The beginning of the Trinity season focuses on what scholars call “the call to the kingdom of grace,” that is, God’s invitation to His kingdom, who is invited, and what it costs to refuse. These Sundays take us from the bedrock of salvation by faith alone, through the great feast God spreads for the undeserving, to the relentless mercy of a God who seeks out what is lost. As is our local custom, we will on the last Sunday of this month remember God’s grace to his church in the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. On June 25, 1530 seven Lutheran princes and two free imperial cities presented this Confession of their faith to Emperor Charles V in the City of Augsburg. We remember and give thanks for this great Confession of the one Faith of Christ’s one holy Church, and we pray that we may through all our days remain steadfast in this Confession. For a look ahead to July, see this months ‘The Month Ahead’ feature at the end of this newsletter.

At the May meeting of the Voters Assembly, a resolution was unanimously adopted asking Scott Jones to enter the SMP program, if at all possible in the Fall of 2026. Unfortunately, we are past the application deadline for the fall semester. This was unavoidable as there was no reasonable way to act on such a resolution prior to the regular Spring voters meeting. However, we are working with the district and Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN to get an exception to the normal deadline for the fall semester. We are arranging for Scott to have a vicarage interview with the Southeastern District and are in contact with the seminary admissions office to make this happens. It is a work in progress and we will endeavor to keep you informed of any new developments.

We recently received an inquiry from St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Meherrin, VA. Our Saviour has a special relationship with St. Matthew as many of the members of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Baltimore, came from Meherrin. St. Matthew, Baltimore merged with the Lutheran Church of Our Saviour in 1973 to form our present congregation of Our Saviour. Saint Matthew Church, Meherrin is in the process of major renovations to repair termite damage. Our Saviour made a donation to this effort in April. Per a request at the May Voters Assembly, we are including this information in the newsletter in case any members would like to make individual contributions. Checks should be made payable to Saint Matthew Lutheran Church and mailed to PO Box 91, Meherrin, VA 23954. You can note ‘Restoration Project’ on your check.

At this meeting we also elected the members of the church council for the coming year. They will be installed at Divine Service on June 26. A budget for the 2027 fiscal year that starts on July 1 was adopted which has some challenges. Please see Gabe Purviance’s note at the end of this letter for more information and how you can help.

The Sunday Bible class is continuing a study of selected readings from ‘Series A’ of the three-year lectionary (Our Saviour uses the historic one-year lectionary at its Sunday services). The class meets each Sunday morning at 9:45 AM. In addition, we will continue the 8:30 AM Sunday spoken Matins services throughout the summer.

We are continuing to support the GEDCO Food Pantry and for the Helping Up Mission. Boxes for items for both are found inside the door from the parking lot north of the church. Needless to say, the need remains great. And remember that you can provide help for suffering people around the world through our Synod’s LCMS World Relief and Human Care. You can call our Synod’s Contributor Care Line: (888)930-4438 or you can give online through this secure website: lcms.org/givenow/mercy or you can send a check to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, PO Box 66861, Saint 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 are continuing with our Free Flea markets each second Saturday of the month through September (June 13, July 11, August 8, September 12), 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Please see Judy Volkman for details or to volunteer to help.

We continue to remember in prayer Pastor McClean, Bridget Bauman, James Bauman, Albert Bell, Christopher Bell, Bertha Buchanan, Dana Carmichael, Elizabeth Coats, Timothy Doswell, Quilla Downs, Frank Ford, Iris Ford, Sean Fortune, Lynne Funck, Sherry James; Gloria Jones, Byron Masterson, Beth McClean, Julia Silver, Robert Siperek Jr., Lawrence Smallwood, Paul Swank, George Volkman, Gary Watson, Marvalisa, Sierra, Jonathan, and Steven Gibson.

When you come to the church, you will see that a lot is happening. We have fresh paint and new artwork is several parts of the building. This is thanks to the efforts of Scott Jones and his family. We are grateful for their efforts to help beautify our building. And we also want to thank Merton Masterson for his going above and beyond the call this past week. As some of you know, we had a little issue with the organ last weekend which turned out not to be the organ at all, but rather it was a BGE problem with our electrical supply. Merton gracefully agreed to spend more than twelve hours at the church waiting for a BGE crew to become available to fix the problem, which was accomplished this past Wednesday (June 11).

