by His many mercies, let us continue in trusting, confident prayer.

Affectionately in our Lord,


Pastor McClean

Free Flea Market

The next Free Flea Market will be June 12, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM. It’s our chance to connect with the community.

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, April, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
APRIL, 2021

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER DAY
Maundy Thursday – Divine Service, 7:30 P.M.
Good Friday – The Liturgy of Good Friday, 7:30 P.M.
Easter Even – The Easter Vigil and the First
Divine Service of Easter Day, 7:30 P.M.
Easter Day – Festival Divine Service, 11:00 A.M.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Since last Easter our country and the world have endured a year unlike any other in our lifetime. More than a half million of our fellow Americans have died, other thousands have been taken sick, some here in our own congregation, and the lives of us all have been disrupted in many ways. I remain convinced that through this tragedy the merciful God is calling wayward humanity to repentance and newness of life. Is that call being heard? I wonder. But what matters is that you and I hear that call and come humbly to the throne of grace, confessing our many sins of thought, word, and deed, and then rejoice in the pardon given through God’s only and eternal Son, the true Paschal (Passover) Lamb, who by His death has overcome death and by His glorious resurrection has opened the way to new and eternal life. In the words of the Easter sermon attributed to Saint John Chrysostom (AD 347-407), “Let no one grieve over his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the tomb!” Apart from the resurrection of the Lord Jesus there is no salvation. Christ’s resurrection is the salvation of the world. “Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast!” (I Corinthians 5:7,8)
Because Holy Week and Easter Day are the heart of the Christian Year, I hope that all of you who can will join in the worship of these blessing filled days. On Maundy Thursday we go in spirit to the upper room where the Savior instituted the Holy Sacrament of His Body and Blood. In the stripping of the altar at the end of the Divine Service we remember how, at Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane, all the disciples “forsook Him and fled” and of how Pilate’s soldiers stripped Him of His garments before they crucified Him. On Good Friday we stand at the foot of the cross and hear the Passion history according to Saint John which has been read on Good Friday since ancient times and we pray for all for whom Christ died in the Bidding Prayer which also comes to us from the early Church. The liturgy of Easter Even, the Easter Vigil, marks the transition from darkness to light, from death to life. As usual, our good friend Pastor Roy Axel Coats of Redeemer Church in Irvington will be with us. The Easter Vigil begins with the lighting of the Paschal Candle (symbol of the risen Lord) in the darkened church and then the ancient Easter proclamation, the Exsultet, is sung. Readings from the Old Testament, which point forward to our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection, follow. We renew our baptismal vows and then sing the Church’s Litany with its petitions for the whole church and the whole world. The first Divine Service of Easter is then celebrated in which our risen Lord truly comes to us in the Holy Mysteries of His Body and Blood. On Easter Day we celebrate the Festival Divine Service.
 
