6A
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020
H IGHLIGHTS
Congregations come
together for service
LA GRANDE — La Grande’s
First Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) will host an ecumeni-
cal Epiphany service at 10 a.m.
Sunday.
Pastor Taylor Gould from the
United Methodist Church will
deliver the message, “A Light for
Everyone,” referencing Matthew
2:1-12 and John 1:1-18. B.J. Brown
will sing “Bethlehem Star.” Pastors
from the First Presbyterian, Zion
Lutheran and St. Peter’s Episcopal
churches will also be leading in
the worship. All are welcome to
participate in the Communion of
the Lord’s Supper. Refreshments to
follow worship.
Altar Guild and St. Ann’s
meet next week
LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s Epis-
copal Church will worship at the
La Grande First Christian Church
at 10 a.m. Sunday as part of an
ecumenical Epiphany service.
On Tuesday there will be a Girl
Scout leader meeting at 10 a.m. in
the Parish Hall. The Altar Guild
Churches and faith-based groups are encouraged to submit Highlights
for the Spiritual Life page by 4 p.m. Wednesday 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.
meets at 9 a.m. Thursday, and St.
Ann’s meets at 2 p.m. Friday.
Ward meeting times
rotate in 2020
The Zion Quilters will meet at
9 a.m. Tuesday at the church.
Presbyterian congregation Message examines ‘The
joins in joint service
Perfect Word’
LA GRANDE — The congre-
gation of the First Presbyterian
Church of La Grande will join to-
gether with other congregations to
celebrate the Epiphany at a joint
worship service at 10 a.m. at the
First Christian Church. A service
will not be held at the Presbyte-
rian Church.
Zion Quilters group gets
together Tuesday
LA GRANDE — Zion Lutheran
Church of La Grande members will
join a 10 a.m. ecumenical service at
the First Christian Church to cele-
brate the fi rst Sunday of Epiphany
with worship and fellowship.
LA GRANDE — Sunday school
begins at 9:15 a.m. followed by a
10:30 a.m. worship service at the
La Grande Church of the Naza-
rene. This week Pastor Kevin Goss
will begin a new sermon series,
“Name Above All Names,” with a
message titled “The Perfect Word,”
drawn from Hebrews 1:1-4. Since
the very beginning of time God has
had his ways of making himself
known to us. At no point does God
get his point across more clearly
and completely than in the Word
made fl esh. Communion will be
celebrated immediately following
the sermon.
On the second Friday of the
Jesus heals the ‘Island
of Broken People’
By Nancy McCoy
Special to The Observer
I
live in a very inspirational place. On the
outside it is a subsidized senior-disabled
housing — typical but nice. However, on the
inside, instead of the “Island of Misfi t Toys” it
is the “Island of Broken People.”
Our looks have faded, we don’t get around
well, our eyesight isn’t what it used to be, our
joints ache.… There are those of us who suf-
fer physical or mental illness and have deep
emotional wounds. A wide range of feelings
are shared in our eyes and actions. It is sad
and very beautiful at the same time.
Beautiful because as each of us struggle
to be useful, to take care of ourselves or
simply to stay out of the way, we tend to
misunderstand or offend one another. This
ultimately sets the stage for the beautiful gift
of humility: saying “I’m sorry” and receiving
the spirit of understanding that comes with
forgiveness.
Some days, easy things are hard and a
helping hand appears. Day after day, caregiv-
ers are welcomed with grace and give care
with grace. We try to protect our privacy
yet something in us wants to reach out and
connect, so we decorate our entries — maybe
we will welcome a friend or relative, perhaps
bring a smile or fi nd someone like-minded.
There are times when our hopes are realized
by a surprise gift or a kind knock.
A few days after moving in, someone said
to me: “Oh, you must have moved here to die
like the rest.” On the contrary, we are on the
journey of life! We have so many lessons to
learn as we connect with our good neigh-
bors.
This journey of life is only possible because
Jesus, born of a virgin, connected with us
when he put on the fl esh of humanity. He
came to heal the “Island of Broken People”
and teach us to love and forgive. He came to
be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins
of the world and to give us eternal life.
I’m glad you came, Jesus.
on chapters 1-7 of 1 Nephi, which
is the fi rst book in the Book of
Mormon. The lesson will focus on
trusting the Lord and the great
worth of scriptures.
