OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH
in the City of Baltimore

MARCH,  2019

ASH WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, March 6
Soup Supper, 6:30 PM
DIVINE SERVICE
with imposition of ashes
7:30 PM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Sunday is the last of the three Sundays of preparation for the coming of Lent. With these Sundays there begins the “Easter Cycle” of the Church Year which consists of these three pre-Lenten Sundays, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. Every Lord’s Day in the year is of course a celebration of Christ’s resurrection – that is why we worship on Sunday and not some other day – but Easter Day is the Feast of Feasts, the Holy Day of Holy Days. In the English language we call the season of preparation for Easter “Lent.” The word Lent comes from an old English word, “lencten,” which means “spring” and refers to the lengthening days at this season of the year. Just as earth comes to life after the death of winter, so also the Lenten season is a time of spiritual renewal through reading and meditating on God’s Word, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:2-21) it is very clear that our Lord expects His followers to devote themselves to all three not because God needs our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving but because we do if we are to be ever more closely conformed to the image of the Savior, We pray in response to God’s command and His promise that our prayers are heard, we fast because our bodily appetites – though good in themselves – are disordered through sin, we give alms as a weapon against selfishness, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus how He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) and also because of the enormous need that meets us on every hand. Following my letter you will find reports from Quilla Downs and Judy Volkman about our congregation’s support of the GEDCO food cupboard and the Helping Up Mission. Support of these fine works of mercy is indeed a form of “almsgiving.”

Lent has always been a time when Christians devote themselves to meditation on our Savior’s suffering and death. This year the theme of the sermons at the Wednesday Lenten Vespers will be “The Ten Commandments and the Passion.” We will meditate on how in His passion Jesus fulfilled the will of God and suffered for our disobedience to that will so that we might not perish but have eternal life.

The flowers that usually adorn the chancel are in a real sense a festive kind of thing. During Lent flowers will be omitted; you might say that we will “fast” from them. And the Church has from ancient times omitted the joyous “Alleluia” during Lent; we “fast” from that too. But we’ll not only “fast” in this way but we will have one additional item in the Sunday Divine Service. In the ancient Church Lent was the time for the intensive preparation of the catechumens for Baptism and Holy Communion. Lent continued to be a time for attention to the Catechism. And so on the Sundays in Lent we will – just before the Sermon – recite one of the Six Chief Parts of Luther’s Small Catechism. I am afraid that for so many of us the Catechism is something once learned in confirmation class and then more or less forgotten. That is not as it should be! Dr. Luther says:

I do as a child who is being taught the Catechism. Every morning, and whenever else I have time, I read and recite word for word the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Psalms, etc. I must still read and study the Catechism daily, yet I cannot master it as I wish, but must remain a child and pupil of the Catechism and I do it gladly.

By the way, we in fact review one of the Six Chief Parts of the Catechism every Sunday morning at the beginning of the adult Bible Class which meets at 9:45 A.M. The class is quite informal, questions and discussion being very much encouraged! We are at present studying Saint Mark’s Gospel. As we approach Easter we will be looking at the Old Testament lessons which are read at the Easter Vigil. Come join us! Adding this class to your Sunday morning might in fact be a useful Lenten discipline, Lent being a time for more intense meditation on the Holy Scriptures. I should also mention that on Sundays during Lent and throughout the Easter season the liturgy will be Divine Service I in the Lutheran Service Book. This is in fact the familiar service from the old blue hymnal. Throughout the Lenten season we will be singing a wonderful Communion hymn, “Now, My Tongue, the Mystery Telling, Of the Glorious Body Sing.” It is a hymn which expresses and also rejoices in the great mystery of the Real Presence of our Lord’s Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Altar. The words are by Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). The tune comes from nineteenth century France. I believe that we will grow to love and treasure this hymn.

Our Saviour Church worshiped at 1723 East Fairmount Avenue (near Johns Hopkins Hospital) from its founding in 1892 until in 1919 the congregation moved to our present location. In 1919 Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church purchased the building and still worships there, this year celebrating its 100th anniversary. A visit to our old church has been planned for Saturday, March 9th we’ll gather at Our Saviour at 3:30 P.M. and “car pool” from here. Holy Trinity still possesses the painting of the risen Lord which hung over the altar at our old Church. I very much look forward to seeing it. Please phone (410.554.9994) or email me (Charles.McClean42@gmail.com) if you need a ride or wish to go on this visit.

I hope to see you every Lord’s Day and hope you will come to the Lenten services on Wednesday evening. Please remember me in your prayers; you are in mine.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

LENTEN SOUP SUPPERS

Thank you to all who signed up. Please join us as we enjoy fellowship and a delicious meal at 6:30pm. Lenten service at 7:30pm.

3/6         Bernie/Julia        Calico Bean Soup
3/13       Judy                       Chicken Corn Soup
3/20       Quilla                     Black Bean Soup
3/27       Merton                Smoked Turkey and Black-eyed Pea Soup
4/3         The Ushers         Chicken Noodle Soup
4/10       Denitta/Mary      Crab Soup and Italian Wedding Soup

WORKS OF MERCY

CARES food contributions: Arrangements have been made with CARES to pick up our food contributions, thanks to the connection Quilla Downs made with them, We will continue to collect food items and Judy Volkman will inform them when we have enough items to go to them. The cupboard is bare right now, so donations are most welcome.

– Judy Volkman

As was reported earlier, we did not make a delivery to Helping Up Mission during Christmas because there were so few grooming items in the box. We will be making our regular spring delivery in March. In order to make the spring delivery, we really need more grooming gifts. The needs of the men remain the same, donations of tooth paste, tooth brushes, foot power, shaving cream, lotion, socks, underwear, deodorant, wash cloths, etc. In addition to your personal gifts, grooming items are purchased with loose change and monies collected from the churches’ two Poor Boxes. As we deliver these essential, yet inexpensive, items to the men at Helping Up Mission, we know that our efforts have a positive and restorative impact, and that we are truly giving to the least of these. Many thanks for your grooming gifts and for your compassion towards our recovering brothers at Helping up Mission.

