Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 2019)
6A FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019 H IGHLIGHTS The wise men knew LA GRANDE — Why believe in the Bible’s account of the Christmas narrative? The fact that the wise men followed the star support the story. Pastor Mike will speak on this Saturday at La Grande’s Seventh-day Ad- ventist Church. The service will begin at 11 a.m. The church’s Living Nativity will be open to the community 5-8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. Episcopalians meet at 11 a.m. LA GRANDE — St. Pe- ter’s Episcopal Church will celebrate Holy Eucharist Sunday at 11 a.m. Pastor Roberta Smythe will offi ci- ate. Coffee and fellowship will follow the service. ‘Come, Follow Me’ lessons discussed in Sunday school LA GRANDE — The High Councilors from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be speaking in Sunday Sacrament Meetings. They will cover President Dallin H. Oaks’ talk, “Cleansed by Repentance,” a copy of which can be obtained at www.churchofjesus- christ.org/general-confer- ence/2019. The second hour will be Sunday school. The “Come, Follow Me” lessons for the prior two weeks will be discussed. The lesson for Dec. 16-22, “Christmas,” will celebrate the birth and 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. life of Jesus Christ. In La Grande, the commu- nity’s Dec. 15 “Messiah” per- formance is open to the public. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. in the La Grande High School Auditorium. Admission is free. Mini-bazaar open to congregation after service LA GRANDE — Zion Lutheran Church in La Grande will worship at 9 Have a very blessed ‘Incarnation Celebration’ E veryone has their own favorite aspect of their Christmas celebra- tions. Our family is currently in the midst of our decorating process. My daughter and I put up our outside lights this past weekend, and we were quite pleased with the outcome even though there were plenty of challenges with light strands that would not light up fully. I am sure anyone who uses lights in their Christmas decorating knows exactly what I am talking about. I love the lights, the ornaments, the garland and the gathering together with family and friends. However, the main thing I love about Christmas is the theological fact of what it is truly all about, that being the miraculous in- carnation of God coming into human- ity in a human body so he could deliver us from the power and penalty of sin. This celebration of the incarnation of Jesus is the main focus of the Christ- mas festivities. Jesus in the Light of the world, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Christ, the Messiah, the true God who took upon himself the form of a man to live among us and die for us. It is amazing how much confusion there is regarding the person of Jesus Third Advent candle lit Submissions Christ when God has been so clear in his only personally inspired book, the Holy Bible. God’s word is very clear about who Jesus is and what he came to do for mankind. The Bible declares Jesus to be God in several of the proph- ecies that speak to the coming of the Messiah. One of the greatest known Messianic prophecies is Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” In this prophecy, the Messiah is called “the mighty God” and “the everlasting Father,” clearly referring to the deity of the Messiah to be equal to God the father. Also, in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Here we see the miracu- lous event of the virgin conception of a baby boy being the sign of Messiah’s birth on earth in human form. We see here the name he would be given; the interpretation of this name is specifi ed for us in Matthew 1:23, being “God with us.” In Matthew 1 and in Luke a.m. on the third Sunday of Advent. Holy Communion will be served and Pastor Roberta Smythe will offi ci- ate. After the service there will be a time of fellowship and a mini-bazaar. On Monday from noon to 2 p.m., a Housing Matters Union County meeting will be held at Zion. Lunch will be provided. On Tuesday, the Quilters will meet at 9 a.m. at the church. FROM THE PULPIT PASTOR FRANKLIN HUMBER 1, we see the miraculous conception of Jesus in the virgin womb of Mary, the mother of the physical body of Jesus, which not only fulfi lls Isaiah’s prophe- cies but also fulfi lls the prophecy given by God through Moses recorded for us in Genesis 3:15 that the Messiah sent from God to defeat Satan would be of the seed of a woman, not of a man. In Hebrews 1, we see that Jesus is called the Son of God and God, as well as being declared to be superior to the angels as God and not merely as man. Jesus is the miraculous combina- tion of deity and humanity. He is the God-man, so he could shed his blood to cleanse us of our sin, giving us eternal life if we will trust in him as our saviour and receive his sacrifi ce for the payment of our own sins by faith alone. Jesus is not merely a man. He is not only a prophet, and he is not the same as the angels nor as the angel Lucifer himself. Jesus is the eternal God and cre- ator of all the angels and all the universe as well as mankind. The creator cannot be created. The creator is the Almighty God. This truth is the centerpiece of the meaning and purpose of Christmas. It is the celebration of the Incarnation of God becoming man in order to redeem us. This is why I love Christmas. LA GRANDE — Pas- tor Ray Smith’s sermon Sunday at La Grande’s First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will be “The Light of Jesus.” His message will come from John 1:1-8, 19-28. Auldin and Carol Prescott will light the third Advent candle, celebrating joy. The service will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday Advent service scheduled LA GRANDE — The sermon at Faith Lutheran Church’s 10 a.m. service in La Grande will based on Matthew 11:2-15. In these verses Jesus involves John the Baptist’s disciples in proclaiming the good news of what they see and hear. As people get actively involved they become stronger fol- lowers. Following the Divine Service will be the monthly church council meeting. Sunday from 2-4 p.m. the Faith Lutheran congregants will be caroling at several locations. The Wednesday evening Advent service for Dec. 18 will include a SHINE Preschool presentation. The sermon for the Advent service will be “Behold the Child Who Bears Flesh in Weakness.” The evening begins with a soup sup- per at 5:30 p.m. and the service is at 6:30 p.m. — Observer staff Nativity scene draws criticism By James Queally Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — A Methodist church in Clare- mont, California, unveiled a nativity scene Saturday night depicting Jesus, Mary and Joseph as refugees in cages, likening one of the most well-known images of the Christmas season to photos that have become synonymous with criticism of the Trump administra- tion’s border separation policies. The display, which has stoked debate on the Face- book page of the church’s lead pastor, shows classic nativity fi gurines of Joseph and Mary in cages on either side of a cage containing the manger of Jesus. “We see this as, in some ways, the Holy Family standing in for the nameless families,” said the Rev. Karen Clark Ristine, the lead pastor at Claremont United Meth- odist Church. While the nativity scene shows Jesus shortly after birth and is the foundation of the Christmas holiday, the Claremont depiction appears to be invoking Joseph and Mary’s fl ight to Egypt. Under most interpreta- tions, the infant Jesus and his parents had to escape Jerusalem for fear King Herod would have the baby slaughtered, perceiving the child as a threat to his reign. Ristine, who has served as the church’s lead pas- tor only since July, said the church often uses its nativity scene to tackle a societal issue. Southern California’s homelessness crisis has been invoked in past depictions, she said. A more traditional nativ- ity scene, showing the Holy Family reunited, can be found inside the church, which serves a congregation of about 300 people, Ristine said. 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.lagrandeor.adventistchurch.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 for you. suf ffi 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 Galatians 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: 6W3LXV;:DOORZD²DP 6W.DWKHULQHRI6LHQD(QWHUSULVH²DP Saturdays 6W.DWKHULQHRI6LHQD(QWHUSULVH²SP Weekdays 6W.DWKHULQHRI6LHQD(QWHUSULVH²DP 0RQGD\²7KXUVGD\DQG)LUVW)ULGD\ 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