The Adult Bible Class will not meet on Easter morning. Easter Day is for celebration! We continue our study and conversation on the Sunday following Easter Day. If you have not attended this Sunday class, you might want to give it a try. It is quite informal and questions are especially welcome. We are at present approaching the end of a study of the history and the biblical grounding of the Divine Service of Word and Sacrament, its text and its music.
Do remember that Easter Day is only the first of the forty days of the Easter season in which we continue to rejoice in the Lord’s resurrection. The Easter season ends with Ascension Day, the fortieth day after the resurrection, when the risen Lord withdrew His visible presence from His disciples.
Since these lines are being written on the Wednesday before Palm Sunday, I am still unable to say with certainty whether or not this year’s Saint Mark’s Conference will in fact take place on April 19/20. We will know when the office of the President of Synod contacts us on Monday in Holy Week. We hope that the chief pastor of our Synod, Dr. Harrison, will be able to be with us as he will be the main speaker on this year’s theme: The Life and Work of the Rev. Dr. Hermann Sasse (1895-1976). Dr. Sasse was a powerful confessor of the truth of the Gospel during exceedingly troubled times. In our own time, when it so often seems as if much of the world is drowning in a sea of lies, we need more than ever to hear Dr. Sasse’s witness that we in fact live by truth and die by lies. Definite notice of the Conference will be posted on Our Saviour’s website as soon as plans are firmly in place.
Judy Volkman tells us that the first Free Flea Market of this year will be held on Saturday, May 8th, 9:00 A.M.-12:00 Noon. We are in need of plastic bags so that our visitors can carry home the items they choose. Perhaps more than ever we need to share our bounty with needy people. And do remember to bring food items for the GEDCO food pantry. The need is great. You can place them in the boxes just inside the door to the education building. And remember to bring items needed by the guests of the Helping Up Mission. men’s toiletries etc.
The project to restore the mechanism which rings the bells in our tower continues. Mary Techau has done so much to push this forward. We are awaiting yet another estimate on the cost of these repairs. We have approximately ten thousand dollars in hand for this project. We also await an estimate on restoring the original doors of the main entrance of the church. A representative of a firm involved in historic restoration – they recently were involved in restoring the old mansion in Clifton Park – inspected the original doors and assured us that they are well worth restoring. They are very solidly built and, like the two remaining original doors, have some very fine wrought iron work.
I want to thank everyone who helped with the clean-up day last Saturday. Among other things, some rather sad old shrubbery was removed and new dividing lines painted on both our parking lots. I am truly thankful that our congregation seems to be blessed with a spirit of happy cooperation. Long may it be so! I am also happy to note that our people have continued during these months to support the Church’s work with their offerings.
During these pandemic days, I seem to conclude every monthly newsletter in the same way. Thanks to Richard Brown, all our services continue to be livestreamed at Our Saviour Baltimore Facebook. This is such a wonderful help for the many who still are not able to come to church. I continue to bring the Sacrament to members who remain at home. If you want me to bring you the Sacrament, you need only call me at (410) 554-9994 or email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com. Remember that sermons can be heard by calling (XXX) XXX-XXXX. And I am always available to hear private confession in accord with the Fifth Chief Part – The Office of the Keys and Confession – in Dr. Luther’s Small Catechism. In private confession and absolution, the penitent hears Christ’s sure word of pardon individually addressed to him or her. You need only contact me to make an appointment for this means of grace.
I very much look forward to seeing you during Holy Week and at Easter. Let us continue in prayer for one another and for the whole Church and the whole world. I wish you a blessed and joyous Easter!
Affectionately in our Lord,


Pastor McClean

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, March, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
MARCH, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our nation has just passed the half-million mark in the number of fellow Americans who have died during the present pandemic. This is a staggering number, a number so large that it is almost impossible to imagine. I suspect that so many of us had assumed that this type of thing was only a thing of the past or that such things simply do not happen in our country. But now it has happened and, although there are signs of hope on the horizon, the end is not yet. So how should we as Christians respond to this immense tragedy? As I said a year ago: Through this calamity God is calling the world to repentance. We are also being reminded in a way that cannot be ignored of the shortness and uncertainty of human life. The words of the burial service have ceased to be mere words but instead are an expression of inescapable reality: “In the midst of life we are in death,” words that once had a place in the Lenten liturgy. As always at the beginning of Lent we hear the words spoken to Adam after the fall: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). Given all these circumstances, we are called to earnest repentance which includes active compassion and fervent prayer for those whose lives have been touched by this calamity. We are also reminded to do as Christians have done down through the ages: To remember the unknown hour of death and to meditate on our own death both in the light of the judgment to come and of the mercy that flows from Christ’s life-giving cross and resurrection. This is our sure and certain hope, this is why we can and must rejoice in the Lord, come what may. And of course all of this is of a piece with our annual journey through these Lenten days.

It will soon be a year since our dear sister in Christ, Joyce Gillespie, succumbed to the coronavirus. Gabe Purviance and his father Philip have now recovered from the virus and for that we give thanks!

The funeral of our dear sister in Christ, Dorothy Bell, who fell asleep in the Lord on January 28, was held in church on Saturday, February 13. Her mortal remains were committed to the earth at the cemetery of Saint Matthew’s Church in Meherrin, Virginia. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon her and may our merciful Savior comfort all who mourn.