See you in church!

In Christ and on behalf of the Church Council,
Paul Techau, Council President

Stewardship and the Our Saviour FY2027 Budget

Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”  has always been one of my favorite hymns. When we sing the words, “a bulwark never failing,” I think of Our Saviour Lutheran Church standing watch at the corner of 33rd Street and The Alameda — a fortress of faith, hope, and protection for all of God’s people.

At the May Voters Assembly meeting, a budget for FY2027 (which starts July 1) was adopted that shows $106,575 in expenses against an expected income on the order of $95,000. This obviously is a deficit budget. While we have made every effort to minimize costs and hope to find additional savings as the new fiscal year progresses, the costs of maintaining our beautiful church, our fortress, never diminish. Thus as you consider your offerings for the coming year, we would ask that you consider this situation and, if at all possible, increase your weekly or monthly giving. In this way you can help strengthen our bulwark and keep Our Saviour as a beacon of the Gospel here in Baltimore for years to come.

We are truly blessed by God’s abundant grace and by the faithful generosity of this congregation. Thank you for helping keep our fortress strong.

– Gabriel Purviance, Stewardship Director

The Month Ahead: July, 2026

Services and Their Readings

The Season: Trinity V–VIII: Called and Kept by Christ

July’s four Sundays trace the life of the disciple from first calling to final warning. The Fifth Sunday shows Jesus turning a fishing boat into a pulpit and calling ordinary men to leave everything behind. The Sixth stands at Sinai and the Sermon on the Mount, where the Law that demands the whole inner life meets the Baptism that delivers what we cannot achieve. The Seventh and Eighth round out the month with God’s overwhelming provision for all nations and a sober reminder that the only true test of a teacher is the fruit of his doctrine.

July 5  Fifth Sunday after Trinity

1 Kings 19:11–21  •  1 Peter 3:8–15  •  Luke 5:1–11

After his great victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah has collapsed in terror, convinced he is the only faithful person left. God meets him not in wind, earthquake, or fire but in a quiet whisper, then sends him right back to work with the assurance that seven thousand others still stand firm. In the Gospel, Jesus overwhelms Simon’s boat with a miraculous catch so vast the nets begin to break, and when Peter falls to his knees and confesses his sin, Jesus responds not with condemnation but with a calling: from now on, you will be catching people alive. Peter’s letter brings that same pattern into our own lives—called to bless when cursed, always ready to give a gentle account of the hope we carry.

July 12  Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Exodus 20:1–17  •  Romans 6:1–11  •  Matthew 5:17–26

The Ten Commandments open not with a demand but with a declaration: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.” God delivers first and commands second. Jesus then takes those commandments in the Sermon on the Mount and drives them inward: to harbor anger is already to be guilty of murder, and to treat a brother with contempt is to stand in danger of judgment. Paul’s letter to Rome tells us what God has done about that: in Baptism, He buried our sinful nature with Christ and raised us to new life, so that sin no longer has the final word over who we are.

July 19  Seventh Sunday after Trinity

Genesis 2:7–17  •  Romans 6:19–23  •  Mark 8:1–9

Genesis 2 gives us an intimate portrait of creation: not the God of distant cosmic power but the potter who kneels in the dirt, shapes the man from the dust, and breathes life directly into his nostrils, placing him in a garden whose name means “delight.” In the Gospel, Jesus is in Gentile territory when four thousand people run out of food, and He feeds them all from seven loaves, giving thanks over the bread in language the Church will recognize at every Lord’s Supper. Paul puts the contrast plainly: sin pays a wage, and that wage is death; God gives a free gift, which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

July 26  Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Jeremiah 23:16–29  •  Romans 8:12–17  •  Matthew 7:15–23

Jeremiah warns that false prophets feed the people comfortable visions from their own imaginations—straw instead of wheat. Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with the same warning: false teachers look exactly like sheep from the outside, and the only reliable test is the fruit of their teaching, whether they confess the true Christ or quietly substitute something more agreeable. What protects the Church is not our own vigilance but the Word of God, which Jeremiah describes as fire and as a hammer that breaks rock. Paul adds the great comfort: the Spirit testifies alongside our own spirit that we are children of God and heirs with Christ, and no wolf can take that inheritance from us.