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Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, January, 2024

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
January, 2024

New Year’s Day: The Circumcision and Name of Jesus –
Divine Service, 10:00 A.M.
Eve Of The Epiphany Of Our Lord, Friday, January 5th
Divine Service, 7:30 P.M.
Epiphany Choral Vespers in celebration of the new organ console, Sunday, January 21, at 4:00 PM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Although the world more or less ends its celebration of Christmas on Christmas Day, the Church continues to celebrate the twelve days of Christmas which conclude on January 5th, “Twelfth Night,” the Eve of the Festival of the Epiphany of our Lord. Epiphany has often been called the “Christmas of the Gentiles” because the wise men were the first Gentiles to worship the Christ Child and offer Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. As the poet Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (A.D. 348-413) says in his Epiphany hymn:

Sacred gifts of mystic meaning:
Incense doth their God disclose,
Gold the King of kings proclaimeth,
Myrrh his sepulcher foreshows.

As the magi offered frankincense to the Savior, so we will offer incense – pure frankincense – at our Epiphany celebration; and we will sing those familiar carols which speak of the journey of the wise men and of their gifts: The First Nowell, What Child is This, and We Three Kings of Orient Are. The celebration of the Epiphany of our Lord is a joyful way to bring our annual celebration of Christ’s coming into this world to its happy conclusion.

The Rev. Philip Jaseph will be installed as the ninth  pastor of  Martini Church at Hanover and Henrietta Streets on Saturday, January 6th at 10:00 A.M. Please let me know if you plan on staying for the reception that follows. Call me at (410)554-9994 or email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com.

On Sunday, January 21st, at 4:00 P.M. there will be a Choral Vespers in celebration of our new organ console which on October 22 was dedicated to the glory of God and in loving memory of Joseph Silver. Mr. Silver served faithfully as president of Our Saviour congregation for a number of years and held other offices in the church as well as serving as our sexton. The Choral Vespers will celebrate the Epiphany season in which we celebrate Christ’s manifestation of His deity in the guiding star and the worship of the magi, in His baptism and in His changing of water into wine at the marriage in Cana,  and in His glorious transfiguration. Our guest organist for this service is Cameron Kuzepski who is the principal organist at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen here in Baltimore. He studied organ and piano at the Peabody Conservatory, attended the Juilliard School of music’s pre-college division, has studied orchestral conducting in Bulgaria with the International Musicians Academy and the Vidin Sinfonietta, and participated in an internship with the Netherlands Bach Society in Utrecht, Holland. Do plan on attending this Choral Vespers and invite your friends! A reception will follow the service.

The January Voters Meeting will be held following Divine Service on January 28th. Every member of Our Saviour, eighteen and older, is eligible to participate in this congregational meeting.

Because Easter is early this year (March 31st)  the Christmas Cycle of the Church Year – Advent, Christmas, Epiphany – ends with the Festival of the Transfiguration of our Lord on Sunday, January 21st, and the Easter Cycle – Pre-Lent, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost – begins with Septuagesima Sunday on January 28th. The Latin names of the three pre-Lenten Sundays – Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima – tell us that it is approximately 70, 60, and 50 days until Easter. This year Ash Wednesday falls on February 14th – which is also Saint Valentine’s Day!

Please do not forget our on-going support of the GEDCO Food Pantry and of the Helping Up Mission. The need remains so great!

Thanks to the generosity of our members we were able to provide thirteen $40 Aldi gift certificates to needy families connected with the Waverly School at Thanksgiving and thirteen $100 gift certificates at Christmas.

Sherry James, the daughter of Eugene James, has been hospitalized since before Christmas Day. Remember her in your prayers, also Bridget Bauman, James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Timothy Doswell, Quilla Downs, Bunny Duckett, Steve and Joyce Eaves, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Marian Rollins, Elaine Schwab, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek Jr., Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson, Marvalisa Sierra, Jonathan and Steven Gibson. Helen Gray remains at Keswick Multi-Care Center, 700 W. 40th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake Healthcare, 700 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208.

