Our Savior Lutheran Church Plays 'What's in the Box?'

Church members removed the cornerstone from Wednesday, to see what was behind it. Church leaders had an old photo that showed the first Our Savior pastor putting the cornerstone in place in 1965 when the church building was dedicated. Our Savior Lutheran Church was formally organized on Sept. 9, 1962. Ground was broken for a new church building on Feb. 23, 1964.

This year the Our Savior congregation is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding with a celebration Sept. 9 at Royale Orleans Banquet Center.

And that's where the cornerstone photo comes in. It appeared in the old photo that the pastor had placed a time capsule of some kind behind the cornerstone. Now, 50 years later, the  church is holding a Time Capsule Contest, giving parishoners an opportunity to guess what the time capsule contains. The person who has the most correct guesses is promised a "fabulous" prize. In addition, a "not so fabulous " prize will go to the person who has the most outlandish guess.

On a steamy Wednesday morning, a variety of church members and vacation bible school students were on hand to watch the time capsule, actually an old copper box, removed from behind the cornerstone. Given the honors of retrieving the time capsule after its five-year stay inside the brick wall of the church building were congregation member Barbara Neels and her granddaughter Trinity Miller, 9.

Our Savior Lutheran School Principal Blair Bueckman actually made the first extraction from the cornerstone, pulling a joke on the group by removing a bag that contained a contemporary hand puppet of a lamb, which she used to lead the assembled Bible-schoolers in the song, Jesus Loves Me.

Then it was time to remove, but not open, the time capsule. Trinity removed the copper box and held it aloft.

The time capsule now will be stored until Sept. 9 when its contents will be revealed at the birthday celebration banquet.