Our Saviour Lutheran Church as it exists today is the result of the merger back in 1973 of the Church of Our Saviour which had been founded as Jackson Square Church in 1892 and of Saint Matthew’s Church which had been founded in 1929. When in 1919 the Jackson Square congregation moved from its original location near the John Hopkins Hospital to the corner of 33rd Street and The Alameda, a wooden chapel was built and the congregation took the name of the Church of Our Saviour. You can see the wooden chapel in the special picture at the top of this newsletter, which is a copy of a postcard which appeared not long after the dedication of the church in 1930. The preacher for our celebration of the 95th anniversary of dedication will be the Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor (pictured) who is the Bishop/President of the Atlantic District of our Synod. An engaging preacher, he is the first African American district president in the history of our Synod.

Three districts of our Synod – the English, the Atlantic and as of this year our Southeastern District – now use the title bishop for their district presidents, the title used since ancient times for the pastors who supervise the doctrine and practice of pastors and congregations. Most Lutheran churches around the world use the title bishop and the Lutheran churches of Scandinavia have retained the office of bishop since the time of the Reformation. The bishops of the Church of Sweden wear the bishop’s mitre as do the bishops of those African and Asian churches founded by Swedish missionaries. At the installation of Pastor Harrison as President of Synod the Lutheran Archbishop of Kenya (who was the preacher on that occasion) wore the mitre. The bishops of our English and Atlantic districts on occasion wear the mitre as a symbol of their office.

When Our Saviour Church was dedicated in 1930 the preacher was Pastor William Dallman who had led the group of laymen who had been members of Immanuel Church in founding our congregation. His sermon topic was “Confessing Christ in Augsburg in 1530 and in Baltimore in 1930.” 1930 was the 400th anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession to Emperor Charles V. Although Luther’s posting of his 95th Theses on October 31st 1517 is considered the beginning of the Reformation, it was at the council of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in Augsburg in 1530 that the Lutheran Church appeared as a distinct confession within the one Church of Christ. The Confession presented to the Emperor in Augsburg was intended to be nothing more and nothing less than a confession of the one faith of the one Church of Christ. So important is this principal confession of the faith of the Lutheran Church that the cornerstone of our church is marked with the letters UAC which stand for Unaltered Augsburg Confession. Why do we say “Unaltered”? Because the Augsburg Confession had once been altered, subtly changed in such a way that those who in fact denied the Real Presence of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Sacrament could falsely claim that they embraced its teaching – though they did not! And so when pastors at their ordination promise to be faithful to the Unaltered Augsburg Confession and congregations in their constitutions subscribe to the Unaltered Augsburg Confession or – like our congregation – place the letters UAC on their church cornerstones, they are in fact confessing the Real Presence of Christ’s true Body and Blood in the Sacrament, that beating heart of the Church’s life. The Augsburg Confession can easily be found online and we do have copies at church. Just ask!

On Sunday, October 12th, our Sunday Bible Class will reconvene after the summer hiatus. We are studying the Smalcald Articles of Dr Luther, one of the doctrinal confessions of the Lutheran Church. Like the other confessions of our Church, the Smalcald Articles are a summary of biblical teaching. Come join us! Questions are very welcome! We meet at 9:45 A.M.

The fall Voters Meeting will take place after Divine Service on October 19th. Every member of Our Saviour Church, 18 years and older, may participate. Why not join us and learn more about our congregation’s work? Your input is very welcome! The meeting almost never lasts more than an hour.

The last Sunday in October is Reformation Sunday, October 31^st being the 508th anniversary of Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church of All Saints in Wittenberg. The Reformation was just that: a reformation of the one Church of Christ and in no sense the beginning of some new Church. At the Reformation all those things which had come to obscure or even deny the Gospel were reformed so that the Gospel of the free grace of God in His crucified and risen Son might shine forth in all its splendor.

Katherine Gray has returned home following hospitalization and recovery at Autumn Lake Healthcare at Homewood. Her home address is 725 East 21st Street 21218.

As of this writing, Paul Swank is hospitalized at Bayview Hospital. Yolanda Ford is now at Autumn Lake Healthcare at Perring Parkway, 1801 Wentworth Road, Parkville, MD 21234. Keep these fellow members in your prayers.

Be sure to read Judy Volkman’s report on our Free Flea Markets as found at the end of this newsletter. Remember to keep bringing items for the GEDCO Food Pantry and personal items for the Helping Up Mission. The truly desperate situation in Sudan and in Gaza and the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine require all the help the peoples of the world can provide. Remember that you can help through our Synod’s Contributor Care Line (888-030-4439) or through the secure website: lcms.org/givenow/mercy. You can also send 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.

We continue to remember in our prayers: Bridget Bauman, James Bauman, Christopher Bell, Bertha Buchanan, Dana Carmichael, Tim Doswell, Quilla Downs, Bunny Duckett, Joyce 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.

When I think about the unhappy divisions in our country today, my thoughts often turn to the luminous words of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, given in the waning days of a civil war with (according to recent research) 800,000 casualties, an address given little more than a month before his assassination. Addressing the war weary American people, this is what he said: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us…strive to bind up the nation’s wounds… to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.” Lincoln addressed very different circumstances, but his words spoken in those very different circumstances reflect a spirit which speaks down through all the ages. As we say in the Divine Service, “For the peace of the whole world, for the well being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.”

Affectionately in our risen Lord,

Pastor McClean

Free Flea Market

Our Free Flea Markets have concluded for the year and have been very successful. A total of 199 people have attended the 5 openings this year and received 1583 (this includes items such as a set of dishes or a set of bed linens=1 ticket).

Outreach was also expanded to include individuals who receive support of St. Peter’s Learning Center in South Baltimore. The focus is to include them in community activities. Many come from disadvantaged families and so this is expanding our support to those who need it. They are people with intellectual disabilities and they attended on separate days when I opened the church for them. They attended 4 times, totalling 131 people and receiving 1310 items.

All this could not be accomplished without the assistance of faithful volunteers. They are: Pastor McClean, Bernie Knox, Mary Techau, Wayne West, Jean West, Eugene James, Gary Watson, Dennis Watson, Gabe Purviance, Kayle Buck. Many kudos to them for their assistance in keeping order and making sure there were plenty of items for shoppers to choose from.

In the past year, a number of people who have attended have also contributed to our inventory. It is good to see that those who received are also willing to share their bounty with us. We will still need your support with donations for next season, since we have completely depleted our stock (clothes went to Orphan Grain Train and household items to Savers). Items will be accepted on Sundays since we don’t want items left outside to be damaged by the weather.

In summary, since 2014 (11 years), 1744 people have attended and 13,479 items were distributed. That is a pretty good statistic for a small congregation at the corner of 33rd Street and The Alameda. The Lord has provided us with bounty and we have shared it!

– Judy Volkman