For those interested in research-
ing family history, the church’s
Family History Center (genealogy
library) at 1802 Gekeler Lane, La
Grande, is open to the public on
Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to
noon, Tuesday and Thursday from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesday
evening from 6-9 p.m.
month, there is a Ladies Night
led by Candy Blackman at the
Nazarene Church. The gatherings
include a devotion, activity and
potluck dinner. The next Ladies
Night happens Jan. 11.
Submissions
LA GRANDE — The Sunday
meetings at the Church Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in La
Grande and surrounding areas
will consist of a Sacrament meet-
ing for the fi rst hour, when all
members can share their testimo-
ny, and then Sunday school classes
for the second hour. This is Fast
Sunday and all members are en-
couraged to fast for two meals and
then donate the value of the meals
as a fast offering to help the less
fortunate. In the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints church
buildings where more than one
ward meets, the individual ward
meeting start times will rotate for
the upcoming year.
The “Come Follow Me for
Individuals & Families” lesson
for the week of Jan. 6-12 will be
Tale of a young Jesus is
focus of sermon
LA GRANDE — At La Grande’s
Faith Lutheran Church, the
sermon will use Luke 2:40-52.
These verses give the account of
Jesus at 12 years old staying in
his “Father’s House” to ask further
questions.
Faith Lutheran’s SHINE (Serv-
ing Him IN Everything) Preschool
resumes classes on Jan. 6, which
is the Twelfth Day of Christmas
known as Epiphany.
— Observer staff
My father’s heavenly voice
M
usic fi gured prominently in the wor-
ship of the small congregation where I
grew up. To begin Sunday morning worship
the pastor might call the congregation to
stand and sing and they would respond
with conviction: “Holy, holy, holy! Lord God
Almighty! Early in the morning our song
shall rise to Thee.”
On Sunday evenings we sang gospel
songs from a book entitled Worship in
Song. It had a variety from simple cho-
ruses to the more complex gospel song
that I remember began: “Wonderful grace
of Jesus, greater than all my sin. How
shall my tongue describe it, where shall its
praise begin?”
Lines from some of these songs remain
with me even at age 94. They linger in my
memory and may come forth spontaneously
at any moment of the day. One song, along
with the circumstance in which I heard it, is
etched indelibly in my mind. It was a song I
heard my father sing.
My father honored gospel values al-
though at times he struggled to give himself
fully to a faith in the Lord Jesus that
JUST CALL ME
PASTOR
DONALD N. BASTIAN
brings deliverance. By the grace of God, one
Sunday evening his hunger to belong to the
Lord compelled him to “go forward” to the
altar. It was his turning point.
The next morning I awakened early to
the sound of his stirring up the coal-fi red
cook stove in the kitchen. I slept in the ad-
joining room. As he fed the fi re, I heard him
singing in a lovely tenor voice that I don’t
think I was aware of before that time.
It was a song with a line about Jesus
calling a blind man to him and delivering
him of his blindness. It was a simple song
that rose up like a tendril of worship from
a humble kitchen and became part of the
music of the spheres.
For more writings by Donald N. Bastian,
bishop emeritus of the Free Methodist Church
of North America, go to justcallmepastor.
wordpress.com.
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
“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 10:30 a.m.
2 Cor 12:9 My Grace is
sufficient for you.
grace.lutherancove@gmail.com
IS 40:31
First Baptist Church
1531 S. Main
Street, Union
541-562-5531
1531
S. Main Street, Union
www.UnionBaptistOregon.org
541-562-5531
Sunday
School
9:45 am
www.UnionBaptistOregon.org
9:00 am - Worship
Morning
Worship
11:00
am
Sunday
School
9:45
am
10:00 am - Fellowship & Refreshments
Worship
Service AWANA
11:00 am
Thursday
6:30 pm
10:30 am - Classes
Thursday AWANA 6:30 pm
Birthing,
Building
and Being
Pastor: Roberta Smythe
Birthing,
Building
and
Being the the
Body Body
of Christ of Christ
www.zionlagrande.org
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
301 E Garfield Enterprise
Mass Schedule
Sundays:
St Pius X, Wallowa – 8:00 am
St Katherine of Siena, Enterprise – 10:30 am
Saturdays
St Katherine of Siena, Enterprise – 5:30 pm
Weekdays
St Katherine of Siena, Enterprise – 8:00 am
(Monday – Thursday and First Friday)
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