– Quilla Downs

OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH
in the City of Baltimore

FEBRUARY,  2019

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I think that everyone who attended last Sunday afternoon’s service of Epiphany Lessons and Carols will agree that it was a wonderful occasion. John Igoe, who has often served as substitute organist here, sent me an email saying, “I had the opportunity to attend Sunday’s service, and it was just beautiful. Four voices in the choir filled the church with prayer, and we in the congregation did our part! This was the first time I’ve heard the organ from the nave and it really sounds fine.” I thoroughly agree! And so I wish to thank everyone who contributed to this fine occasion. Paul Techau took leadership in making this happen, arranging to have as guest organist Matthew Machemer who is organist and choirmaster at our Synod’s Fort Wayne Seminary. Merton Masterson warmly welcomed the worshipers. Jamera Hawkins served as acolyte, Gabe Purviance and Eugene James served as ushers. Paul Techau and Marie Herrington, together with David Sexton and Lisa Parente, who are students at the Peabody Conservatory, formed the choir. As John Igoe wrote, “Four voices in the choir filled the church with prayer.” I also wish to thank Mary Techau, Bernie Knox, and Scott Jones who prepared the delightful reception which followed the service.

Yes, we do have a very fine organ and in Marie we have a very fine organist. But the mechanism for playing the bells in the tower has been broken for several months. We need to raise money to have this fixed. If you wish to contribute, simply mark your check “Tower Bell Fund.” We are fortunate to have these wonderful bells which both enrich our worship and are also a witness to the community around our Church.

There are just two more Sundays in this season of Epiphany when we celebrate the appearing of the Lord Jesus in the flesh as God and Savior of the world. The Last Sunday after Epiphany is kept as the Feast of the Transfiguration. In the transfiguration our Lord revealed the glory that is His with the Father from all eternity; it is in a real sense the greatest epiphany in Christ’s earthly life.

The Last Sunday after Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas Cycle of the Church Year: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany. The following Sunday marks the beginning of the Easter Cycle: Lent, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost. Three Sundays with curious names prepare for Lent itself: Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima. These Latin names mark the nearness of Easter: seventy, sixty, fifty days. Already on these pre-Lenten Sundays the word Alleluia is omitted from our worship. On the Last Sunday after Epiphany we have a kind of “farewell to Alleluia” – until Easter Day – singing the 11th century hymn, “Alleluia Song of Gladness”:

Alleluia cannot always be our song while here below;
Alleluia, our transgressions make us for a while forego;
For the solemn time is coming when our tears for sin must flow.

Lent itself begins on Wednesday, March 6th. We will as usual have our Wednesday Lenten Vespers preceded by soup suppers. This year Mary Techau will be in charge of coordinating all this.

On Wednesday, February the Church Council will meet with our City Councilwoman, Mary Pat Clark, and with Shane Bryan, the president of the Ednor Gardens – Lakeside Association. They will present to the Council ways in which our buildings might be used to meet needs in our community.

Let us continue in prayer for one another. Pray also for peace and tranquility here in this city, in our country and throughout the world!

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

VOTERS MEETING – FEBRUARY 3 AFTER DIVINE SERVICE

THE BELLS OF OUR SAVIOUR

You may have noticed that our lovely tower bells have not played recently. We have attempted to have the bells repaired, but the mechanism is 60 years old and is in need of a complete renovation. McShane, the company that installed our bells, has given us an estimate of about $20,000 to do the work. We are continuing to research approaches for the renovation, but in preparation, we have begun a special fund for the repairs in order to return the cherished bells to working order for decades to come. Please mark your donation for “Tower Bells.”
– Mary Techau

OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH
in the City of Baltimore

JANUARY,  2019

Sunday, January 6
THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD
FESTIVAL DIVINE SERVICE – 11:00 A.M.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord. This year we have the happy circumstance that January 6th falls on Sunday — I say happy because nowadays, when this great festival does not occur on a Sunday, it sadly tends to pass by all but unnoticed. I like to think of the great festivals of the Christian Year as rays of light on life’s sometimes dreary way, and so I think it a pity when these bright festivals are ignored for no good reason. And so I have throughout my ministry insisted on the observance of Epiphany no matter what day of the week it might fall on.

The Feast of the Epiphany is in a sense the climax of the Christmas season. Epiphany – which means appearing, revealing, manifestation, showing forth – celebrates the appearing of Christ as God and Savior of the whole world. Among Eastern Orthodox Christians Epiphany is kept in celebration of the Baptism of Jesus at which the heavenly Father declared Him to be His Son and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, so revealing Him to be God in the flesh, One of the Holy Trinity. Among Western Christians (among them us Lutherans) Epiphany has since ancient times been kept in celebration of the coming of the Gentile wise men to worship the Christ Child and offer Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. The coming of the wise men is both a fulfillment of ancient prophecy – “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Isaiah 60:3) — and also itself a prophecy of the gathering of all nations into the redeemed people of God, the one holy Church. Although we Western Christians do not celebrate Christ’s Baptism as principle theme of the Epiphany festival, the Baptism of Jesus, together with the changing of water into wine at the marriage feast in Cana, have continued to be a part of our Epiphany celebration as can be seen in the hymns of this festival. Dr. Luther translated from Latin into German the Epiphany hymn of the century poet, Coelius Sedulius, a hymn which has two stanzas about the magi, one stanza about the Baptism of Jesus, and one about the miracle at Cana: in all of these events the deity of our Lord is revealed, each is indeed an epiphany of His godhead. This wonderful hymn is found in all of our Synod’s hymnals: the German Church Hymnal for Evangelical Lutheran Congregations of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession (Hymn 60); The Lutheran Hymnal, the red book (Hymn 131); Lutheran Worship, the blue book (Hymn 81); and in our new hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book (Hymn 399) And we will of course be singing this hymn as part of our Epiphany celebration. In the coming of the magi to worship Him, in His baptism in the Jordan River, in His changing of water into wine at the marriage in Cana Jesus appears as the Savior of the world. And if you were to ask me for some words of Holy Scripture which sum up the meaning of Epiphany, I might well refer you to the 11^th verse of the 2^nd chapter of the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Titus: “The grace of God has appeared” – the original Greek texts here reads: “epiphanee” (whence we get the English word “epiphany”) – for the salvation of all people…”

