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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2020)
6A FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2020 H IGHLIGHTS First Christian welcomes interim pastor Book of Mormon can be obtained by asking a church member or at www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/ free-book-of-mormon. Submissions LA GRANDE — First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of La Grande on Sunday will welcome its new pastor, Sharon Eggleston. She will serve as interim pastor while the search is being done for a long-term one. Her message will be “In the Hallway,” referring to Isaiah 40:27-31. Worship will begin at 10 a.m. Church Council meeting follows service 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. be followed by the monthly Church Council meeting, at which mission possibilities and establishing a Capital Investment Committee will be discussed. Lesson is ‘Be Faithful, Not Faithless’ LA GRANDE — The sermon at the La Grande Faith Lutheran Church’s 10 a.m. service will expound on the revealing of Christ found in John 1:29-42. John the Baptist announced, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The service will LA GRANDE — La Grande Stake High Council members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be speaking Sunday on the topic of “Be Faithful, Not Faithless” during Sacrament Meeting. This was an October 2019 General Conference talk given by Stephen Owen, Young Men General President. Several wards in the area will also be holding their annual Ward Conference. The second hour will be Sunday school. The “Come, Follow Me” lesson for the week of Jan. 20-26 is based on the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi, chapters 11-15. The focus will be on what was revealed to Nephi as he sought guidance from the Lord around 600 B.C. A free copy of the Porch lights and lighthouses I n Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus talks about the Christian being the light of the world. A light that should not be hidden, but presented for all to see. Two examples of this type of light come to mind. The fi rst is the porch light. The porch light illuminates your way and directs everyone to the front door of your home, to visit and share your hospitality. The second example is the light- house. It stands regally in the darkest storm, pointing the way for ocean travelers through the dense fog and howling gale. Both lights could be argued to rep- resent some ideas of peace and safety, or even an invitation to return home after a long journey. However, there are some very distinct differences. It would be hard to visit the Oregon Coast and not come across a light- house. In my early 20s, I lived on the Coast for a number of years. The storms I witnessed while living there were amazing. I had never seen the ocean so angry and full of energy. During one winter season, I was homeless and living in my car. The storms that year seemed Message explores supernatural occurrences in the Bible LA GRANDE — Many scoff at the idea of the existence of God or satan, until they have an en- counter with a power they can’t explain. The Bible recounts some incredible supernatural events that will be explored Saturday at La Grande’s Seventh-day Ad- ventist Church. The service will begin at 11 a.m. A promise is a promise Morning Prayer offered Sunday LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in La Grande will have Morning Prayer at 11 a.m. Sunday. Coffee and fellow- ship will follow. LA GRANDE — The La Grande Church of the Nazarene offers GLEN CARTER particularly horrible because I did not have enough money to run the car for warmth. This time in my life brought a cold sadness that could be relieved only by a dry warm spot out of the howling wind. I can remem- ber feeling that cold wet ache in my bones that only a hot shower could fi x. I was morbidly miserable, and the nights were awful, sitting there in the darkness not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Refl ecting upon my homeless experience, I can imagine what it must have felt like to be traveling on a vessel in the midst of a storm, with nothing but the dark sea and the cold dampness of the night surrounding you. Steering your vessel toward safe harbor with very little light to expose the rocky dangers of the shoreline, the beacon from the lighthouse would be a blessing. As a Christian, I had always thought of myself as being a porch light, a vessel of Christ’s peace that shows people how much God loves them, that brings them home. How- ever, when faced with a problem to which there was no solution, I began Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. and worship at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Kevin Goss this Sunday will continue the “Name Above All Names” series with a message from Hebrews 6:13-20 titled, “The Faithful Forerunner.” The message examines God’s promises, which are not like ours. While our words may be empty, when God makes a promise he has already done everything necessary to ensure it will come to pass just as he has said. to ask myself if I trusted God as much as I could in the midst of the storms, or was I a porch light because it was easier? It’s great when we can speak the love words to the simple problems, but when life reaches in and kicks you in the teeth, what good is a porch light? What good is a porch light when the robber is at the door and using your conveniently placed light to pick the lock? Some people would say, “It’s time for the shotgun” — unfortunately, shot- guns don’t stop cancer. It is easy to pretend and create a perfect world with Christian niceties, but it is a real eye-opener when the ugly isn’t nice, when the door is kicked in revealing some- thing you cannot describe, and fears mixed with feelings no one can help you with. It was then I realized I had a porch light faith, a faith that was wrapped up in the expression of polite religion. Cancer wasn’t go- ing to let me say nice words and feel good about myself. Cancer demands answers, and I had none to give. What do you say when someone asks you why God is letting them die? It wrenches at your heart to know — Observer staff that the one you love and care for wants you, the pastor in their life, to give them the answers they need to fi ght this battle they are losing. With nothing to say, you feel like you’re let- ting God down, and they feel that God is letting them down through you. So, you dig deep, and pull out your best, but your best is not good enough, because they are dying. This is when I became a lighthouse. Lighthouses are made to be strong and steadfast. Being strong doesn’t mean you have the answers. Some- times, being strong is admitting you have no answers, but you still believe. Lighthouses understand the storm is strong, they feel the waves of hopelessness, but they refuse to yield to it. Consistently marking the shore, shining light on the rocks and invest- ing in every person regardless of the outcome. When I became a lighthouse, I realized it was not what I said — it was what I believed in and what I did. I cried when crying was needed, I sat silent when there was nothing to say, and I loved as large as I could so they would see the light of Christ in me. There was nothing I could say, there were no simple answers, just my hope that my lighthouse might lead them back home. — Glen Carter is the pastor of Agape Christian Fellowship in Elgin. Trump boosts school prayer The Associated Press WASHINGTON D.C.— In a bid to solidify his evangelical base, President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to protect prayer in public schools and took new steps to give religious organizations easier access to federal programs. Speaking at an Oval Office event and joined by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Trump unveiled the federal government’s first updated guidance on school prayer since 2003. It details scenarios in which school offi- cials must permit prayer and clarifies the consequences if they don’t, but overall makes few major changes to the guidance it replaces. “We will not let anyone push God from the public square,” Trump said as he introduced the new rules. “We will uphold religious liberty for all.” The proposals follow through on an execu- tive order Trump signed in 2018 aiming to put religious groups on equal footing when they compete for funding. 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
