Why Was That Candle in the Window . . .

you might ask, and why has it been moving around?

It's easy to stop noticing something that you see frequently. When I spend time in the mountains, I enjoy their beauty, but wonder if they would fade into the background if I lived nearby.

Each of the panels of the stained glass windows in our sanctuary depicts an event in the life of Christ, one of his stories, or an event in the life of the Church. Recently, we started placing a candle in front of a panel when it depicts an event or story relevant to worship for the day. So, you've seen the candle in front of panels depicting Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and the appearance of Christ to the disciples after the resurrection. Yesterday was Good Shepherd Sunday, so we placed the candle in front of the panel that depicts Christ as a shepherd with a sheep.

By periocially drawing attention to a panel in this way, we hope to help those attending worship to contemplate the message conveyed visually by the highlighted window.

Question Regarding Evangelical Lutheran Worship

One of our members said to me yesterday: "I thought we were going to use the new hymnals for everything, but we're using a communion setting from the LBW."

The setting that we are currently using at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service is Setting Four from Evangelical Lutheran Worship. This setting previously appeared in the Lutheran Book of Worship as setting II. So yes, it's from the LBW, but it's also in ELW. Since our weekly printed bulletins contain the liturgy, it would be easy to not realize that the setting is in ELW.

Our plan is to continue to seasonally rotate the settings that we use, and to introduce one of the new settings from ELW sometime in the next year. The goal is to use a variety of settings, but to use a select number of them in such a way that the congregation can be familiar with the music for each of the settings that we use.

We'll be looking at the ELW setting by Joel Martinson, which started out as the provisional setting we used several years ago but has been modified. During Lent this year, we used ELW setting Five, which is a plain chant setting derived from Setting III in LWB and from one of the settings in the "old" red hymnal. Setting I from LBW also appears in ELW as Setting Three; and Setting V from With One Voice appears in large part in the Service of the Word in ELW.

Easter Pictures 2007

Thanks to everybody who helped make our Easter service special this year. All four choirs participated, and four brass players added to the festivity. Many people helped decorate by putting up banners, pew candles, and the lillies on their stands. A number of families volunteered to create floral arrangements along the windows.

Comments on Tonight's Service?

One of our members is going to give out information about this blog to people who attend this evening's service. Welcome to those who haven't visited the blog before. If you have any thoughts about the service - the sermon, readings, music, etc. - you can attach them to this post.

A Message From Our Pastor

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

This Sunday at the 8:15 a.m. worship, the Sonshine Choir will present special music. Since the Sonshine Choir usually sings at the 10:30 a.m. service, this will be a real treat for this worship service, and we thank Elizabeth Beal (director), Sonia Davila (accompanist), and the members of the children's choir for making this special musical presentation.

Rebuilding Together will be held this Saturday, April 28. The "Lutheran House" is located just west of the V. A. Hospital complex, off Rt. 35. (Call for directions.) Work begins at 8:00 a.m., and lunch is served between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with working continuing into the afternoon. If you can share any time at all, your help will be greatly appreciated, as we join with other Lutheran congregations in the Dayton Conference to help a Dayton resident rehab her home.

The Youth are holding their annual MOTHERS' DAY BRUNCH on Sunday, May 6 (the week before Mothers' Day). Proceeds will go to the Youth mission work. Mark your calendars, and plan to attend!

CEREAL SATURDAY/SUNDAY
The Social Ministry Committee is asking that everyone bring breakfast cereal when you come to worship May 5/6 to stock the shelves of the New Hope Food Pantry. Add a box to the grocery cart in the narthex. Any kind you'd like to share will be welcome. Hot cereals like oatmeal or grits; cold cereals – flakes, puffs or whatever shapes you like. Any and all kinds will help feed those who are hungry.

May God bless you this week, and may we worship together this weekend.

In Christ,
Gary

A Message From Our Pastor

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The shock of horrific violence on the Virginia Tech campus is difficult for most of us to comprehend. I ask that you keep in your prayers those families who lost loved ones, and the faculty and students who must figure out a way to move on with life as the school year nears its conclusion. Hold on to God's assurance that God is present, in Virginia, and here, to bring hope to a world that often seems so void of hope. Perhaps it is so shocking to us because we are not accustomed to this type of violent carnage in our country. But I encourage you to remember that for millions of people around the world, Monday's event in Virginia is a daily occurrence in their homelands. Pray for those whose lives were ended prematurely on Monday, but please remember to also pray for those families around the world who live with this sinful violence every day.


This weekend's WORSHIP THEME centers around the Gospel account of Jesus forgiving Peter for denying him three times the day of the crucifixion, and Jesus' entrusting Peter with the mission of the Church. Sin breaks relationships and builds walls between us and God, and between us and others. In forgiving Peter, Jesus dismantled the wall between himself and Peter, thus restoring the relationship and sharing God's peace with the disciple, and it is what God does for us each time we seek God's forgiveness.

I look forward to being with you in worship this weekend!

In Christ,
Gary

Join Us for Easter

If you are looking for a church to attend in the Dayton Ohio area on Easter and would like take part in a service with a traditional liturgy and fine music, please join us at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior at 10:30 a.m. Details of the service:

Setting Four of the Service of Holy Communion from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (this setting is taken largely from Setting II in the Lutheran Book of Worship), festival version with brass and timpani.