On Sunday January 27 there will be an Epiphany Service of Lessons and Carols at 4 0’clock in the afternoon. We will hear readings from Holy Scripture concerning the Epiphany of Christ and will sing hymns and carols of the Epiphany season. We will have a guest organist, Matthew Machemer, who is the Associate Kantor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. There will also be a quartet including students of the Peabody Conservatory. A reception will follow. Plan now on attending this festival and invite your friends and neighbors to come. The Choral Vespers we had in connection with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation and the 125th Anniversary of Our Saviour Church was a happy occasion and I am sure that that will also be true of the upcoming Epiphany Lessons and Carols.

Those of you who remember Pastor Jason Wolter (who served as vacancy pastor at Our Saviour 2006-2007) will be happy to hear that he will be in the Baltimore/Washington area later this month for the annual March for Life and will be joining us for the Divine Service on Sunday, January 20th. He tells me he loved his time in this congregation and looks forward to seeing you.

When Our Saviour Church — then known as Jackson Square Church because of its location – left its old building near John Hopkins Hospital in 1919, the building was purchased by Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church which still uses it as its place of worship. This year they are celebrating their one hundredth anniversary and have been in touch with us asking for information about the old building. They have also sent us a copy of a page from The Lutheran Witness describing the dedication of the Jackson Square Church in August 1892 and together with that they included a wonderful full color picture of the painting which hung over the altar at Jackson Square and which our congregation then gave to Holy Trinity in 1919. I had never before seen this painting of the risen Lord; I think it is a wonderful painting. Ever since I became pastor here at Our Saviour I’ve wanted to arrange for members who are interested to visit the old building. But now that I have seen a photograph of this wonderful painting I am even more eager to arrange for that visit! Do let me know if you would be interested (410.554.9994 – charlesmcclean42@gmail.com).A suggestion has also been made that we have an artist make a copy of the painting for use here in our present Church building.

I want to take this opportunity to thank members for their Christmas cards and gifts and also thank the congregation for its Christmas gift to me. I also must thank all those who decorated the Church for Christmas and also our organist Marie Herrington who arranged substitute organists to play here while she was visiting her family for the Christmas holidays. The substitutes were John Igoe, Sergey Morozov, Kathleen Bird, and David Sexton. Marie returns on January 13^th.

Do remember in your prayers all those whose names appear in the Sunday bulletin and indeed remember all members of our congregation and those the Lord God will send to us. Queenie Hardaway is now living at what used to be called the Augsburg Lutheran Home and now is known as Augsburg Village. I always come away from a visit with her in very good cheer because she is a cheerful person. God bless her and God bless us everyone!

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

THE BELLS OF OUR SAVIOUR

You may have noticed that our lovely tower bells have not played recently. We have attempted to have the bells repaired, but the mechanism is 60 years old and is in need of a complete renovation. McShane, the company that installed our bells, has given us an estimate of about $20,000 to do the work. We are continuing to research approaches for the renovation, but in preparation, we have begun a special fund for the repairs in order to return the cherished bells to working order for decades to come. Please mark your donation for “Tower Bells.”
– Mary Techau

ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE

THE 46TH ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE will be Friday, Jan. 18, 2019.
This year’s theme is ‘Unique from day one.’ Join ‘Lutherans for Life’ at 1:00pm as the group marches up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court and Capitol Building. It’s an opportunity to meet other Lutherans from around the country and enjoy singing hymns and supporting life. www.lutheransforlife.org for more information.
– Mary Techau

WORKS OF MERCY

Regarding our Christmas food drive for needy families, donations from the congregation exceeded our goal of $330. This means that we did not have to tap into the church general fund, as the Counsel was prepared to do. We did not receive any outside funds. To our faithful and generous church members, many, many thanks for the outpouring of monetary gifts which enabled us to purchase the food gift cards, Eleven, $30 cards were purchased from Aldi’s supermarket. On Thursday, December 19, the cards were presented to the social worker at Waverly Elementary/ Middle School, where they were presented to the head of the designated families. The cards allowed the families to supplement their usual food items with a few extras of their own choosing. Hopefully, their Christmas was made merrier because of your gifts. As stated above, the giving exceeded our goal, this blessed position will give us a starting point for future Thanksgiving and Christmas giving.

Helping Up Mission: We did not make a delivery to Helping Up Mission during Christmas because there were so few grooming items since our fall delivery. It is hoped that we will have a healthy supply of items when we make our planned spring delivery. I believe that we all are aware of the stellar reputation and high success rate of this Christian based residential men’s recovery program. Towards that end, the need is ongoing for socks, underwear, washcloths, tooth paste, shaving cream, lotion, deodorant, foot power, etc. Thank you for remembering these men by continuing to provide them with a few essential items on their needs list. Because of your care and compassion this program will continue to count its successes.
– Quilla Downs

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

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

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

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

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I must begin by thanking you for the wonderful gift you gave me on the fiftieth anniversary of my ordination! This gift will make possible a trip to Europe which I have been wanting to make for a long time. And how wonderful that you have arranged for our good friend Pastor Roy Coats to accompany me! I will go to Germany to see the towns where my German forbears lived before emigrating to America. With the help of Pastor Coats, I’m sure this will be a wonderful experience. Thank you very much! I especially thank everyone who had a hand in making this happen.

