Calvary Lutheran Church opened its doors for the first time in the year 1890. There were only 16,000 people living in Howard County at that time, and they traveled on dirt roads by horse power. Life was very different.
In 2015, the church will celebrate its 125th anniversary with many activities. In honor of the anniversary, Patrick Rockinberg, the mayor of Mount Airy, presented a proclamation to Calvary Lutheran at the Mt. Airy Town Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 1. Pastor Eric Deibler and members of the congregation proudly accepted the proclamation.
The anniversary celebration will kick off with a combined worship service and luncheon on Sunday, Jan.18, at 10 a.m. The guest minister will be the bishop of the Delaware-Maryland Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Bishop Wolfgang D. Herz-Lane. Other planned activities include an old fashioned community picnic in the summer, and the publication of an anniversary cookbook, called "Recipes and Remembrances".
Calvary will celebrate Christmas with a German service on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 3 p.m. The worship service will be printed in both German and English. The choir will sing the Christmas carols in both languages, and a coffee hour with German goodies will follow the service.
On Christmas Eve the church will celebrate with a 3 p.m. service of Holy Communion featuring Christmas carols on the Celtic harp. At 5 p.m. there will be a traditional family service, and the Calvary Brass will play. At 7 p.m. a contemporary service for all ages will be held, and at 11 p.m. the traditional Christmas Eve service with communion, candles and choir music will take place. For more information about Calvary, call the church at 410-489-5280 or go to http://www.calvarylutheranmd.net.
If your plans include a trip out of the country, you will need to get a passport. The process is a little easier now because application services are available at the Glenwood Branch of the Howard County Library System. The service is offered without appointment, on Monday through Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Passport photos can even be taken at the library. Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis. Complete details, including processing fees and a list of the items you need to bring with you are available at hclibrary.org.
Harrison Morson of the Glenwood Lions Club wants to remind the community that the Lions Club collects used eyeglasses. Fighting blindness is a major priority for the Lions. Clubs conduct vision screenings, provide free eyeglasses for people who can't afford them and take part in other activities to raise awareness of eye disease.
The Glenwood Lions Club has eyeglass collection boxes in the Glenwood Library, the Gary J. Arthur Glenwood Community Center, Bushy Park Elementary School, Glenwood Middle School, Folly Quarter Middle School and the Howard County General Hospital visitor information desk.
After you drop your glasses in the donation box they are sent to Muncie, Ind., where they are sorted at the Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center. A lensometer determines the prescription of the glasses. They are cleaned and packaged according to the prescription. Then Lions Club members hold clinics where they test vision and fit glasses for people who need them. Your donated glasses can really change someone's life, making it possible for children to learn and for older people to work and support themselves. The members of the Glenwood Lions Club really make a difference in our community and in the world.