I am writing these lines on December 28th which in the calendar of the Church Year is the Holy Innocents Day when we remember the infants slaughtered by King Herod in his vain attempt to destroy the infant Savior. How sad it is that the slaughter of innocent children continues in our own day! It goes without saying that as disciples of Him who is the Prince of Peace we Christians will pray fervently for peace throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and in the Holy Land. Every life is precious to Him who is the Maker and Redeemer of the whole world. And so let us turn to Him who “makes wars cease to the end of the earth” (Psalm 46:9). The late Rev. Dr. Alfred Fuerbringer, who for many years was like his father Ludwig the president of our Synod’s Saint Louis Seminary, noted that during the First World War the congregation of Trinity Church in Saint Louis – the “mother church” of our Synod – at the end of every service sang the ancient prayer for peace which Dr. Luther had translated and which now is found in our hymnal (777. 778):

Grant peace, we pray, in mercy, Lord; Peace in our time, O send us!
For there is none on earth but You, none other to defend us.
You only, Lord, can fight for us. Amen.

Let me conclude this letter by thanking you for your Christmas cards and gifts and by reminding you of the blessing and privilege that is ours as Christians: that every Lord’s Day the God of great mercy is present for us through the preaching of His holy Word and in the Sacrament of our Lord’s true body and blood. The Lord of Mercy graciously invites you. How will you respond?

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, November, 2023

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
November, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

November 1st is All Saints Day and, when November 1st does not fall on Sunday, we keep the festival on the following Sunday, this year November 5th. On this festival we celebrate the blessed reality of the communion of saints, the wonderful fellowship of all who belong to Christ both in paradise and on earth. For many years our custom at Our Saviour has been to remember especially those members of our church who have been called to Christ’s nearer presence since the last All Saints Day. This year we will remember Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, and Robert Siperek. In the words of Bishop 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.

November 24th is Thanksgiving Day and as is our custom we will keep this holiday with a service of  Vespers on Thanksgiving Eve at 7:30 P.M. People of a certain age are much given to nostalgia: that’s certainly true of me! I freely admit that I am nostalgic about Thanksgiving Day when I was a boy. In those days our churches were full but that is – sadly – true no more. Many churches have simply abandoned public worship at Thanksgiving. It seems that nowadays most Americans see no reason to go to God’s house to give Him thanks for all His blessings to us as a nation. Of course we all are troubled by many circumstances in our country’s life, but – especially when compared with less fortunate lands! – we have so many reasons for thankfulness for all the blessings we do in fact enjoy.

And looking ahead to Thanksgiving, be sure to read Bernie Knox’s article at the end of this newsletter about the gift certificates which we give to needy families both at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Family Day, which we keep as the anniversary of the dedication of this church building, was as always a very happy occasion. Our good friend Pastor Elliott Robertson preached a wonderful sermon showing how God has guided and blessed our congregation through the years, highlighting the fiftieth anniversary of the merger of the Church of Our Saviour and Saint Matthew’s Church which was founded by people who had been members of Saint Matthew’s Church in Meherrin, Virginia. That congregation had been founded in 1888, four years before Our Saviour, (then known as Jackson Square) was founded in 1892. In the late 19th century the Missouri Synod to which we belong was – to put it mildly! – emphatically German! Yet Saint Matthew’s Meherrin was founded as an African American congregation and Our Saviour was founded for English-speaking people. To this day there are members of our congregation whose roots are in Meherrin. This is a unique history and one of which we can be justly proud! Copies of Pastor Robertson’s sermon will be available on the table in the back of the church and on the piano.

Our new organ console was dedicated on Sunday, October 22nd, and we are also planning to have a special celebration in January. Details will be announced in the December newsletter. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Paul Techau for his tireless efforts in bringing this project to a happy completion. A plaque will be affixed to the organ noting that this new console is dedicated to the memory of Joseph Silver.

A crepe myrtle tree has been planted in front of the church near the bus stop. We are hoping that when it has grown it will provide shade for people waiting for the bus. Wayne West procured the tree and he and Paul and Mary Techau planted it.

We continue to remember in prayer Bridget Bauman, James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Timothy Doswell, Quilla Downs, Bunny Duckett, Steve and Joyce Eaves, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Marian Rollins, Elaine Schwab, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek Jr., Jonah Rogness, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson; Marvalisa, Sierra, Jonathan, and Steven Gibson. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224; Louis Bell at Autumn Lake Healthcare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208, Queenie Hardaway at Augsburg Village, 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207.

Please call (410-554-9994) or email (charlesmcclean42@gmail.com) me if you are unable to come to church and want me to visit you or bring you the Sacrament. Also let me know if you are in need of a ride to church and I will see to it that that need is met.