 I was very happy with the anniversary celebration, both the Divine Service and the luncheon which followed. I was so happy that my old friend Pastor James Bauman, whom I’ve known since I was 19 years old was able to preach the sermon. I was deeply moved. And how delightful that Trent Demarest was able to be with us and read the lessons! Our organist Marie Herrington did such a marvelous job with the music. Her choice of Communion music delighted me – Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus (“Hail true Body” – an anthem adoring Christ present in the Holy Sacrament) which is perhaps one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. Many thanks also to our cantor Paul Techau; the acolytes, Dominick Carmichael-Myrie and Ted Jones; and the ushers: Eugene James, Ron Lang, James Smallwood. And thanks also to everyone who had a hand in preparing and serving the delicious lunch which followed.

 I also want to take this opportunity to thank Gabe Purviance and Judy Volkman who are taking a well-earned rest from serving on the Church Council. Both of them have been a blessing to me and our whole congregation.

 As of this writing we have yet to find someone to serve as sexton. During the weeks since Mr. Hawkins died we have become increasingly aware of just how much he did here at Our Saviour. He truly loved this Church and we must all be truly grateful for his faithfulness in so many ways.

 We have now been using the Lutheran Service Book since the beginning of May. During these weeks we have used Divine Service III which is the familiar Order of Holy Communion as found in The Lutheran Hymnal, the” red book.” From July through October we will be using Divine Service I which is the liturgy we know from Lutheran Worship, the “blue book.” Although the music remains exactly the same, the text of the liturgy is enriched with some prayers surrounding the Consecration of the bread and wine to be the body and blood of our Lord.

 In early Lutheranism the elevation of the host and the chalice at the Consecration was widely retained not least as an expression of faith in the Real Presence of the Lord’s body and blood in the Sacrament. This is a custom of which Dr. Luther approved as can be seen in his reform of the historic liturgy, his German Mass and Order of Service of 1526. There he has this to say: “We do not want to abolish the elevation but retain it because it goes well with the German Sanctus and signifies that Christ has commanded us to remember him. For just as the sacrament is bodily elevated, and yet Christ’s body and blood are not seen in it, so he is also remembered and elevated by the word of the sermon and is confessed and adored in the reception of the sacrament. In each case he is apprehended only by faith; for we cannot see how Christ gives his body and blood for us and even now daily shows and offers it before God to obtain grace for us.” The elevation is accompanied by the ringing of a bell. This was done to let those unable to come to church know that the Consecration has taken place.

 The Real Presence of the Savior in the Sacrament is surely a miracle of the love of God. Although Reformed Protestantism has since the sixteenth century denied this, we Lutherans have continued to confess as has the Church since the days of the apostles that the Sacrament of the Altar is – as we learned to say in the Catechism – “the true body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.” This Real Presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper makes of every Lord’s Day a day of great joy. Just as the risen Lord appeared to the faithful women and to His apostles on the first Easter Day, so on every Lord’s Day He continues to bless us with His saving presence in the Holy Sacrament. And so not only Easter Day but every Lord’s Day is kept in joyful celebration of the Lord’s resurrection. If we truly know and believe this, we will be eager to be present at the Divine Service and receive the life-giving body and blood of Jesus every Lord’s Day and whenever else the Sacrament is celebrated.

 Sunday, July 22, is Saint Mary Magdalene’s Day. Our Lord freed her from the power of the devil and from then on she was among the faithful women who accompanied Him  and who, when His disciples forsook Him and fled, continued to follow Him all the way to the cross and saw where He was buried. Arriving at the tomb very early on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene found the open tomb and was the first to see the risen Lord (John 20:11-18). And so on July 22 the Church gives thanks for this witness to the Lord’s resurrection.

 Our outreach to the community continues with our free flea markets which take place on the second Saturday of the month, this month July 14^th, and next month on August 11^th.  Volunteers are as always needed to greet our visitors and welcome them to Our Saviour.

 Vacation Bible School this year takes place July 16-20. As usual Pastor Coats will be here to help and also Vicar Matthew Schettler from Immanuel Church at Loch Raven and Belvedere except on Wednesday when he has other commitments. I am very grateful to Mary Techau who has taken the lead in making this happen. If you know of children who might come to VBS call the church (410.235.9553) and I will see to it that they are contacted.

 In recent weeks I have found myself reading over and over again the Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln given on March 4, 1865. (It can easily be found online.) Given just a few weeks before the end of the Civil War and his assassination, it is in my judgment something that can be read with great profit by every American. Among other things it breathes a spirit of humility before God whose judgments are unsearchable, whose ways are past finding out. Lincoln’s words will not provide answers to our present conflicts and perplexities but his words may well provide a perspective formed by a man who has clearly wrestled with God. Needless to say, every Christian will remember our country and its leaders in prayer not only at the Divine Service on Sundays but every day of the week.

 Let me just say again how grateful I am for your love and support. Please keep me in your prayers as you are in mine.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Because Easter Day is early this year Lent begins already on February 14th. As always we begin the Lenten Season with Divine Service and Imposition of Ashes. A simple soup supper precedes worship.

