OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH
3301 The Alameda
Baltimore, MD 21218
410.235.9553
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
If you use the daily prayers in Luther’s Small Catechism, you know that both his morning and his evening prayer begin with thanksgiving: “I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ Your dear Son.” These morning and evening prayers are not only fixed forms of prayer, they also provide a pattern for our own personal life of prayer which should also shape our daily life. Thankfulness is a powerful medicine for the often besetting sin of discontent, of taking for granted God’s gifts which are new every morning!
John Igoe has been our organist for some time now and he has been a blessing to everyone who worships in this place. Anyone who has heard him play will know that he is a truly gifted church musician whose work at the organ has greatly enlivened our worship. And so I truly regret to tell you that August 14 will be his last Sunday with us. On the following day he will become the organist at Saint Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Catonsville. Our loss is surely their gain! We sincerely and heartily thank John and wish him well in his service at Saint Mark’s.
We also have yet another reason to thank John. I am tempted to say that he has left us a parting gift! For he recently created a video about our wonderful stained glass windows: “Windows That Witness: Stained Glass in Baltimore.” I have admired the beauty of these windows since I was a boy, and I often think that they are like sparkling gems. John’s video can be found online at on our web site (Stained Glass | Our Saviour Lutheran Church (oursaviourbaltimore.org)) and Facebook page (Our Saviour Lutheran Church – Home | Facebook) We also have a few “paper” copies of this work, a pdf of this can be found at the sam link. There are full color photographs together with commentary based on the leaflets published in connection with the dedication of the windows. My understanding is that it was Pastor Stiemke who planned the subject matter of the windows. It was in fact Marguerite Gaudin (1909–1991) of the Willet Stained Glass Studios in Philadelphia who designed them. She was a remarkable artist, and over a period of many years created windows for many notable churches including the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City and the National Presbyterian Church in Washington.
Our congregation has certainly been blessed with members who willingly and faithfully serve here. Judy Volkman has done just that for 60 (!) years and now is asking that other members assume her current responsibilities. From the time I arrived here she has been such a good friend to me and I am very grateful! At the end of this newsletter you will find a description of her current responsibilities. But she has done so much more over the years! She has served as president and vice-president of the congregation, as secretary, as director of stewardship and education, as Sunday School teacher and superintendent, as chair of a pastoral search committee. And since 2014 she has been the driving force of our free flea markets. We most certainly owe her a debt of gratitude.
Our dear brother in Christ, Phillip Purviance, fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, June 9, and was given Christian burial at the Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery following the funeral service here in church on Tuesday, June 21. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon him and may Christ our Savior comfort all who mourn with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.
Please remember to pray for all those for whom our prayers are desired: James Bauman, Louis Bell, Dana Carmichael, Lucille Carmichael, Maggie Doswell, Quilla Downs, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Helen Gray, Queenie Hardaway, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek, Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson. Maggie Doswell remains at Cadia Healthcare, 4922 LaSalle Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Louis Bell remains at Autumn Lake HealthCare, 7 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, MD 21208. Queenie Hardaway has been living at the Augsburg Home for some time now: 6825 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207. Quilla Downs continues to make a good recovery from surgery. Her new address is 1000 Brightseat Road, Apt. 462, Landover, MD 20777.
I continue to bring Holy Communion to members who are unable to come to church. If you want me to visit or bring you the Sacrament, call me at (410) 554–9994 or email me at charles.mcclean42@gmail.com. If you are in need of transportation to church, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to make arrangements for that purpose.
We continue to have the free flea market on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00–12:00 Noon. We always need volunteers to help. On July 9 there were 42 visitors and we distributed well over a 100 items.
Let us continue to pray for one another, for the whole church and for the whole world. Remember: The Lord’s People are in the Lord’s House at the Lord’s Own Service every Lord’s Day. Says the psalmist: “Lord, I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8).
Affectionately in our Lord,
Pastor McClean
After more than 60 years of involvement at Our Saviour, it is time to “pass the torch” along. I have been involved in numerous projects over the years and would like to work with the persons who would be willing to take over these responsibilities. I am still around, so I can support when needed. Instructions have been written for each position. Interested? You can contact me at (443) 425–3437 or judyvolkman9961@gmail.com.
– Judy Volkman
Poinsettias and Lilies
At Easter & Christmas, the altar is adorned with seasonal flowers. These need to be set out and orders taken. A listing of donors is compiled to be printed in the appropriate bulletin. A listing of monies collected is given to the money counters so these donations can be credited to the person’s contributions to OSLC.
Holiday Baskets
For a number of years, OSLC has provided holiday baskets for families associated with Waverly Elementary School.The names are requested through the school Social Worker, funds are requested from members of OSLC and from offerings at Lenten Soup Suppers, and gift cards purchased for families to buy their holiday dinners. These are mailed, with a greeting card, to the families. In the past, we have donated baskets 10 families.
Helping Up Mission
This Mission in East Baltimore assists men and women in turning their lives around. We have assisted them with donations of personal care items, clothing, and money. Help is needed to keep this mission before the Congregation, collect items to be donated and then delivered to the Helping Up Mission. Monies collected in the alms boxes in the church are used to purchase needed items.
Financial Secretary
According to our bylaws, this person shall:
- Record all contributions from members
- Acknowledge receipt of a contribution from a non-member
- Purchase, prepare, and distribute offering envelopes
- Prepare year-end statements of contributions by members
- Inform the congregation of any noteworthy trends in contributions