6A
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019
H IGHLIGHTS
All Saints Day
recognized
Submissions
LA GRANDE — Nov. 1
is All Saints Day. It is when
the Church recognizes those
who have fi nished their
earthly lives. Faith Lutheran
Church in La Grande will
give thanks Sunday for the
lives of the faithful who have
departed. The service will
be at 10 a.m. and the sermon
will be from the Beatitudes in
Matthew 5:1-12. Following the
Divine Service will be the First
Sunday Potluck.
Donations for Fast
Sunday can be made
LA GRANDE — All
members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints are encouraged to fast
for two meals this Sunday
Churches and faith-based groups are encouraged to
submit Highlights for the Spiritual Life page by 4 p.m.
Tuesday for publication Friday. Submit by email to
news@lagrandeobserver.com (with Highlights in the
subject line), by fax to 541-963-7804, or by hand to the
offi ce.
and donate the value of
those meals to help the less
fortunate. Donations for Fast
Sunday can be made online
or given to a member of the
Bishopric. During Sacra-
ment Service all members
will have the opportunity to
share their testimony with
the congregation. Sunday
school classes will be held
during the second hour. The
prior two weeks of “Come
Follow Me” lessons will be
discussed. For the week of
Nov. 4-10, the “Come Follow
Me for Individuals & Fami-
lies” lesson will be based on
Hebrews 1-6.
Bible study on
Genesis continues
ISLAND CITY — Grace
Community Church will
worship at 10 a.m. Sunday
at The Place, located on Bu-
chanan Lane in Island City.
Pastor Carl’s sermon, “The
Teaching Gospel, a Sermon
on the Mount,” will cover
Jesus’ teaching known as
the Beatitudes, taken from
Matthew 5. Bible study will
be offered before the service
at 9 a.m.
A study of the book of
Genesis is held at The Place
at 10 a.m. every Thursday.
The community is welcome
to attend.
Altar Guild meets
Tuesday
LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church in La
Grande will celebrate Holy
Eucharist at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Pastor Roberta Smythe will
offi ciate. Coffee hour and
fellowship will follow in the
Parish Hall.
Altar Guild will meet at
9 a.m. Tuesday in the Parish
Hall, followed by a Girl Scout
leader meeting at 10 a.m. St.
Ann’s will meet at 2 p.m. next
Friday in the Parish Hall.
($3-$5) from 11 a.m. to
1 p.m.
LA GRANDE — At Sun-
day’s 10 a.m. service at the
La Grande First Christian
Church, Pastor Ray Smith’s
message, “God Gave and We
Give,” will look at steward-
ship as a response to God’s
giving. He will share from
Deuteronomy 26:1-11.
The Christian Women’s
Fellowship will host its
annual Fall Harvest Ba-
zaar from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday. Take a break from
shopping and enjoy some
sweet rolls between 9 a.m.
and 11 a.m., or stay for a
turkey noodle soup lunch
La Grande Church of the
Nazarene offers Sunday
school at 9:15 a.m., and a
10:30 a.m. worship service.
Pastor Kevin Goss will
continue the “Upside Down
Kingdom” sermon series
from Matthew 6:25-34
titled, “A World of Abun-
dance.” This life has no
shortage of worries and it
often feels like worries are
completely unavoidable.
Jesus tells us not to worry
but rather look upon the
abundance he provides.
Don’t worry, be
We give because God happy?
gave to us
LA GRANDE — The
Do you believe in
life after death?
O
ne of the most profound ques-
tions humans desire to under-
stand is what happens when our
physical heart stops beating. Some
say the spirit departs from our
body and we are aware of what is
going on as we continue to advance
in the crossing-over process. We’ve
heard stories about individuals
who have died for a short period of
time and have retained some vivid
memories of what happened while
they were gone. There will always
be skeptics, but there is also not a
shortage of reported experiences
for which the medical world has
no explanation, and often certain
descriptive details from these indi-
viduals can be proven.