My dictionary tells me that the word Lent is rooted in an old English word “lencten” which means spring. The word no doubt suggests the lengthening days which come in the springtime. But I want to suggest that it is very useful indeed to think of the holy season of Lent as a spiritual springtime, a time of new life and light. You may remember that in the ancient church the forty days of Lent were the time when the adult candidates for Holy Baptism received their final preparation for the reception of that Sacrament which took place at the Great Vigil which took place on Easter Eve. Since you and I have already been born again of water and the Holy Spirit, we – obviously! – cannot prepare to be baptized. Yet Lent is most certainly a time for returning to our Baptism, for again contemplating and rejoicing in the blessings of Baptism and through daily repentance and faith living as those who have been baptized into the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. We remember the words of Saint Paul: “We are buried therefore with Him by baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

Few things are more foolish than supposing that God somehow needs our observance of Lent: God does not need Lent but you and I do! It is that season of the year which calls us to renewed faithfulness as those who through Baptism have been made one with the Savior in His atoning death and life-giving resurrection. It is a time for saying no to everything in our lives which contradicts Christ and His love. We need to hear God’s Word calling us to repentance, we need to hear God’s Word showing us the Lord Jesus in whose death our sins are dead and who calls us to follow Him in faith and hope and love.

If you have been negligent in hearing the Word of God and receiving the Holy Sacrament, Lent is the time to repent of that negligence and make a new beginning. Unless hindered by illness or by the need to care for someone who needs our care or – as sadly happens nowadays – our employer requires us to work on Sunday morning, no Christian should be absent from the Divine Service on the Lord’s Day which even in Lent is the weekly celebration of Christ’s resurrection. The Divine Service is not so much an obligation as it is a joyful privilege! During Lent we also have the Wednesday evening Lenten Vespers at which we again ponder our Lord’s saving passion and sing the beloved Lenten hymns.

Judy Volkman reminds us that soup suppers will be held during Lent at 6:30 P.M. each Wednesday before Vespers. The following people have volunteered their culinary skills: 2/14 – Judy or Bernie Knox, 2/21 – Julia Watson, 2/28 – the Ushers, 3/7 – Quilla Downs, 3/14 – Mary Techau, 3/21 – Gabe Purviance. There will be a free-will offering at each of these suppers. In the past this has helped fund the Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets. And here I must thank the ushers for their faithful service each Sunday and their willingness to help in so many ways. I must say that they are an example to us all!

Frank Ford recently reminded me that there was a time when the members of Our Saviour prayed each day at noon. We need to do that again – to pray for one another, for those in special need, and for this deeply troubled world. I think that Lent is a good time to begin to do this again. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy prayer at all, and when we pray privately we should with simplicity and “with all boldness and confidence ask [God] as dear children ask their dear Father” as Dr. Luther instructs us in the Catechism. The prayers prayed in Church, however, are not private but are prayers which Christians have in some cases prayed for more than a thousand years. They are hallowed by centuries of use and truly are a great treasure!

Remember in your prayers Christine and Lisa Watson who mourn the death of their father, Ulysses Bush. Remember Charles Dowdy was was hospitalized but is now at home again. Remember Terry Wiseman who was recently hospitalized and also Marian Purviance who is at home. Remember all those whose names appear each week in the bulletin.

Three fine young men are being prepared for confirmation: Dominick and Elijah Carmichael-Myrie and Ted Jones. I look forward to their day of confirmation which will take place in the late spring. Pray for them as they complete their confirmation instructions.

At the Voters Meeting on January 21st it was unanimously decided to acquire our Synod’s new service book and hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, published in 2007. After months of reflection and discussion we have come to this decision as recommended by the Church Council. As I have mentioned before, the Lutheran Service Book preserves the best of The Lutheran Hymnal (the “red” book) published in 1941 and of Lutheran Worship (the “blue” hymnal) published in 1982. It includes both the forms of the Divine Service with which we are familiar. There are new hymns and hymns which may be older but are new to us. So how will we pay for these new books? Martini Church has sent us a very generous gift of one thousand dollars for this purpose: we thank Pastor Robertson and his people. Members may give one or more books as memorials. The cost is $30.00 each. We have decided to buy 130 books together with the books needed by the organist and the pastor. The Council and Voters have decided that any short-fall will be met through the use of some monies from the generous bequest David West left to our church in his will. Due and timely notice will be given as to the date when this new book will be used – probably quite late in the spring. I must also thank Julia Silver for providing a good lunch for those who attended the Voters Meeting. It was much enjoyed! And we all are in a much better mood when we’re not hungry!

On Sundays in February and March we will be using the “blue book,” Lutheran Worship. On Wednesday evening we will use the familiar Order of Vespers from The Lutheran Hymnal.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that the stone sign in front of the Church has now been repaired and again is lighted after dark. I should also note the two fine lamps on either side of the main door of the Church: these too have been repaired and are again lighted after dark. I should thank Paul Techau who did so much work on this together with Joe Silver and William Hawkins.

Let me also note that for reasons of security the door near the parking lot to the east of the Church is now locked on Sundays at 11 o’clock. If you arrive after 11 you may enter the main entrance of the Church on The Alameda or the entrance through the beautiful porch on 33rd Street.

I hope that each and every member of our congregation will welcome the coming of Lent as an invitation to renewed faithfulness not only in attending worship but also in renewed faithfulness in living the Christian life. Although we daily sin much, our heavenly Father for the sake of His beloved Son daily showers us with His mercy and many blessings. Are you, am I grateful? That question must be answered not only with our lips but in our lives.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

WORKS OF MERCY

On December 21, we delivered turkeys and food items to 9 families in our church community. Thanks to Thrivent, and our church family, we had ample food for the designated families with non-perishables left over.   We will deliver the remaining food to GEDCO’S Food Pantry.  Thanks to Mr. Hawkins, for his help with packaging and delivery, also thanks to all who consistently remember the poor with gifts of food. 

