As you have no doubt noticed, almost every month I include in this newsletter my telephone number and my email address. My telephone number remains the same. But on July 6th I lost access to my Gmail account and have received no emails sent to it on and after that date. Despite my own efforts and the kind help of Richard Brown, I have been unable to recover that account and so I now have a new email address: charlesmcclean1942@outlook.com. Never hesitate to contact me. Believe me when I say I that I am always glad to hear from you. Please let me know if you or a loved one is ill or in some kind of need. My telephone has an answering device and I do regularly check it for messages.

Lewis Otto Bell fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 98 years on Saturday, July 20th. His funeral was held in church on Tuesday, August 6th. Burial followed on Thursday, August 8th, in Meherrin, Virginia. May the Light perpetual ever shine upon him and may Christ the Savior comfort Albert, Marco, Marvin, Debbie and all who mourn with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.

In his Small Catechism Dr. Luther provides a form for both morning and evening prayer. Both prayers conclude with the petition, “Let Your holy angel be with me that the evil foe may have no power over me.” In the Calendar of the Church Year in the Lutheran Service Book (the hymnal we now use) and also in the hymnals formerly in use, The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) and Lutheran Worship (1982) September 29^th  is designated as the Festival of Saint Michael and All Angels. This year September 29th is the last Sunday in September, and so we will have an opportunity to celebrate this bright festival.  At every celebration of the Holy Eucharist we in fact join “with angels and archangels” in singing praises to the triune God: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.” The Hebrew word “Sabaoth” literally means “hosts” in the sense of “armies”: the holy angels are the heavenly armies of the Lord. When we consider the condition of the world today, we need to remember that hiding behind all the evil that we can see there is demonic activity on the part of Satan and all the fallen angels. Saint Paul writes: “For our fight is not against human foes, but against cosmic powers, against the authorities and potentates of this dark world, against the superhuman forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:11 New English Bible). And so it is a great comfort to know that in this cosmic struggle Christ defends and protects us through the mighty power of the angelic legions who constantly worship and serve Him. Do read and ponder the mysterious Epistle which from ancient times has been read at the Divine Service on Saint Michael’s Day: Revelation 12:7-12 – “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated…”

Mark your calendars now! Sunday, October 6th, will be Family Day and the 94th Anniversary of the Dedication of this Church. The Rev. Dr. William Harmon, President of the Southeastern District of our Synod, will preach. Dr. Harmon is a native of Baltimore, having grown up at Emmanuel Church in Catonsville. Plan now on being present to hear him preach and to give him a warm welcome. And do remember him in your prayers as we in fact do at every Divine Service.

Be sure to read what Judy Volkman and Bernie Knox have to say at the end of this newsletter. Judy brings us up to date on our Free Flea Markets and Bernie calls our attention to the Aldi Gift Certificates which we provide at Thanksgiving and Christmas for needy families connected with the Waverly School – which I attended from kindergarten through the sixth grade. And do remember to bring items for the GEDCO Food Pantry and for the Helping Up Mission. Since 1885 the Baltimore Helping Up Mission has provided help to countless men. What a happy thing it is that a Helping Up Mission for women has recently been opened. The Helping Up Mission addresses not only the problem of homelessness itself but also the poverty, addiction and mental illness that can lead to homelessness. This is a truly Christ-like mission of mercy!

Let me again remind you that you can help suffering people around the world through our Synod’s LCMS World Relief and Human Care. It is so easy to be overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness when we see so much misery around the world as in the ongoing wars in Sudan and in Ukraine and in the Holy Land. But we must not permit a feeling of helplessness in the face of so much suffering keep us from doing what we can in fact do! As members of our Synod, we can make a contribution through our Synod’s Contributor Care Line 888- 030-4439 or through this secure website: lcms.org/givenow/mercy or you can send a check to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, PO Box 66861, St. Louis, Missouri 63166-6861. Make your check payable to “The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod” and write “LCMS World Relief and Human Care” on the memo line.

We continue to remember in prayer Bridget Bauman, James Bauman, Christopher Bell, Deborah Bell Dixon, Bertha Buchanan, Dana Carmichael, Timothy Doswell, Quilla Downs, Bunny Duckett, Steve and Joyce Eaves, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Sherry James, Gloria Jones, Althea Masterson, Chris Mokris, Mary Mokris, Marion Rollins, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek Jr., Lawrence Smallwood, George Volkman, Dennis Watson, Gary Watson, Julie Watson. Yolanda Ford remains at Future Care, 1046 North Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21224. Julie Watson is now at Complete Care at Multi Medical Center, 7700 York Road, Towson, MD 21204.

We Christians gather every Lord’s Day to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in thanksgiving for our Lord and Savior’s resurrection on the first day of the week. The Lord’s People are in the Lord’s House for the Lord’s own Service every Lord’s Day. In the Epistle to the Hebrews – which we are studying in our Sunday morning Bible Class – we find these words: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day [of Christ’s Second Coming] drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24,25).

Affectionately in our Lord,

Pastor McClean

Free Flea Markets

In addition to the regular attendees, the Free Flea Market is seeing new faces. This is a result of placing more signage, mainly on the Flea Market day, in the 33rd Street median and having flyers handed our through the GEDCO food program. So we are reaching more people from our neighborhood! And some of those people are giving back to us through their donations.

We have received numerous donations through Eugene James and his family members and from his neighbors. Additional donations have come from the family of Lewis Bell. There have also been some mysterious donations, from whom I don’t know. Thank you so much for your generosity.

September 14th will be our last Free Flea Market for this year. We will pick up again in May of 2025, so if you have clothing or household items to donate at any time let Judy Volkman know now (443-425-3437). We have been blessed with much bounty and are glad to share it with those who need it!
– Judy Volkman

Aldi Gift Cards for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Again this year OSLC will be providing Aldi’s Gift Cards for Thanksgiving and Christmas to needy families whose names have been provided by the Waverly School. We are including this reminder in our newsletters and bulletins 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 those gift cards.

In 2023 we accumulated a total of $2,730 to distribute to 13 families. In 2024 our Lenten Soup Supper donations were $361. These donations are also used to support our Gift Card purchases.

Please begin now to think about making donations that will allow us to remember those less fortunate than ourselves provide special meals for their families. These holidays remind us to be thankful fr all the Lord has given us and to celebrate God’s greatest gift of all – the birth of our Savior Jesus.

Thank you!
– Bernie Knox

Mark your calendars now!
Joint Reformation Service of the Baltimore-Area LCMS Churches
Reformation Sunday, October 27^th, 4:00 P.M.
Our Saviour Church
Followed by a reception
Plan on attending and bringing your friends!