Spiritual Life
6A
Thursday, May 14, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
FAITH LUTHERAN
CHURCH
Sunday will be posted on St.
Peter’s Facebook page on Sat-
urday. Offerings can be mailed
to St. Peter’s at P.O. Box 1001, La
Grande 97850.
Submissions
LA GRANDE, ENTER-
PRISE — Faith Lutheran Church
plans to have Sunday school at
8:45 a.m., a Divine service in La
Grande at 10 a.m. followed by a
Church Council meeting, and then
a Divine service with a baptism
and confi rmation in Enterprise
at 2:30 p.m. State guidelines will
be respected as these events are
planned. Confi rm attendance by
calling 541-963-2831 or email fl gl-
cmspastor@gmail.com.
The sermon will be based on
John 14:15-21, which teaches that
the father and his son together
have sent the Holy Spirit, our
Churches and faith-based groups are encouraged to submit Highlights
for the Spiritual Life page by 4 p.m. Tuesday for publication Thursday.
Submit by email to news@lagrandeobserver.com (with Highlights in
the subject line).
“helper” who dwells with us and
will be in us (verse 17). The mes-
sage will give praise to the triune
God for his great care and love.
Zion’s website and Facebook page
on Saturday. Offerings can be
mailed to Zion at 902 Fourth St.,
La Grande 97850.
ZION LUTHERAN
CHURCH
ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL
CHURCH
LA GRANDE — Zion
Lutheran will not have in-person
worship this Sunday. Links to an
online worship will be posted on
LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church will not wor-
ship in-person through May.
Links to an online worship for
CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY
SAINTS
NORTHEAST OREGON —
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow
Me” lesson for the week of May
18-24 is based on Mosiah chapters
25-28, which is found in the Book
of Mormon. This week’s lesson
includes the story of Alma the
younger (100-92 B.C.), the “very
vilest of sinners” who went about
“to destroy the church of God”
(Mosiah 28:4, 27:10) and how the
appearance of an angel brought
about his conversion and testi-
mony that “all mankind … must
be born again” (Mosiah 27:25)
and brought to an end his parents’
heartache over a wayward child.
Various temples have started
reopening, including the Boise,
Idaho, Temple. Refer to the article
at https://newsroom.churchofje-
suschrist.org/article/fi rst-presi-
dency-limited-reopening-tem-
ples for information on the
phased reopening of temples,
which temples are in phase 1 of
the reopening process and which
ordinances are being performed.
Ancient poem honors women for their strengths of head, heart and hand
A
s Mother’s Day passes,
poetry and is lodged in the ancient
I think of Kathleen, my
wisdom literature of the Bible.
wife of 72 years, my
There is nothing in this poem
daughter, Car-
about faith
olyn, daugh-
or salvation
CALL ME
ters-in-law,
or the life to
PASTOR
June and
come. Only
DONALD BASTIAN
Jan, and
once “the fear
the younger
of the Lord”
mothers in the family. I pay them
is mentioned. There is not even
all tribute with these words of
a word about romance. It focuses
wisdom from Proverbs 31: “Her
instead on character traits.
children arise and call her blessed;
Proverbs 31 was written well
her husband also, and he praises
over two thousand years ago
her: Many women do noble
and yet appears to extol what I
things, but you surpass them all”
taught my children to look for in
(verses 28-29).
their life partners, whether hus-
This chapter is entitled in
band or wife — strengths of head,
the New International Version
heart and hand. That is, look for
“The Wife of Noble Character.”
someone who has a thoughtful
It is cast in the form of Hebrew
grasp on life, who at the same
qualifi cations be met?
But looking deeper into these
many fi ne qualities sheds more
light. I look more clearly and see
that the issue is not the specifi c
actions but the traits they repre-
sent: She is to be energetic, wise,
resourceful, noble, and so forth.
She has much to bring to a mar-
riage, family, the work world, and
society: “When it snows, she has
no fear for her household; for all
of them are clothed in scarlet”
(verse 21).
The composer of this poem
closes with a cautionary word plus
a generous commendation.
The warning: “Charm is
deceptive and beauty is fl eeting”
(verse 30a). That is, as enticing
as charm or beauty may be, don’t
time has deep moral and relational
principles, and who is energetic
and not afraid of hard work. Such
a partner will bring blessings on
their spouse and family in their
work and relationships.
I have read this wisdom poem
many times across a lifetime, but
my most recent reading left me
at fi rst perplexed: Where is the
young woman who meets all these
qualifi cations: She gets up while
it is still night; she provides food
for her family (verse 15). She con-
siders a fi eld and buys it; out of
her earnings she plants a vine-
yard (verse 16). She speaks with
wisdom, and faithful instruction
is on her tongue (verse 26). And
so on. The demands on her are
overwhelming. Can such specifi c
let them be primary goals in your
search for a noble partner. Look
rather for the deeper strengths of
head, hear, and hand. “She speaks
with wisdom, and faithful instruc-
tion is on her tongue” (verse 26).
The poet’s commendation fol-
lows: “But a woman who fears the
Lord is to be praised” (verse 30b).