Are these people just having
visions and dreams, or have they
seen a life after this one? Do you
believe in life after death? With the
Bible as our main source for un-
derstanding the spiritual realm, I
choose to accept that every physical
body also has a spirit and there is
defi nitely life after death. First Cor-
inthians 15:44 says, “It is sown a
LIVING ON
PURPOSE
BILLY HOLLAND
natural body, it is raised a spiritual
body. There is a natural body, and
there is a spiritual body.”
The Christian faith teaches an
eternal existence after this life. Ac-
cording to God’s word, every person
will someday face this reality as he
or she leaves this realm. Many who
tell about their after-death experi-
ences claim to be greeted by an in-
dividual that is commonly assumed
to be an angel who helps them in
this transition. I’m a chaplain for a
health care facility and I’ve spoken
to several hospice nurses who
frequently observe patients reach
up toward the ceiling as they take
their last breath. Every now and
then a soul returns for reasons only
God knows — here are a couple of
examples.
Anita Moorjani had been bat-
tling lymphatic cancer for several
years, and one day she slipped into
Courtesy photo
Annabel Beam was diagnosed with two chronic life-threatening
disorders at the age of 4.
a coma and her doctors said she
had no vital responses or outward
signs of life. However, her spirit was
alive and well. She said she was in
a conscious state, fl oating above her
body and could see the entire room
with complete peripheral vision.
Anita could also sense her late
father’s presence and could clearly
hear him say that if she continued
much further in being separated
from her body, she would not be
able to return. She is quoted as
saying, “But I felt I didn’t want to
turn back because it was so beauti-
ful. It was just incredible because,
for the fi rst time in years, there
was no pain. All the discomfort and
fear was gone. I cannot explain
the feeling of being enveloped in
unconditional love.” Gradually she
came out of the coma and a couple
of days later her organs began to
function and the tumors started
shrinking. She is now cancer-free.
Another amazing story comes
from Annabel Beam who was
diagnosed with two chronic life-
threatening disorders at the age of
4. When she was 8 years old and
continuing to decline, she climbed
a huge hollow tree out in her yard
— Observer staff
and was sitting on a branch when
it broke and she fell 30 feet to the
bottom, within the tree. Anna is
convinced she died and explains
that at the moment of impact
she was suddenly surrounded by
intense bright light and found
herself sitting on the lap of Jesus.
While being trapped for six hours,
she is quoted as saying, “Jesus said,
when you are rescued, there will be
nothing wrong with you. I asked if
I could stay, and he said no because
he has plans that I need to fulfi ll
on Earth.” She was rushed to the
hospital where the doctors could
not fi nd any injuries or even a trace
of her previous illnesses.
It inspires and builds our faith
when we learn from those who
have actually seen a glimpse of the
next life. We can embrace this real-
ity and know our current realm is
not all there is. God’s promises are
true and his presence is real, not
only in this temporal existence but
for all eternity.
Have you considered that God
has a purpose and plan for your
life and that how you live now is di-
rectly associated with your future?
There is no need to fear — you can
reach out with faith today and ask
the Lord to save you and give you
eternal security. May we be encour-
aged to know that God wants us to
live with him forever.
Northeast Oregon Directory of Churches
First Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
901 Penn Avenue 963-2623
lgdisciples@gmail.com
Worship
10:00 a.m.
Services
This
Week
~Join us at The Lord’s Table~
I MBLER
C HRISTIAN
C HURCH
440 R UCKMAN , I MBLER 534-2201
www.imblerchristianchurch.org
Sunday Services
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Sunday School
Worship Service
C OVE U NITED
M ETHODIST C HURCH ROMAN CATHOLIC
1708 Jasper St., Cove, OR
N ORTH P OWDER
U NITED
M ETHODIST C HURCH
390 E. St., North Powder, OR
JOIN US... Catch the Spirit!
