News From Our Pastor

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Last Sunday morning, after the "big snow", I walked outside before the start of our 10:30 a.m. (and only) worship service, and listened: the birds were singing as if it were the end of April, and a woodpecker could be heard digging for breakfast on the side of a tree. Spring is really coming! Special thanks to everyone who helped to make sure that we were able to hold worship last Sunday, especially Alan and Scott Nandrasy who are responsible for clearing our walkways and doorways! You guys did a great job – thank you!

This weekend marks the beginning of Holy Week, as we celebrate Palm Sunday. On Saturday, the Sonshine Childrens' Choir will help to lead us in worship at 5:30 p.m. During the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service, we will offer prayers and anointing for healing.

On Sunday, at 11:30 a.m., the Youth will hold an early St. Patrick's Day Brunch in the fellowship hall for all. This is a fund raising activity for the summer mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

HOLY WEEK WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Maundy Thursday (March 20) – St. Paul's Lutheran Church, downtown Dayton on Wayne Ave.

6:00 p.m. salad and sandwich dinner in the fellowship hall

7:00 p.m. Service of Holy Communion and healing; the faith story shared this night will be mine

Good Friday (March 21) – Lutheran Church of Our Savior

7:00 P.M. Service will include the reading of the Passion Narrative, and participation in the ancient "Bidding Prayer"

Holy Saturday (March 22) – LCOS Chapel

5:30 P.M. Taize' Prayer Service with Holy Communion

Easter Sunday (March 23) – Lutheran Church of Our Savior

9:30 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt

10:30 a.m. Festival Celebration of the Resurrection Faith

There is no 8:15 a.m. worship on Easter

The God who turned Good Friday into Easter morning is still the God who provides for us each day – let's gather in worship this weekend to praise our God who turns our Good Fridays into Easter!

In Christ's peace,

Gary

A Message From Our Pastor: Worship This Weekend; Time Change; Holy Week

Dear sisters and brothers in the Lord,

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS THIS SATURDAY NIGHT – MOVE AHEAD ONE HOUR – IT'S DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our worship theme this weekend is HOPE and WAITING in the Lord, and is grounded in the Old Testament lesson of Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones, and the Gospel account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The Sonshine Children's Choir will be singing special music for those worshiping on Saturday night, and the Joyful Noise Children's Choir will be singing at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Great sources of hope for us all! The Health Ministries Team will be offering free blood pressure screenings after all three services this weekend.

Holy Week Schedule

MAUNDY THURSDAY (March 20), 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Dinner will precede the service at 6:00 p.m., served upstairs in the fellowship hall.

GOOD FRIDAY (March 21), 7:00 p.m. at Lutheran Church of Our Savior (no food)

HOLY SATURDAY (March 22), 5:30 p.m. – Taize' prayer service with Holy Communion in the LCOS Chapel

EASTER SUNDAY (March 23) – ONE WORSHIP SERVICE AT 10:30 A.M. The Holy Terrors will hold their annual Easter Egg Hunt at 9:15 a.m.

So, change your clocks, and join us for worship this weekend as we praise the God who is always "on time"!

In Christ's peace,

Gary

A Message From Our Pastor

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

It is snowing, as it is supposed to do in February . . . the church lot has been plowed and salted, as well as the walks and steps into the church. Our noon and 6:30 p.m. midweek Lenten services will go on as scheduled today.

And . . . if winter weather ever leaves you wondering if worship (or other ministry activities) are going on as scheduled or cancelled, you can call the church office, watch TV channels 2 and 7, and watch your email for any cancellations. Please know that in the event of snow or ice, our church lot is always plowed/salted in time for mid-week and weekend worship!

This weekend's worship theme is centered on the image of "living water" that Jesus offers a Samaritan woman at "Jacob's well". The ancient Biblical reference to "living water" implies water that is moving, teeming with life, and not stagnant and lifeless. In Baptism, Jesus, the source of this living water, breathes new life into us, and daily fulfills God's promise to be lead us into meaningful life. The flowing fountain in the chancel is an audible reminder of God's living water in Jesus. The series of Lenten banners that present life's contrasts (sin/grace, destruction/redemption, death/life) have been created by a member of the congregation.