Although private confession and absolution are not obligatory in the Lutheran Church they are available as a means of grace. The fifth chief part of Dr. Luther’s Small Catechism provides instruction about this, and in the Augsburg Confession—that principal confession of the faith of the Lutheran Church—we find these words: “It is taught among us that private absolution should be retained and not allowed to fall into disuse […] The people are carefully instructed concerning the comfort of the Word of absolution so that they may esteem absolution as a great and precious thing. It is not the voice or word of the man who speaks it but it is the Word of God who forgives sin, for it is spoken in God’s stead and by His commandment” (Augsburg Confession, Articles XI and XXV). I am always ready to arrange for times to hear confessions. There is no reason why any Christian should remain troubled in conscience or burdened with the painful memory even of sins committed long ago: Private absolution bestows the joyful certainty of sin forgiven, our pardon sealed in heaven.

On the first three Wednesdays in March we will have Lenten Vespers with the Litany at 7:30 pm. My Lenten meditations will focus on Old Testament types of Christ’s passion: The sacrifice of Isaac, the Passover lamb, the sprinkled blood of the covenant.

The fourth Wednesday in March this year is the Eve of the Annunciation. Exactly nine months before Christmas, this festival commemorates the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary that God had chosen her to be the mother of His Son. With her assent, “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), God the Son took on Himself in her womb the humanity that is yours and mine. This is the actual moment of the incarnation, when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This is the beginning of Christ’s journey to His cross and resurrection.

The last Sunday in March is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. As usual there will be Divine Service on Maundy Thursday and the Liturgy on Good Friday, both at 7:30 pm. On Saturday, Easter Even, the Easter Vigil will be celebrated at 7:30 pm. Our good friend, Pastor Roy Coats, will as usual be with us for the Vigil. The Vigil begins in darkness with the lighting of the Paschal (i.e. Easter) Candle, which burns throughout the Easter season. It then continues with the reading of Old Testament lessons which show types of our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection; this is followed by the renewal of our baptismal vows, and the Vigil comes to its climax and completion in the joyful first Holy Eucharist of Easter. This oldest festival service of the Christian Church is truly an Easter celebration which in a very real sense surveys the whole history of our salvation, beginning with the creation of all things, and—because the Holy Eucharist is always the anticipation of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in His eternal kingdom (Revelation 19:6–9)—looks forward with joy to the final coming of the risen Lord in glory.

Palm Sunday is the deadline for ordering Easter lilies. The cost is $11.00, and you may include with your check a list of names of loved ones you wish to honor or remember. As usual Judy Volkman is in charge of all this.

As mentioned in last month’s newsletter we are hoping to have the annual Saint Mark’s Conference on April 19–20. The Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, the President of Synod, will be with us as the keynote speaker at this year’s Conference, which is focused on the Life and Work of the late Rev. Dr. Hermann Sasse (1895–1976), who was almost certainly the greatest confessional Lutheran theologian of the last century. Much information about him can be found online. The COVID pandemic seems to affect everything, and so a decision to hold or cancel the Conference will be made on Monday of Holy Week. Although primarily intended for pastors, the Conference is open to everyone. For members of Our Saviour there is no registration fee.

Remember that our services are now livestreamed: Sunday Divine Service at 11:00 am and Wednesday Lenten Vespers at 7:30 pm. You can also hear the sermon by calling (410) 587–0979. If you are still unable to come to church I am more than willing to bring you the Sacrament at home. Among other things, that is what pastors are for! You need only call me at (410) 554–9994 or e-mail me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com.

Let us make good use of this Lenten season for the renewal of our life in Christ. Let us continue in prayer for one another and for all whom God’s love has called out of nothingness into being.

Affectionately in our Lord,


Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

On February 10, Judy Volkman delivered five crates of canned goods to CARES. They were well stocked at that point, but they almost certainly emptied out their stores quickly. And we need to restock; the boxes are empty!

Also delivered were eight knit hats and twelve hand-knit scarves to help keep people warm in this cold weather.  Bounty shared!