Prelude - Prelude on Victimae Pascali, R. Spry
Entrance Hymn - Jesus Christ is Risen Today, ELW 365
Joyful Noise Children's Choir - That Easter Day With Joy was Bright
Sonshine and Joyful Noise Children's Choirs - Alleu!
Hymn of the Day - Alleluia! Jesus is Risen!, ELW 377
Offertory - Chancel Choir - My Master From a Garden Rose, E. Daley
Chancel Choir - Agnus Dei, from Solemn Mass, L. Vierne, sung in Latin
Music During Communion -

• Chancel Choir - Salvation is Created, P. Chesnokov
• Hymn - This Joyful Eastertide, ELW 391
• Bell Choir - Joyful Alleluia, C. Dobinsky
• Hymn - Alleluia! Sing to Jesus, ELW 392
• Hymn - Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness, ELW 488

Final Hymn - Thine is the Glory, ELW 376
Postlude - Toccata from Symphony V, C. M. Widor

There is an intergenerational Sunday School gathering before the service at 9:15 a.m. Please join us - visitors are always welcome, whether you live in town or are just passing through. Click here for a location map.

Pastor: Rev. Gary Eichhorn
Music Director and Director of the Chancel Choir: Ginger Minneman
Organist: Rachel Spry
Director of Sonshine Children's Choir: Elizabeth Beal
Director of Joyful Noise Children's Choir: Celeste Hoerner

Pictures from Our Good Friday Service

It's become our tradition at LCOS to light votive candles in the shape of a cross at the end of our Good Friday service. These are pictures from our service earlier this evening.

Choir Rehearsal Times for Easter Sunday

A reminder for Easter: The Bell Choir meets to rehearse at 9:00 a.m. The Chancel Choir meets to rehearse at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. We will practice the anthems first, then work with the brass and timpani on the festival setting of the Communion service. The service starts at 10:30 a.m.

A Message from Our Pastor about Good Friday & Easter

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Just a reminder that GOOD FRIDAY worship is tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. At the conclusion of the Maundy Thursday service last evening, the altar and chancel area were stripped in the ancient practice of the Church in preparation for tonight. Worship tonight will include a reading of the "passion narrative" as recorded by St. John (which offers a different perspective from St. Luke, read last Sunday), the ancient "Bidding Prayer," a procession of the cross, and lighting of votive candles at the conclusion of worship. We will be using the traditional liturgy appearing in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

EASTER WORSHIP – 10:30 A.M. SUNDAY (it is the only service of the weekend – there is NO Saturday or 8:15 a.m. Sunday worship) More details about this service appear in the posting below this one.

Easter Sunday begins in the fellowship hall at 9:15 a.m. with an intergenerational Sunday School event featuring creative studies of the origin of Scripture. A continental breakfast will be available (bagels, fruit, pastries, juice, coffee). Join us!

May God bless you with New Life this day!

In Christ,
Gary

A Message From Our Pastor

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

This is Holy Week, and below is the schedule for worship for the remainder of the week:

Maundy Thursday (April 5, 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary)
We will celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion that Jesus instituted on this night long ago. We also bring the season of Lent to full circle: We began Lent on Ash Wednesday by having the sign of the cross marked on our foreheads with ashes created from burning last year's palm branches. On Maundy Thursday, during the singing of our opening hymn, we will receive a special blessing of forgiveness accompanied by the marking of the cross on our foreheads with oil. The service will conclude with stripping of the altar in preparation for the next night. (Traditional liturgy from Evangelical Lutheran Worship.)

Good Friday (April 6, 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary)
We mark the last night of Jesus' earthly life with the reading of the Passion Narrative in the Gospel cccording to John, which offers a rather different perspective to that which was read last Sunday from the Gospel according to Luke. The service will include the ancient "bidding prayer" (offered only on this night), and concludes with a procession of the cross and lighting of votive candles. (Traditional liturgy from Evangelical Lutheran Worship.)

THERE IS NO SATURDAY EVENING WORSHIP OR 8:15 A.,M. SUNDAY WORSHIP!

Easter Sunday, April 8
Intergenerational SCS Event, 9:15 a.m., in the fellowship hall – includes light brunch and a creative study of the origin of the Bible.

Worship, 10:30 a.m., in the sanctuary – our "Celebration of New Life in Christ" will bring all three worshiping communities into one glorious celebration on this most important day of the year. Once again, we will hear the good news of the Risen Christ, accompanied by our choirs. (More music details appear in a posting above.) The stark Lenten drabness of our sanctuary will be replaced with an explosion of living color! (Setting Four of the service of Holy Communion from Evangelical Lutheran Worship.)

Please keep our Youth in your prayers as they purchase and deliver Easter food to the families in our Adopt-A-Family Program this weekend, asking that God bless their ministry in our community.

And . . . . work on the HVAC project kicks off Monday, as asbestos abatement begins and the boiler is shut down. The Property Committee has secured an alternative heat source for the sanctuary that will be linked to our ventilation system, so we will have heat throughout April . . . . and given the turn in the weather, praise to God for the dedicated members of our Property Committee!!

May God greatly bless you this week as we worship the God who died and rose for us, and who breathes new life into us each day!

In Christ,
Gary