Let us be diligent in prayer for the whole Church and the whole world, and especially for our own congregation and country and for one another.

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

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

GIft Certificates

Again this year OSLC will be providing Aldi’s Gift Certificates to needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are including this in our bulletins and newsletters now so that our gifts may be as generous as possible. Please indicate on your check memo line or on an accompanying note that the funds are designated for these Gift Certificates.

We also use the collections taken at our Lenten Soup Suppers to help support our Gift Certificates. In 2022 our four Soup Suppers yielded a total of $143.00. By Thanksgiving, including the Soup Supper funds and congregational donations, we were able to provide 12 families with a $65 gift certificate. At Christmas time our congregational donations were greater and we were able to provide 12 families with a $100.00 gift certificate. The recent 2023 Soup Suppers provided $348 as a beginning for our 2023 Thanksgiving and Christmas Certificates.

Please begin now to think about making generous contributions that will allow us to continue to help those less fortunate than ourselves provide a special meal for their families at a holiday which reminds us to be thankful for all the Lord has given us and at a second holiday which celebrates God’s greatest gift of all – the birthday of our Savior Jesus.

– Bernie Knox

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, October, 2023

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
October, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Family Day is Sunday, October 1st. Our guest preacher will be our good friend, Pastor Elliott Robertson, who for many years was pastor of Martini Church in south Baltimore. Lunch will follow the Divine Service. As is our custom we will also celebrate the 93rd anniversary of the dedication of our church. When Jacob awoke from his dream of a ladder reaching from heaven to earth with the angels of God ascending and descending on it, he exclaimed: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16,17). For 93 years our Lord and Savior has been graciously present in this place through His holy Word and Sacraments. We think of all who have heard the preaching of the Gospel and of all who have been made children of God through Holy Baptism and then confessed their faith in their Savior in confirmation, of all who have here been absolved of their sins and received the holy body and precious blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar. We think of all the couples who have spoken their marriage vows and received the blessing of Christ the heavenly Bridegroom. We think of the mourners who have here been comforted with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection. We think of all who have offered their prayers and praises through Christ our heavenly High Priest. Like Jacob at Bethel we too must say, “Surely the Lord is in this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Since all this is so, it is a joyful thing when year by year we give thanks for so many blessings!

Our dear sister in Christ, Maggie Doswell, fell asleep in the Lord at Medstar Hospital in Washington on the evening of Tuesday, September 12th. Her funeral was held here on Friday, September 22nd. For several years she was cared for at Cadia Healthcare in Hyattsville. It was always a privilege and a pleasure to visit her and bring her Holy Communion. Her cheerfulness and courage, her steadfast faith in her Savior, are a wonderful example for us all! May the Light perpetual ever shine upon her and may the risen Lord comfort all who mourn.

The fall Voters Meeting will be held after Divine Service on October 15. Every member of Our Saviour eighteen years old and older is eligible to participate.

God willing, on Sunday, October 22nd, we will dedicate the new organ console to the glory of God and in loving memory of Joe Silver who served this congregation so faithfully for so many years. His faithfulness and cheerful spirit are an example to us all. Be sure to read Paul Techau’s article about the new organ console at the end of this newsletter, also Judy Volkman’s report on our free flea markets and Bernie Knox’s article about the Aldi gift certificates we give to needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

On the last Sunday in October we will as always celebrate the Festival of the Reformation. In the first of the 95 theses – propositions intended for debate among theologians – posted on October 31, 1517 Dr. Luther said: “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, in saying ‘Repent,’ meant the whole life of believers be one of repentance.” That call to repentance continues to resound down through all the ages as do the words of the 62nd thesis: “The true treasure of the church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.” And these words are but the echo of the words of our Savior. Saint Mark tells us that  “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel ” (Mark 1:14,15). As Christians, we are called daily to repent of our sins, examining our lives in the light of the Word of God. As one looks at the state of the churches today, who can fail to see the very widespread indifference to the Gospel and the holy Sacraments, to the public worship of the church? When we absent ourselves without a valid reason from worship on the Lord’s Day, we are creating an impression of indifference to the means of grace and to fellow Christians who are robbed of the encouragement our presence at Divine Service provides for them.