– Judy Volkman

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, February, 2021

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
FEBRUARY, 2021

Ash Wednesday
February 17
7:30 pm Divine Service

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Lent begins on February 17, Ash Wednesday. Divine Service will be celebrated at seven thirty in the evening. On the following Wednesdays in Lent there will be Vespers with the Litany, except on the last Wednesday in February and the last Wednesday in March when Divine Service will be celebrated.

Wednesday, February 24, is Saint Matthias Day. Since Saint Matthias was chosen to replace the traitor Judas, this holy day is directly connected with the Lenten season.  Saint Matthias was chosen during the ten days between our Lord’s ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 1:15–26).

Wednesday, March 24, is the Eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, a most important holy day because it celebrates the conception of Jesus following the virgin Mary’s assent to the message of the angel Gabriel. Nine months before His birth in Bethlehem (Saint Luke 1:26–38) the eternal Son of God took on Himself the humanity that is yours and mine in the womb of His virgin mother. And that is in the most real sense the beginning of the journey which would lead to the Cross. The ancient appointed prayer or collect for the Annunciation expresses this in a memorable way:

O Lord, as we have known the incarnation of Your Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel to the virgin Mary, so by the message of His cross and passion bring us to the glory of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

On the three remaining Wednesdays in Lent the meditations will focus on Old Testament Types of Christ’s Passion. “Types” are events which point forward to the Savior. We will consider the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Passover Lamb, and the Blood of the Covenant.

I wish I could announce that our midweek Lenten services will as usual be preceded by our popular soup suppers. But the circumstances surrounding the COVID virus do not make that possible at this time. Depending on circumstances we may be able to have them as Lent goes on.

We recently heard from the office of the President of Synod, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, that he is planning to come to our Saint Mark’s Conference which will, God willing, take place April 19–20. Dr. Harrison was to have spoken at last year’s conference which had to be canceled because of the COVID pandemic. On the Monday in Holy Week, March 29, he will make a decision as to whether or not he can come. We will be sending out notifications with the proviso that all depends on the circumstances of the pandemic. The theme of the Conference will be the one announced last year, the life and works of the Rev. Dr. Hermann Sasse (1895–1976) of blessed memory. Last year was the 125th anniversary of Dr. Sasse’s birth. He was almost certainly the greatest faithful Lutheran theologian of the last century. His writings continue to guide and enrich the Church of the Augsburg Confession throughout the world. English-speaking Lutherans owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the President of Synod who has himself translated countless pages of Dr. Sasse’s works and has caused them to be published.

Our dear sister in Christ, Dorothy Bell, fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, January 28. She was born on September 8, 1931 in Meherrin, Virginia, and will be buried in Saint Matthew’s Cemetery in Meherrin. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon her and may our heavenly Father comfort her husband Louis, her children, and all who mourn her departure. As of this writing, funeral arrangements are incomplete, but you will be notified as soon as they are in place.

Our Saviour Church in fact has roots in Saint Matthew’s Church, Meherrin, which was founded as an African-American congregation in 1883, nine years before the founding in Baltimore of Our Saviour Church, which was then called Jackson Square. It was members of Saint Matthew’s in Meherrin who founded Saint Matthew’s Church in Baltimore in 1928  which in 1973 merged with Our Saviour. So our roots as a congregation in a real sense go all the way back to 1883.

Gabe Purviance had been sick with the COVID virus but has made a good recovery. His father Philip was hospitalized with the virus but is now with Gabe and his wife Louise and is making a good recovery. Continue to keep them all in your prayers together with Joe Silver who will undergo surgery this Friday, and also Yolanda Ford, who having been hospitalized is now in the Future Care home on North Point Boulevard.

Our former organist, Matthew Bunn, resigned as organist on Sunday, January 24th. We are fortunate that John Igoe has agreed to serve as our organist for some weeks to come. He has served before as substitute here at Our Saviour and we are happy that he is available. He played for Divine Service on January 31.

At the end of this newsletter Quilla Downs reports on the gifts we were able to give to needy families connected with the Waverly Elementary School this Christmas. It really is wonderful that we were able to give even more generously than last year because of our people’s generosity. It happens that I began my education in kindergarten at the Waverly School then known as School 51. Judy Volkman reports on our Free Flea Markets.