Worship: 9:00 a.m. Cove
Worship: 10:00 a.m. N. Powder
La Grande Seventh-day
Adventist Church
A Place where hope is found in Jesus
Join us in Fellowship & Worship Every Saturday
9:30 a.m. - Bible Study/Fellowship
10:45 a.m. - Worship Service
2702 Adams Avenue, La Grande • 963-4018
Pastor: Mike Armayor
www.lagrande22adventistchurchconnect.org
Learning for Today and Eternity
Little Friends
Christian Preschool/Childcare 963-6390
La Grande Adventist Christian School
Christian Education K-8th Grade 963-6203
LA GRANDE UNITED GRACE COMMUNITY
CHURCH SERVICES
METHODIST CHURCH LUTHERAN CHURCH
La Grande - Our Lady of the Valley
“OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS”
1002 L Avenue
Saturday 5:30 pm Mass
Sunday 10:00 am Mass
Weekdays 8:00 am Mass
Union - Sacred Heart
340 South 10th Avenue
Sunday 8:00 am Mass
No Weekdays
Worship 10:00 am
Sunday 12:30 pm Mass
No Weekdays
Fellowship Coffee Hour 11:00 am
- Nursery provided -
FIRST LANDMARK
MISSIONARY BAPTIST
CHURCH
Zion Lutheran
Church
1812 1st St. La Grande
Pastor Dave Tierce • 541-605-0215
We use the King James Version Bible
Sunday School - 10:00 am
Worship 11:00 am
Sunday Evening Bible Study - 3:00 pm (Effective June 10)
Wednesday Evening - 6:30 pm
“Where you can find TRUTH according to the scriptures”
www.flmbclagrande.com
(an ELCA church)
902 Fourth Street,
La Grande, OR
(541) 963-5998
9:00 am - Worship
10:00 am - Fellowship & Refreshments
10:30 am - Classes
Pastor: Roberta Smythe
www.zionlagrande.org
“We are called to Serve”
Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am
Sunday Worship 10:00 am
Pastor Carl Seelhoff
Phone: 541-786-0447
963-5884
109 18th Street • 963-3402
Sunday School 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
1316 T St., La Grande, OR
541-568-4567
Sunday
S Su
u nday 1 10:30 a.m.
2 Cor r 12:9
1 My Grace is
sufficient
suf ffi
for you.
grace.lutherancove@gmail.com
I 40:31
IS
First Baptist Church
1531 S. Main
Street, Union
541-562-5531
www.UnionBaptistOregon.org
Sunday School
9:45 am
Morning Worship 11:00 am
Thursday AWANA 6:30 pm
Birthing, Building and Being
the Body of Christ
St. Katherine’s
Catholic Church
Contemporary Worship
Expositional Teaching
Tune in to Calvary Radio 88.1 CSN
Pastor Taylor Gould
lgumc@eoni.com
www.lgumchurch.org
Office Hours: Mon-Thur 9am-Noon
Elgin - Saint Mary’s
12th and Alder
CALVARY
CHAPEL
1433 Jefferson Ave.
Sunday Service - 10:30 a.m.
Studying The Book of Second Corinthians
Wednesday Service - 7:00 p.m.
Studying The Book of Joshua
Wednesday Night Youth - 6:00 p.m.
The Place
1612 4th Street – 963-2498 62848 Philynda Loop in Island City
Amazing Grace
Fellowship
Fr. Thomas Puduppulliparamban
(*DUÀHOG(QWHUSULVH
Mass Schedule
Sundays:
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6W.DWKHULQHRI6LHQD(QWHUSULVH²DP
Saturdays
6W.DWKHULQHRI6LHQD(QWHUSULVH²SP
Weekdays
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All are welcome
SIXTH &
SPRING,
LA GRANDE
541-963-3911
Sun. 10:00 AM - Worship
Sun. 8:45 AM - Exploring the Bible
Wed. 6:15 PM - AWANA
SUMMERVILLE
BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday Services:
Sunday School & Adult Bible Classes
9:45AM
Children's Church & Worship Service
11:00AM
Family Worship Service
6:00PM
Wednesday:
Prayer Mtg, Children's Bible Club, Youth
Group 7:00PM
A church for your whole family
Visit us at summervillebaptistchurch.org