Looking Ahead: Holy Week Worship
Maundy Thursday (March 20) – at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Wayne Ave., 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday (March 21) – at LCOS, 7:00 p.m.
Holy Saturday (March 22) – Taize' prayer service w/Holy Communion at LCOS, 5:30 p.m.
Easter (March 23) – one service at 10:30 a.m. celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord

May God's blessings fill your life this week with joy, hope, and the uncontrollable urge to make life better for someone else through your faith!

In Christ's peace,
Gary

Easter Windows

Once again this year, groups and individuals are invited to create a floral arrangement in one of the window bays in the sanctuary for Easter. A sign-up sheet will be in the narthex. Stay tuned for more details.

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

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

Palm/Passion Sunday 10 :30 A.M. Service

If you are looking for a church to attend on Palm/Passion Sunday in the Dayton area 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. The following lists the music we will include in this service.

The congregation will gather outside (weather permitting) for the reading of Luke 19:28-40, the story of Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Following the blessing of the palms, we will then process into the sanctuary while singing All Glory, Laud and Honor.

The Gospel reading for the day will be the Passion Narrative, telling the story of Holy Week through the death of Christ on the cross. The Chancel Choir ends the service with Pablo Casal's O Vos Omnes. The text of this piece is taken from Lamentations 1:12: "All you who pass along this way, behold and see if there is any sorrow like unto my sorrow." The service will end in silence; there will be no final hymn or postlude.

We will have services during Holy Week on Maunday Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday . All of the services will use traditional liturgies from Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Details of the times are in a posting below and on the church's web site www.oursaviordayton.org. Please join us for all of these services. The Easter Service will include a festival version of ELW Setting Four (including pipe organ and brass), and the Chancel Choir, Sonshine and Joyful Noise Children's Choirs, and Bell Choir will all participate. More details of the Easter service will be posted in the next couple of days.

Palm/Passion Sunday -

Lutheran Book of Worship Setting Five

Prelude - March, by R. Spry
Processional Hymn - All Glory, Laud and Honor
Chancel Choir - No Rocks A'Cryin, by Rillo Dillworth (based on Psalm 47)
Hymn of the Day - There in God's Garden, ELW 342
Offertory - O Lamb Gottes, Unshuldig, J.S. Bach
Music During Gommunion - Chancel Choir - Ave Verum Corpus, by William Byrd (in Latin)
Hymns During Communion - Beneath the Cross of Jesus, ELW 338; Were You There, ELW 353
Chancel Choir - O Vos Omnes, by Pablo Casals

One Service on Easter Weekend; Holy Week Services

We will be gathering the entire congregation together for one service on the weekend of Easter. The service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 8. This will be a festival service, including brass players and special music by the choirs.

There will be no 5:30 p.m. Saturday service on April 7 and there will be no 8:15 a.m. service on Easter. If you regularly attend one of those services, please join us on Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. service.

Services during Holy Week:

Saturday, March 31 - 5:30 p.m.
Passion Sunday - Sunday, April 1 - 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Maunday Thursday - Thursday, April 5 - 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday - Friday, April 6 - 7:00 p.m.
No service on Saturday, April 7
Easter, the Resurrection of Our Lord - Sunday, April 8 - 10:30 a.m. (no 8:15 service)

We will use traditional liturgies for Passion Sunday, Maunday Thursday, and Good Friday which appear in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. On Easter, we will use Setting Four from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, which is taken largely from Setting II in the Lutheran Book of Worship.

Please join us for all of the Holy Week services if you are able. Going to church on Passion Sunday AND Maundy Thursday AND Good Friday AND Easter seems like a lot, but these services all work together, and if you miss a piece of it, you will be missing something.