We are continuing to work toward the restoration of the mechanism which plays the bells in the church tower. Mary Techau has done much in this connection. We now have over $9,000 in the bell fund. At our website (oursaviourbaltimore.org) there is a delightful video about the bells with Gabe Purviance as narrator. Be sure to see it!

While we are on the subject of finances, I should mention that a generous friend of our congregation recently sent us a check for $10,000. The Church Council will be discussing how this may best be used.

I suspect that during Lent last year very few people expected that the world would still be plagued with COVID–19 as this Lent begins. But so it is, and Lent is almost here.
The Church has always marked Lent with the three disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving as Christ teaches in His Sermon on the Mount—Saint Matthew 6:1-21. Lent is not so much a time to take on extraordinary disciplines as it is to return to those ordinary thoughts and words and deeds which are fitting for all those who have been baptized into our Lord’s death and resurrection. And so if we have been negligent in prayer, Lent is a time to return to a more disciplined prayer life. The forms of daily morning and evening prayer which Dr. Luther provides in the Small Catechism are not just forms to use but in fact a pattern for daily prayer. Public prayer is the worship of the Church. If we have for no valid reason (e.g. sickness, danger of exposure to the virus, etc.) been negligent in Sunday worship, Lent is certainly a time to begin to remedy that negligence and also to join in the midweek Lenten devotions. Almsgiving includes not just monetary gifts but anything that we do to help our neighbor, for example, our flea markets, our gifts to the GEDCO food cupboard, our gifts for the Helping Up Project, the help we recently provided for a group of Christians in Kenya. These needs are now greater than ever. But at the heart of the Lenten season is the contemplation of God’s great love in the passion and death of His only Son. God is a generous God! “God so loved the world that He gave…” Let us pray that through our Lenten discipline we may be ever more fully conformed to the image of our generous God!

Remember that our services are livestreamed at Our Saviour Baltimore Facebook and that sermons can be heard by calling (410) 587–0979. Never hesitate to call me at my home telephone: (410) 554–9994. If I am not at home, do leave a message. I check my messages throughout the day. The Holy Sacrament is the spiritual food and drink for our journey through this world. I am always ready to bring the Sacrament to those who for any reason are unable to come to the Divine Service.

Lent has always been kept as a season of fasting—but not only from food and drink! There may be fixed patterns in our lives, behaviors of various kinds, even patterns of thought which hinder our walk with Christ. We can all certainly benefit from careful self-examination. And then there is always the blessing of private confession and absolution which is always available by appointment. In the fifth chief part of his Small Catechism, The Office of the Keys and Confession, Dr. Luther provides necessary teaching about this. I am always ready and willing to answer your questions.

Let us continue to pray for one another and for this deeply troubled world.

Affectionately in our Lord,


Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

Due to the increased funding from the Church, generosity from church family, and donor friends, we were able to more than fulfill our prior commitment to needy families recommended to us by our liaison at Waverly Elementary/Middle School. We usually provide $30 food gift cards to 10 families, but during the Christmas Holiday, additional help was requested, and our resources were such that we were able to purchase $70 gift cards for 11 families in need. The cards were redeemable at ALDI grocery stores. The COVID–19 pandemic and job loss have severely impacted already economically fragile communities and family budgets are stretched to the limit. I am glad that our congregation has again opened its collective heart and purse to make Christmas more meaningful and abundant for our neighbors in need. Many thanks for your continued support and concern for those who are in need.
– Quilla Downs

As COVID–19 continues, many of us are taking on projects that, in busier times, were set aside… like cleaning out that closet or the basement. If you are doing this, remember the Free Flea Market at Our Saviour. We can use men’s and women’s summer clothing, household items, and even Christmas items. We have gotten a number of items for Christmas and will have a “Christmas in July” sale! You can call Judy Volkman at (410) 377–8833 if you have items to be picked up or just to let her know that you have contributed some items. We will be starting the Free Flea Markets in May. Let us share the bounty the Lord has given us!
– Judy Volkman