“Honor her for all that her hands
have done, and let her works bring
her praise at the city gate” (verse
31). And don’t overlook the cen-
tral requirement that she have a
heart that fears the Lord.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Donald N. Bastian is bishop
emeritus of the Free Methodist
Church of North America. For
more of his writings, go to just-
callmepastor.wordpress.com.
Poll shows a partisan split over coronavirus-era religious freedom
By Elana Schor
and Emily Swanson
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — As the
nation’s houses of wor-
ship weigh how and when
to resume in-person gath-
erings while coronavirus
stay-at-home orders ease
in some areas, a new poll
points to a partisan divide
over whether restricting
those services violates reli-
gious freedom.
Questions about whether
states and localities could
restrict religious gath-
erings to protect public
health during the pandemic
while permitting other sec-
ular activities have swirled
for weeks and resulted in
more than a dozen legal
challenges that touch on
freedom to worship.
President Donald
Trump’s administra-
tion has sided with two
churches contesting limits
on in-person and drive-in
services — a stance that
appeals to his conservative
base, according to the new
poll by The University of
Chicago Divinity School
and The Associated Press-
NORC Center for Public
Affairs Research.
The poll found Repub-
licans are more likely than
Democrats to say prohib-
iting in-person services
during the coronavirus out-
break violates religious
freedom, 49% to 21%.
A majority of Demo-
crats, 58%, say they think
in-person religious ser-
vices should not be allowed
at all during the pandemic,
compared with 34% of
Republicans who say the
same. Among Republicans,
most of the remainder —
48% — think they should
be allowed with restric-
tions, while 15% think they
should be allowed without
restrictions. Just 5% of
Democrats favor unre-
stricted in-person worship,
and 38% think it should be
permitted with restrictions.
Caught between the
poles of the debate are
Americans like Stanley
Maslowski, 83, a retired
Catholic priest in St. Paul,
Minnesota.
Maslowski was of two
minds about a court chal-
lenge by Kentucky churches
that successfully exempted
in-person religious ser-
vices from the tempo-
rary gathering ban issued
by that state’s Democratic
governor.
“On the one hand, I
think it restricts religious
freedom,” Maslowski said
of the Kentucky ban. “On
the other hand, I’m not sure
if some of that restriction
is warranted because of the
severity of the contagious
virus. It’s a whole new
situation.”
The unprecedented cir-
cumstance of a highly con-
tagious virus whose spread
was traced back, in some
regions, to religious gather-
ings prompted most leaders
across faiths to suspend
in-person worship during
the early weeks of the pan-
demic. But it wasn’t long
before worship restrictions
prompted legal skirmishes
from Kansas to California,
with several high-profi le
cases championed by con-
servative legal nonprofi ts
that have allied with the
Trump administration’s
past elevation of religious
liberty.
One of those conserva-
tive nonprofi ts, the First
Liberty Institute, spear-
headed a Tuesday letter
asking federal lawmakers
to extend liability protec-
tions from coronavirus-re-
lated negligence lawsuits to
religious organizations in
their next coronavirus relief
legislation.
Shielding houses of
worship from potential
legal liability would “reas-
sure ministries that volun-
tarily closed that they can
reopen in order to resume
serving their communities,”
the First Liberty-led letter
states.
Northeast Oregon Directory of Churches
Services
This Week
First Christian
Church
(Disciples of Christ)
901 Penn Avenue 963-2623
FIRST LANDMARK
MISSIONARY BAPTIST
CHURCH
1812 1st St. La Grande
Pastor Dave Tierce • 541-605-0215
lgdisciples@gmail.com
We use the King James Version Bible
Worship
10:00 a.m.
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”
~Join us at The Lord’s Table~
Zion Lutheran
Church
(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
First Baptist
Church
SIXTH &
SPRING,
LA GRANDE
541-963-3911
All services have been temporarily cancelled.
Live-streaming Sunday mornings at
10:00 am. People can watch at:
lagrandefbc.org
St. Katherine’s
Catholic Church
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
1531 S. Main
Street, Union
541-562-5531
1531 S. Main Street, Union
541-562-5531
www.UnionBaptistOregon.org
Sunday School 9:45 am
Worship Service 11:00 am
Thursday AWANA 6:30 pm
Birthing, Building and
Being the Body of Christ
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
GRACE COMMUNITY
LUTHERAN CHURCH
The Place
62848 Philynda Loop in Island City
“We are called to Serve”
109 18th Street • 963-3402
Sunday School 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am
Sunday Worship 10:00 am
Phone: 541-568-4230
grace.lutherancove@gmail.com
www.flmbclagrande.com
LA GRANDE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
“OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS”
1612 4th Street – 963-2498
Pastor Taylor Gould
lgumc@eoni.com
www.lagrandeumc.org
Office Hours: Mon-Thur 9am-Noon
Worship 10:00 am
Fellowship Coffee Hour 11:00 am
- Nursery provided -
Imbler
Christian
Church
440 Ruckman, Imbler 534-2201
www.imblerchristianchurch.org
Sunday Services
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Sunday School
Worship Service
Amazing Grace
Fellowship
1316 T St., La Grande, OR
541-568-4567
Sunday 10:30 a.m.
2 Cor 12:9 My Grace is
sufficient for you.
IS 40:31
Cove United
Methodist Church
1708 Jasper St., Cove, OR
North Powder
United
Methodist Church
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
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
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