 On December 21, we made a delivery to Helping Up Mission.  This delivery was the most generous thus far.  The proceeds from the Poor Boxes was harvested to purchase needed items.  In addition, members continue to drop off items in the box next to the food donation box.   The box is now empty, and so we start over.  As you can see, small amounts of change can go far when consistently given.   Please continue to remember those less fortunate than yourselves.  The need is ongoing, washcloths, tooth paste, shaving cream, lotion socks, etc.  Menswear need not be new; clean, gently used items are acceptable.    Our next delivery is planned for March 2018.   Many thanks to all.

       -Quilla Downs

 A Message From “CARES”

In 2017, CARES responded to over 5,000 requests for assistance, and your support was very much needed and appreciated. Donations from the community help CARES keep opening its doors to those in need. In addition to emergency groceries, CARES offers financial assistance to prevent utility turn-offs and evictions, and helps clients pay for prescriptions. CARES Career Connection works with job seekers to find employment.

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing these lines on Monday, December 26th, the second day of Christmas and the day when the Church remembers Saint Stephen the First Martyr (Acts 7:54ff). Tomorrow is the day of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist and on the day after that we remember the martyred Holy Innocents, the young boys of Bethlehem who perished in King Herod’s futile attempt to kill the infant Savior (Matthew 2:13-23). Christ came down to earth that we, like St Stephen and St John and the Holy Innocents, might go to heaven. As we keep this blessed Christmastide we remember the dear members of our church who fell asleep in the Lord during this past year and who now with all saints celebrate the heavenly Christmas: Myrna Curtis, James Gray, David West, and Darlene Grant. May the Light perpetual that is Christ ever shine upon them! And as we sing in that wonderful Christmas carol, Now Sing We Now Rejoice: 

Oh, where shall joy be found?
Where but on heavenly ground?
Where the angels singing
With all His saints unite.
Sweetest praises bringing
In heav’nly joy and light.
Oh, that we were there!
Oh, that we were there!

Because New Year’s Eve falls on Sunday this year we will not have an evening service but only the usual 11 o’clock Divine Service of the First Sunday after Christmas Day. But we will in fact have Divine Service on the morning of New Year’s Day, a day which from ancient times has been kept in remembrance of the Circumcision and the Name of Jesus (Luke 2:21). 

The last of the twelve days of Christmas, January 5th, is the Eve of the Epiphany of our Lord (Matthew 2:1-12). There will be a festival Divine Service at 7:30 in the evening. Vicar Matthew Schettler of Immanuel Church at Loch Raven and Belvedere will be our guest preacher.  We will sing familiar Christmas carols which speak of the coming of the Wise Men: The First Nowell, What Child is This, We Three Kings of Orient Are, and that truly marvelous Epiphany hymn, As With Gladness Men of Old. Although in recent years a sadly neglected festival, Epiphany is in fact “the Christmas of the Gentiles.” In the coming of the Gentile wise men to worship the infant Lord, Christ is manifested as being not only the Savior of the Jews but also of those Gentile nations of which you and I are members. Following the Divine Service there will be a simple reception in the undercroft. Do plan on attending the Epiphany celebration if you possibly can. It will bring your observance of the Twelve Days of Christmas to a truly joyful conclusion. If you need a ride, do not hesitate to phone or email me (410.554.9994 or charlesmcclean42@gmail.com) and I will see to it that you get one.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped decorate the church for Christmas and also to thank you for your Christmas cards and gifts. Thank you very much and may God bless you for your generosity.

Just before Christmas we received the very good news that the Mayor of Baltimore has signed the document placing our church building on the City’s register of historic buildings. And so this long process has finally come to a happy end! As soon as possible there will be an event to celebrate this outcome. Due and timely notice will be given.

Another project which has now come to completion is the restoration of the stone sign in front of the church. It now has an automatic device which brings the lights on every evening. This, too, has been a lengthy process. I must especially thank Paul Techau for his hard work which has made this happen.

On Thursday, January 4, there will be a Choral Vespers for Christmas and Epiphany at 7:00 P.M. at Martini Church, Sharp and Henrietta Streets. It will be sung by the Kantorei of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Martini Church has plenty of parking spaces. A reception will follow Vespers.

Our next Voters Meeting takes place after Divine Service on Sunday, January 21. We hope that at this meeting we can make a decision about acquiring our Synod’s new service book and hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book. It has the best of The Lutheran Hymnal published in 1941, the “red book,” and of Lutheran Worship, published in 1982, the “blue book.” Members who have borrowed copies of the Lutheran Service Book are reminded to bring them back so that others can examine them and so have an informed opinion about this publication.

The recently formed Maryland chapter of Lutherans for Life will participate in the annual March for Life in Washington on Friday, January 19. This is an important witness to the sanctity of life from conception until death. In an ancient prayer for Christmastide the Church speaks of God as having “wonderfully created and yet more wonderfully restored the dignity of human nature.” And so the Church has a solemn obligation to bear witness to “the dignity of human nature” and to oppose everything which opposes and degrades it especially in a time such as this when human life is seemingly very cheap indeed. If you are interested in going to the March do let me know. Arrangements are being made for getting there and back again.

Do remember that we have an adult class each Sunday morning at 9:45 A.M. Mary Techau teaches the little ones who come at that hour. In the adult class we have for a number of weeks been studying the Augsburg Confession, the principle statement of the Lutheran faith. In this era marked by indifference to truth, by what has been called “the dictatorship of relativism” – the notion that truth cannot be known and that every religion is more or less true – it is more than ever necessary to be firmly grounded in the truth revealed in Holy Scripture and confessed by the Church.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

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

How the year has flown by! And now we come to Christmas. But before Christmas comes there is Advent, the four weeks of preparation for the Christmas festival. Advent means Coming, and during Advent we reflect on the three comings of our Lord: His coming in great humility as the Child of Mary, His coming to us now in His Word and in the holy Sacrament of His Body and Blood, His coming again in glory at the Last Day to judge the living and the dead. Although the world is already celebrating its version of Christmas, the Church keeps these four weeks as a time of repentance, of prayer, of quiet expectation.

