We have been having some truly wonderful weather here in Maryland. As Christians we give thanks to our good Creator for all the blessings of creation. And if even the fallen creation is this beautiful, what will be the beauty of “the new heavens and new earth” which will be established when the risen Lord appears in glory? Dr. Luther once said that the creatures are now “wearing only their work clothes; afterwards they will put on an Easter coat and Pentecost clothing.” And every Lord’s Day, as we celebrate the Holy Sacrament, we not only look back to Christ’s saving death and resurrection, we also look forward to the glory that shall be revealed when He comes again in glory.

Two Sundays this September bring two festivals of the Church Year when the liturgical color for the day is red. On both these Sundays we will be using the new red banner which has been given by Scott Jones’s wife Jolanta. Thank you, Jolanta, for your generosity!

On September 13th in the year 335 – 1690 years ago – the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (also known as the Church of the Resurrection), which had been built on the site of our Lord’s crucifixion and burial, was dedicated. On the following day a piece of what was believed to be the cross of Jesus was shown to the worshipping congregation. And so September 14th soon came to be celebrated everywhere as Holy Cross Day. In our Synod’s German hymnal the day is designated as “Am Tage der Kreuzes Erhoehung/On the Day of the Exaltation of the Cross.” For on Holy Cross Day the Church remembers not so much the sufferings of the crucified Savior as His victory on the cross: the tree of death became the tree of life. Among our Eastern Orthodox fellow Christians Holy Cross Day is one of the Twelve Great Festivals of the Church Year. Among us Western Christians many churches have been called Holy Cross Church, among them one of the four original churches (Trinity, Holy Cross, Immanuel, Zion) of our Synod in Saint Louis, also Holy Cross Church here in Baltimore.

September 21st is Saint Matthew’s Day, Saint Matthew being one of the twelve apostles and the author of the Gospel which bears his name. As we celebrate Saint Matthew’s Day we will be conscious of the fact that in April 1973 Saint Matthew’s Church and the Church of Our Saviour became one congregation, remembering that Saint Matthew’s Church here in Baltimore had been founded by people who had been members of Saint Matthew’s Church in Meherrin, Virginia, which was founded in 1888, four years before Jackson Square Church which on moving to our present location in 1919 became the Church of Our Saviour. In a time when our Synod was an almost exclusively German church body, Saint Matthew’s in Meherrin was founded to bring the Gospel to African Americans, Jackson Square was founded to bring the Gospel to English speaking Americans.

In recent decades there has been a dramatic increase in the number of Spanish speaking people in our country, also here in Baltimore. On Saturday, September 20th, at 11:00 A.M. the Rev Walterson Siewert will be installed as pastor of the Iglesia Luterana Nazaret/Nazareth Lutheran Church in Highlandtown during a service that will be conducted in both Spanish and English. A reception will follow. Pastor Arthur Boone and Pastor Miguel Torneire began this work and Pastor Siewert will now continue this mission to Hispanics. Pastor Siewert comes to us from Uruguay. Do try to attend this service to support and encourage him as he begins his ministry here in Baltimore.

John Igoe has been our organist since September 2023 but he has now accepted the position of organist and choirmaster at Our Lady of Grace Church in Silver Spring. He was also our organist from February 2021 through August 2022. September 7th will be his last Sunday at Our Saviour. We are truly grateful for his faithful service which has truly enhanced our worship and has lifted up our hearts to the Lord. We wish him God’s richest blessings as he begins this new work. I am happy to note that he will continue to be available to play for any weekday services which do not conflict with his new responsibilities. Thank you, John, and Godspeed!

Mark your calendars now! Sunday, October 5th will be Family Day and the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the dedication of our church. The Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor, Bishop/President of the Atlantic District of our Synod, will preach. A luncheon will as usual follow Divine Service. Three districts of our Synod – the English, the Atlantic, and at this year’s convention our Southeastern District – have decided to use the title bishop for their district presidents because bishop has from the earliest days of the church been the name given to the pastors who have oversight of the doctrine and practice of pastors and congregations and also ordain candidates to the Holy Ministry, in our Synod’s churches either in person or by proxy. Do plan on being present to hear Bishop Taylor who is known to be a very engaging preacher.

We are certainly living in a time of desperate need. The ongoing wars in Ukraine, in Gaza, in Sudan and elsewhere – to say nothing of natural disasters at home and abroad – are the cause of almost unimaginable suffering. Remember that you can help through our Synod’s Contributor Care Line (888-030-4439) or by sending a check to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, PO Box 66861, Saint Louis, MO 63166-6801. Make your check payable to LCMS and mark the check for LCMS World Relief and Human Care. You can also donate through the secure website lcms.org/givenow/mercy. Closer to home, remember to keep bringing food items for the GEDCO Food Pantry and personal items for the Helping Up Mission in its work with homeless men and women.

Saturday, September 13th, will be the last Free Flea Market of this year, 9:00 A.M.- 12 Noon. We always need volunteers to welcome our visitors and distribute the items they choose. Be sure to read Bernie Knox’s article about Aldi Gift Certificates for Thanksgiving and Christmas at the end of this letter

Katherine Gray was recently hospitalized and continues to recover at Autumn Lake Healthcare at Homewood Center, 6000 Bellona Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21212. She is always happy to see visitors. Yolanda Ford has been hospitalized at Bayview Hospital, 4940 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224  but expects to leave the hospital soon. Keep both Kathy and Yolanda in your prayers.

We continue to remember in prayer Bridget Bauman, James Bauman, Christopher Bell, Bertha Buchanan, Dana Carmichael, Tim Doswell, Quilla Downs, Bunny Duckett, Joyces Eaves, Albert Ford, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Yolanda Ford, Sean Fortune, Lynne Funck, Katherine Gray, Sherry James, Gloria Jones, Byron Masterson, Crista Mohr, Mary Mokris, Elliott Robertson, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek Jr., Lawrence Smallwood, Paul Swank, George Volkman, Gary Watson; Marvalisa, Sierra, Jonathan and Steven Gibson.

In the Church Year Calendar September 29th is Saint Michael and All Angels Day. Both the morning and evening prayers in Dr. Luther’s Small Catechism conclude with the petition: “Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.” Let us continue to pray for one another, for the church and for the world, remembering the words of the psalm: “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:11).

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

Affectionately in our risen Lord,

Pastor McClean

Aldi Gift Certificates

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 indicate on your check memo line or in 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 Food Gift Certificates. In 2024, combining the Soup Supper donations and congregational donations, we were able to provide 12 families with a $90 certificate for Thanksgiving and a $75 certificate at Christmas. Our four Soup Suppers this year yielded a total of $275 to begin our Gift Certificate Fund.

Please begin now to think about making generous donations. These gifts allow us to assist those less fortunate than ourselves provide a special meal for their families at holidays which remind us to be thankful for all the Lord has given us and especially to celebrate God’s greatest gift of all – the birth of our Savior Jesus.

– Bernie Knox