We continue to remember in our prayers James Bauman, Bridget Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Quilla Downs, Bunny Duckett, Steve and Joyce Eaves, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Julia Silver, Jonah Rogness, Marian Rollins, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson; Marvalisa, Sierra, Jonathan and Steven Gibson. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224; Louis Bell at Autumn Lake Healthcare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208; Queenie Hardaway at Augsburg Village, 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207.

If you are unable to come to church and would like me to visit you and bring you Holy Communion at home, please email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com or call me at (410)554-9994. If you need a ride to church, please let me know and I will see to it that that need is met.

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

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

New Organ Console

This month we anticipate the installation of our new organ console. Our Moller pipe organ was installed when the church was built in 1930. It was rebuilt and slightly expanded in 1988. The console, however, has begun to show its age. After some research, we concluded that the most economical solution was to replace the console with a Viscount digital organ that will play the 1142 pipes in the organ chamber. In addition, the existing pipework will be supplemented with digital stops in a “hybrid” arrangement that will again expand the sounds that the organ can produce. The new console is expected to be delivered on October 9, and we will be without the organ one Sunday on October 15. If all goes according to plan, on October 22 the new console will be dedicated to the glory of God and in memory of Joe Silver who passed away January 5, 2022. He served this congregation faithfully for many years and in many ways, including many years as our sexton. We hope you can join us for this wonderful occasion.

  • Paul Techau

Free Flea Markets

On September 9th, 24 people attended the Last Flea Market of the year. There were 347 items distributed. This was a special Flea Market since we gave each person attending a large bag they could fill with clothing and/or shoes. Many people just took the clothes and left as “happy campers.” It seems that this year, many of the attendees also contributed to our inventory. We were happy to see that they were sharing their bounty with us. Many thanks to the volunteers who assisted this year: Eugene James, Paul & Mary Techau, Abigail Scheck, Pastor McClean, Jean & Wayne West, Bernie Knox, Gabe Purviance and Ben Orris. This wouldn’t have happened without them!

This is the 10th year that we have been sponsoring this Free Flea Market. There are times when I wondered if we were making an impact on the community. The statistics for 10 years show that 1435 people visited us and we distributed 10,350 items. WOW! It goes to show that small things really do add up. And the Lord has given us the ability to share our bounty with those who need it. Praise the Lord!!

We will continue to carry on next year. Donations of clothing, shoes, jewelry, linens and household items will be gladly accepted during the winter months. Since we hold the Markets during warm weather, winter clothes are not very popular.

  • Judy Volkman

Works of Mercy

Again this year OSLC will be providing Aldi’s Gift Certificates to needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are including this in our bulletins and newsletters now so that our gifts may be as generous as possible. Please indicate on your check memo line or on an accompanying note that the funds are designated for these Gift Certificates.

We also use the collections taken at our Lenten Soup Suppers to help support our Gift Certificates. In 2022 our four Soup Suppers yielded a total of $143. By Thanksgiving, including the Soup Supper funds and congregational donations, we were able to provide 12 families with a $65 gift certificate. At Christmas time our congregational donations were greater and we were able to provide 12 families with a $100 gift certificate. The recent 2023 Soup Suppers provided $348 as a beginning for our 2023 Thanksgiving and Christmas Gift Certificates.

Please begin now to think about making generous donations that will allow us to continue to help those less fortunate than ourselves provide a special meal for their families at a holiday which reminds us to be thankful for all the Lord has given us and at a second holiday which celebrates God’s greatest gift of all – the birth of our Savior Jesus.

– Bernie Knox

Parish Newsletters

Our Saviour Parish News, July/August, 2023

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH

3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
July-August, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Although Independence Day is not a festival of the Church Year, it has been our custom to conclude the Divine Service on the Sunday nearest Independence Day with the singing of the hymn, “God Bless Our Native Land,” a poem written by Charles Timothy Brooks (1813-1883) while he was a theology student in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The tune is the very familiar melody of the patriotic song, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” which is also the tune of the British national anthem, “God Save the King.” Saint Paul exhorts us to make “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks…for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (I Timothy 2:1,2). And so the Church has always included prayers for the civil authority in the Divine Service every Lord’s Day.

This year the first Sunday in July is July 2nd which in the calendar of the Church Year is the Festival of the Visitation of Mary. Having received the astonishing news that she was to be the mother of the Savior, Mary “went with haste” to visit her cousin Elizabeth, the expectant mother of Saint John the Baptist, the Forerunner of Christ (Luke 1:39-56).