This year we have a situation which occurs about once in every seven years. The Fourth Sunday in Advent falls on December 24^th; the Divine Service on the morning of that day is an Advent service. Strictly speaking, the Church should not be decorated for Christmas until the Fourth Sunday in Advent has been kept. But the fact of the matter, whether we like it or not, is that few people will come to church on the morning of the 24th. And so for this year only the Church will be decorated for Christmas after the Divine Service on the previous Sunday, December 17th. Yet the service on the morning of the 24th is an Advent service. And so the lights on the trees and in the windows and at crèche will not be lit. The altar paraments and vestments will be the purple of Advent. Only after the service will the altar frontal be changed to white and the poinsettias put in place

Our celebration of Christmas begins with the Festival Divine Service of Christmas Eve which will be held at 7:30 P.M. Our celebration of Christmas then continues on the First Sunday after Christmas Day, New Year’s Day which is the Festival of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus, and Epiphany which this year will be kept on Epiphany Eve, January 5th. That service will be at 7:30 P.M. The New Year’s Day service will be held at 10:00 A.M. We live in a secular age so absorbed in its frenzied activities that the Lord Christ and His Church are crowded out or fitted in “if possible”! I hope and pray that many of you will seize the opportunity to celebrate this holy season with its message of hope that can never be put to shame and joy which has no end. This is after all the Birthday of the Lord Jesus! Apart from dire necessity no Christian should absent himself or herself from the Christ Mass, the worship which in fact gives this feast its name! The shepherds found the Lord Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. We find Him in the hallowed bread and cup that are the Body born of Mary and His precious Blood. In preparation for your Christmas Communion, examine your conscience in the light of the Ten Commandments and their meaning as given in the Catechism; review the Christian Questions with Their Answers also found in the Catechism. Then come with a penitent and joyful heart to the altar which is our Bethlehem. “Bethlehem” means “House of Bread,” for us the hallowed bread of the Sacrament. 

I am sure that everyone who attended the Choral Vespers on Sunday, November 19th, was truly uplifted by this wonderful service in celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, the 125th Anniversary of Our Saviour, and Dr. Luther’s birthday (November 10). Our guest organist, Matthew Gerhardt, showed himself to be a wonderfully talented musician not least in his thrilling accompaniment of the hymns. We were also fortunate to have three singers from the Peabody Conservatory – our own organist Marie Herrington, Emma van Zuyle, Adam Eydelson, together with our own cantor Paul Techau. We are truly blessed with Marie Herrington as our organist and occasional soloist. She is a truly gifted musician and we are fortunate indeed to have her. God gives us many blessings. I must also thank Mr. Hawkins, Mary Techau, and all who helped with the delightful reception following the service. 

Do remember in your prayers those whose names appear each Sunday in the bulletin. I ask your prayers especially for Marian Purviance who is beginning a new course of treatment, also for Judy Volkman who has had her elbow replaced after a fall. Helen Gray was briefly hospitalized but is at home again. 

Peter James Buchanan, the husband of Bertha Buchanan, fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday, November 28th, at Union Memorial Hospital. There will be a visitation on Tuesday, December 5th, from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Chatman Harris Funeral Home West at 5240 Reisterstown Road. On Wednesday, December 6th, the funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M. at the Edgewood United Methodist Church, 1434 Bellona Avenue, in Lutherville. A wake will be held at 10:30 A.M. May our risen Lord comfort all who mourn his departure with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon him! 

We continue our works of mercy. On November 2 coats, hats, and scarves were distributed to needy families connected with the Waverly School. Elsewhere in this newsletter is information on other works of mercy.  

The Ednor Gardens/Lakeside Association had its meeting for elections and a delightful potluck supper on Tuesday, November 21st. The Association has for some years met here. 

The process of having our Church placed on the register of historic buildings should soon come to its happy conclusion – perhaps by Christmas. 

At the Choral Vespers on November 19th the meditation included some wonderful words from the sermon which Dr. Luther preached in Saint Mary’s Church in Wittenberg on the afternoon of Christmas Day 1530: 

“In my sin, in my death, I must take leave of all created things. Sun, moon, stars, all creatures…cannot help me. When I die I shall see nothing but thick darkness, and yet that light, ‘To you is born this day the Savior [Luke 2:11], remains in my eyes and fills all heaven and earth. The Savior will help me when all have forsaken me. And when the heavens and the stars and all creatures stare at me with terrible mien, I see nothing in heaven and earth but this Child…For, if it is true that the Child was born of the virgin and is mine, then I have no angry God and I must know and feel that there is nothing but laughter and joy in the heart of the Father and no sadness in my heart. For, if what the angel says is true, that He is our Lord and Savior, what can sin do against us? ‘If God is for us, who is against us?’ [Romans 8:31].” 

As we again approach Christmas we are painfully aware of the reality of human sin and the malice of Satan, and so more than ever we need to take to heart the good news of the Child in whom there is forgiveness of sins and deliverance from death and the devil. In faith we embrace Him. 

God bless us in this Advent season and bring us to a joyful Christmas!

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

On November 21, we delivered turkeys and thanksgiving provisions to seven families in our church community. We were prepared to deliver baskets to two additional families, but were unable to locate the families. Looking forward to our Christmas food drive, we have one turkey, and enough food for two families. In order to take care of our Christmas families we need the following items: canned yams, mac and cheese, string beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc. The bulk of the cost of Thanksgiving food came from donations from our soup supers. Many thanks to all of our food contributors, and to Mr. Hawkins for his invaluable assistance with packing and delivery.

We plan to deliver grooming items to the men at Helping Up Mission during the week of December 17. To the extent that you are able, please bring gift items, such as, socks (any size), underwear, t-shirts, washcloths, deodorant, soap, toothpaste, shaving cream, and lotion. These items are always needed and they will be greatly appreciated. In addition to new wearing apparel, the Mission will gladly accept clean, gently used men’s wear.

 – Quilla Downs

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

From ancient times the first day of November has been kept by the Church as All Saints Day, that day when the Church struggling here on earth rejoices in her unity with the Church at rest in paradise. We keep this festival on the first Sunday in November. We especially remember those members of our own congregation whom Christ has taken to His nearer presence since the last All Saints Day. This year we will remember with love and thanksgiving these dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Myrna Curtis, James Gray, David West and Darlene Grant who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, October 1st, and whose funeral was held here at church on October 14th. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon them. As we sing in William Walsham How’s great hymn, For All the Saints:

O blest communion, fellowship divine,
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.

And it is in the Sacrament of the Altar, the Holy Communion, that we most fully realize this wonderful communion of the Church on earth and the Church in heaven. For here in the Sacrament the risen Lord is present under the outward forms of bread and wine and we worship Him even as the saints in heaven worship Him face to face. “With angels and archangels and all the company of heaven” we join in singing the Thrice Holy Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth, Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.” And let us pray that our Saviour would through His Holy Spirit keep us in faith and hope and love until that day when we with all who have gone before us with the sign of faith will come to that heavenly kingdom which in His love God prepared for us before the foundation of the world.

On Sunday, November 19th, at 4:00 P.M. there will be Choral Vespers and Hymn Festival in thanksgiving for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, the 125th Anniversary of Our Saviour congregation, and the birthday of Martin Luther. The guest organist will be Mr. Matthew Gerhardt who holds degrees in Parish Music from Concordia University Wisconsin and in organ performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He spent a year studying in Germany and among other things played the organ at Saint Thomas Church in Leipzig where Johann Sebastian Bach was organist and choirmaster for many years. The Choral Vespers will feature the hymns of Martin Luther and of Paul Gerhardt. Following Vespers there will be a reception in the undercroft. Plan now on attending and invite your friends and neighbors

On Wednesday, November 22nd, there will be Divine Service at 7:30 P.M. in observance of Thanksgiving Day. One of the countless examples of the growing secularism of today’s world is the way in which worship has been crowded out of our national day of Thanksgiving. There is of course nothing wrong with our festive dinners nor with football but when these become the main focus of Thanksgiving – to the exclusion of the Church’s sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving – there is something very wrong indeed with our sense of priorities. There was a time within living memory when our churches were filled on Thanksgiving Day – but that is now a long time ago.

Looking forward a bit, there will be a Christmas Bazaar here at Our Saviour on Saturday, December 2nd, 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. Information about this is provided in the flyer enclosed with this newsletter.

Family Day on Sunday, October 1st, was a happy occasion. We had a very good attendance at the Divine Service and the meal which followed was simply delicious and as always there was more than enough for everyone! We were happy to welcome Pastor Minetree of Immanuel Church who preached an uplifting sermon for us all.

At the October 15th Voters Meeting it was agreed that we as a congregation are ready to consider the possibility of adopting our Synod’s new service book and hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book. There is general agreement that this book preserves the best both of The Lutheran Hymnal published in 1941 (the “red book”) and of Lutheran Worship published in 1982 (the “blue book”). We in fact have six copies of the Lutheran Service Book which members may borrow in order to examine the book. Copies are available on the piano together with a form for signing your name when borrowing the book. We are hoping that many people will examine the book so that there can be an informed conversation about adopting it as our own. It is hoped that a decision will be made at the next Voters Meeting on the third Sunday in January. If you have questions I am very glad to answer them. You may call me at 410.554.9994 or email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com.

Progress continues to be made on the placement of our church building on the Baltimore City historic buildings register. Quilla Downs, Mary Techau and I attended a hearing at City Hall on October 26th which resulted in a unanimous vote to do this. Our City Council member, Mary Pat Clark, informs us that there are just two more steps toward finalizing the decision. She says we may expect the result by Christmas.

As we celebrate the anniversary of the Reformation and the Festival of All Saints we rejoice in the blessed reality of the one holy Church which includes all the redeemed in heaven and in earth. It is the Church of the Redeemer, the Savior, the Good Shepherd, the Friend of Sinners. It flows from the miracle of God’s infinite love. Here are some memorable words of Arthur Henry Stanton (1839-1913):

“This is what we call the Miracle of Calvary…We teach the miracle of Christ that He was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Ghost for us men and for our salvation. We teach the miracle that Christ died on Calvary for all men. For whom did Christ die? Christ died for sinners, and that is the miracle of Calvary. We teach the miracle of the Resurrection, that in Christ all shall rise again in His glorious Resurrection. We teach the miracle of the Ascension, that He who went up into Heaven shall so come again as we have seen Him go up. Our whole faith is miracle from the beginning to the end. It is all miracle. It is the miracle of God. And the greatest of all miracles to me is this: that I can say, ‘He loved me and died for me.’ You cannot get any greater miracle than that. And so death is swallowed up in victory, the sadness is swallowed up in the gladness of God, and the agony in the peace of God, and the misery in the happiness of God. The redemption of Christ is infinite.”

Let us continue to remember one another in prayer. God continues to bless us in so many ways. Is your life and is mine a grateful response to His goodness?

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember me in your prayers as you are in mine.

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

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

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

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

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

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

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

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

OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH
3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-235-9553
www.oursaviourbaltimore.org
May-June 2017