Our newly elected Church Council will be installed on this first Sunday in July. The members of the Church Council are Bernie Knox, Merton Masterson, Gabe Purviance, Paul and Mary Techau, Wayne and Jean West. Ben Orris has served on the Council as director of worship but he will be moving to Washington as he takes up a position at the National Institutes of Health. Ben has now completed his doctoral studies in biochemistry at Johns Hopkins and so we congratulate him and wish him well in this new chapter of his life. We also thank Jake Mokris who has been making the bulletins and the newsletter for the past three years.

The July and August free flea markets will take place on July 8th and August 11th, 9:00 A.M.-12 Noon. We always need volunteers to greet those who come and hand out items.

Remember to bring food items for the GEDCO food pantry and personal items for the Helping Up Mission. When doing your grocery shopping, why not purchase a few items to donate to the food pantry?

At the Voters Meeting on May 21 it was decided to proceed with the purchase of a new organ console. The Church Council had recommended the acquisition of a new console as the most cost efficient solution to the problems presented by a console which was installed in 1930 when our present church building was dedicated. Although we have in hand the funds to do this, contributions to the organ fund are of course very welcome. Be sure to mark your check for “organ fund.”

Debbie Lewis has informed us that she will not be continuing as our organist following her summer vacation. And so we are again looking for an organist. We thank Debbie for her service and wish her well.

We continue to remember in our prayers James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Quilla Downs, Bunny Duckett, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Mary Mokris, Julia Silver, Lawrence Smallwod, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson, Marvalisa, Sierra, Jonathan, and Steven Gibson. Maggie Doswell continues to recover at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224; Louis Bell at Autumn Lake Healthcare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208; Queenie Hardaway at Augsburg Village, 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207.

The triennial Convention of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod will meet in Milwaukee July 29th-August 3rd. Our Synod is divided into districts and the districts into circuits. Each circuit chooses a pastor and a layperson to represent the circuit. The circuit we belong to has chosen Paul Techau to be the lay delegate and Eric Bednash, the pastor of Saint James’s Church in Overlea, to be the pastoral delegate. Pastor Matthew Harrison has again been reelected President of Synod. He has been a good and faithful chief pastor, a true shepherd of this part of Christ’s flock here on earth. You may remember that two years ago he spoke at the Saint Mark’s Conference here at Our Saviour. Remember in your prayers all the leaders of our synod and all the delegates to the synodical convention.

Please let me know if you are unable to come to church and wish to receive Holy Communion at home. Email me at charlesmcclean42@gmail.com or call me at (410)554-9994. If you are in need of a ride to church, please let me know and I will see to it that that need is met.

Please remember me in your prayers. You are in mine.

Pastor McClean

Works of Mercy

Again, this year, OSLC will be providing Aldi’s Gift Certificates to needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are including this reminder in our bulletins and newsletters now so that our gifts may be as generous as possible. Please include on your check memo line or on an accompanying note that the funds are designated for these Gift Certificates.

Please begin now to think about making generous donations that will allow us to continue to remember those less fortunate than ourselves and provide a special meal for their families at a holiday which reminds us to be thankful for all the Lord has given us and at a second holiday which celebrates God’s greatest gift of all – the birth of our Savior Jesus.

– Bernie Knox

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 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, January, 2017

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OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH
  in the City of Baltimore
www.oursaviourbaltimore.org
January 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Here we are at the beginning of the year of our Lord 2017 which is both the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and the 125th anniversary of Our Saviour Church. I write these lines on December 28th which is the fourth day of the Twelve Days of Christmas and also the Festival of the Holy Innocents when the Church remembers the little boys of Bethlehem who perished in King Herod’s futile attempt to destroy the infant Savior (Matthew 2:13-18).

Our happiness on Christmas Eve was increased by the fact that Don Weber, our faithful organist, was able to play for the Holy Night Communion. He has served as organist in this Church since September 1959; this past September he had completed fifty-seven years here! In a day when commitments are hard to come by and people seem to move from one job to another, Our Saviour has been truly blessed to have Don Weber these many years. You realize how long Don has been here when you remember that when he began here Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House – and I had just graduated from City College High School! The Church Council and I truly wish that Don could go on for ever, but age with its infirmities has a way of catching up with us all. And so for reasons of health Don has announced his retirement. He will hold the title Organist Emeritus and he expects to play on occasion when he is able. I must say that as pastor I have been simply delighted with Don’s work: he is truly liturgical organist. He has a deep understanding of the worship of the Church in general and of its music in particular. We now face the challenge of choosing a successor. For the time being we have the services of several qualified organists. The Church Council has addressed all of these matters quite carefully and is certainly willing to receive input from our members. Don will be part of the committee which will look for his successor. We are of course going to have a grand recognition event for Don but that will take some time to put in place. In your prayers give thanks for Don and pray that our heavenly Father would continue to bless and keep him in all his ways.

We Christians celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas through January 5th. The following day is the Festival of the Epiphany of our Lord, one of the great festivals of the Church in which we remember the coming of the Gentile wise men (Matthew 2:1-12) to worship the infant Lord. Epiphany has been called the “Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles” and the “Christmas of the Gentiles.” On the evening of Friday, January 6th, there will be a Festival Divine Service at which we’ll sing beloved Christmas carols which speak of the wise men: “The First Nowell,” “What Child is This?” and “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” together with Epiphany hymns. The Rev. Aaron Bueltmann, Pastor of Advent Church in Forest Hill, will be the preacher. The other congregations of our Circuit have been invited and there will be a reception after Service. The Epiphany Festival brings our Christmas celebration to a bright and joyful conclusion.

Sunday, January 1st, is of course New Year’s Day. In the calendar of the Church Year it is the Festival of the Circumcision and the Name of Jesus (Luke 2:21) and also the Eighth of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Should not we Christians wish to begin the New Year in the Lord’s House at the Lord’s Altar? Divine Service will as usual be at 11:00 A.M. but Sunday School and Adult Class will not meet.

Jake Mokris has been studying for a doctorate in physics at Johns Hopkins University. His adviser at Hopkins recently took a new job at the University of Haifa in Israel.  And so to complete his doctoral studies Jake must now follow his adviser to Haifa. On Sunday, January 8th, we’ll have a potluck luncheon to wish him well and thank him not least for his faithful carrying out of the duties of worship director following James Gray who served faithfully and well for so many years. Merton Masterson will be succeeding Jake in that capacity.

You may have noticed that the arch over the main door of the church facing The Alameda has recently been painted – thanks to the generosity of a member who prefers to remain anonymous. Such an arch is called a tympanum. It had been showing the wear of the 86 years since the Church’s dedication in 1930.

I must thank Joe Silver and William Hawkins for getting the Christmas trees and everyone who helped to decorate the Church. “Many hands make light work,” and so the whole task was finished in little more than an hour. Judy Volkman as usual took in hand the ordering of the poinsettias and their placement in the chancel. Our Church is always quite splendid in its Christmas finery. The decorations will be taken down on January 8th, the First Sunday after the Epiphany.

I have been remiss in not having thanked Paul Techau for serving as our cantor. He sings the variable parts of the liturgy which properly are sung: the Introit (entrance chant), the Gradual (between the Old Testament Lesson and the Epistle), the Alleluia Verse (before the Holy Gospel). These parts of the liturgy are largely taken from the Book of Psalms and have been in use in the Church for well over a thousand years. They compliment the Scripture readings of the Sunday or Festival. When the liturgy was revised at the Reformation these parts were retained.

I will be away from January 14th through January 20th attending the annual Symposium on the Lutheran Confessions at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. On Sunday, January 15th, Pastor Thomas Foelber, until his retirement Pastor of Saint James’s Church in Overlea, and now our Circuit Visitor, will be with us. If you need a pastor while I am away, call my home phone (410.554.9994) and there will be a message to help you reach a pastor.

There will be a regular Voters Meeting on Sunday, January 22nd, following the Divine Service. Members of our congregation, 18 years and older, are eligible to participate in the Voters Meeting.

I suspect that as we enter the new year we are full of hopes and also misgivings. Those hopes and misgivings we place in the hands of Jesus our Savior in the confidence that His forgiving love will sustain us all our days. Pray for this congregation and for me your pastor and for the whole Christian Church on earth with all its pastors and ministers. Pray for our country and for all the nations of the earth that we may continue to serve our Lord and Savior with glad hearts and live quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and honesty.

Affectionately in our Lord, 

PastorMcCleanSig

Pastor McClean