Spiritual Life
6A
Thursday, May 28, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
GRACE COMMUNITY
LUTHERAN CHURCH
restrictions, although some opera-
tional changes are underway.
In an email message, the stake
president, George Chadwick,
offered these words of council:
“Brothers and sisters, even though
we cannot do many things in the
way we are used to doing them,
now is not the time to take a spir-
itual vacation. Rather, this is a
time to draw closer to the Lord,
to make sure the gospel is taught
in our homes, and to minister and
serve in appropriate ways. May we
strive to respond to these current
circumstances in a way that shows
the Lord our commitment to Him
and our desire to do His work.”
The “Come, Follow Me”
lesson for June 1-7 focuses on
Alma chapters 5-7 and follows the
Submissions
ISLAND CITY — Grace
Community Lutheran Church will
celebrate the word of God with
a worship service beginning at
10 a.m. Sunday. Curt Bakker will
give the message “The Holy Spirit
and the Power of the Gospel.” He
also will lead a 9 a.m. Sunday
school class.
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH
AND ST. PETER’S
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
LA GRANDE — The congre-
gations of Zion Lutheran Church,
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church this
Sunday are invited to join the
Presbyterian Church in a drive-
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).
thru Communion from 10 a.m.
to noon in the parking lot of the
Presbyterian Friendship Center,
corner of Spring Street and Wash-
ington Avenue, La Grande.
Neither Zion or St. Peter’s will
be having in-person worship for
the time being. Links to online
services are posted on Saturday
on Zion’s website and Facebook
page and on St. Peter’s Facebook
page.
Offerings may be mailed to
Zion at 902 Fourth St., La Grande,
and to St. Peter’s at P.O. Box 1001,
La Grande.
CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY
SAINTS
EASTERN OREGON — The
La Grande Oregon Stake of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints has not yet been
approved to enter Phase 1 of the
reopening process due to current
theme “Have Ye Experienced this
Mighty Change in Your Hearts?”
FAITH LUTHERAN
CHURCH
LA GRANDE — The Bible
readings and sermon for Faith
Lutheran Church will focus on
the working of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit enabled people
to prophesy (Numbers 11:24-30),
to proclaim “the mighty works
of God” (Acts 2:11) in a variety
of people’s own languages, and
to receive the “living water” pro-
vided by Jesus (John 7:38).
This Sunday, called Pentecost,
marks seven weeks from Easter
and 50 days from the Sabbath of
Passover (pente means “50” and
cost means “day”).
Growing old with grace Our heart has only one throne
abbi Ben Ezra was a
All of that sounds bleak and
12th-century Spanish
probably refl ects reality to some
scholar, and a poem by
degree — with many positive
Robert Browning imagined what he exceptions, of course. We call ours
might have said about growing old. a youth-oriented culture, and that
The poem’s attitude toward aging is seems accurate. Approaching 95,
positive. Its fi rst
I should know.
lines read thus:
Staying well,
CALL ME
Grow old
strong and active
PASTOR
along with me!
is a worthy goal
DONALD BASTIAN
The best is yet
so long as it’s not
to be,
an obsession or a
The last of life for which the fi rst futile anxiety about death.
was made:
It is possible to affi rm our span
Our times are in His hand
of years in this life. Our doctor son
Who saith “A whole I planned,
has a Christian patient who intro-
Youth shows but half: trust God; duced him to a very useful saying
see all, nor be afraid!”
at the time of the death of her
I attended a lecture in British
elderly husband. With a gentle, sad
Columbia years ago in which a rec- smile she said, “Well, none of us
ognized Canadian poet denounced
come here to stay.”
Browning’s poem. She spoke of it
This introductory section of
with disgust. She was perhaps 60,
Browning’s dramatic monologue is
so past midlife, and she seemed to
decidedly Christian, even though
me most unhappy about what she
it doesn’t point to the afterlife. It
had to look forward to.
offers an understanding that we
She is not alone with such feel-
must make the most of every period
ings. Some years ago, a friend sent
of this life — youth and old age. He
me a newspaper op-ed piece pub-
would say it’s not youth that is the
lished in the Whig-Standard in
high point, with the last part of life
Kingston, Ontario. The headline
a leftover to be endured. And it’s
writer titled the piece, “You’ve Got
not the opposite. Youth and old age
to Be Tough to Stand Growing
together make up the whole of life.
Old.”
Of advanced and uncharted
The point the writer made is that years ahead he writes, “The best
people who are above retirement
is yet to be.” He contends further
age do not always get respectful
that the last of life is intended to
treatment from society, and he cited benefi t from the fi rst, which really
statistics that bear this out.
is life’s staging phase. The point
According to a study at the
that stands out is his summons to
time, 80% of Canadians then
“Trust God” — and we Christians
believed that people 75 years and
can have a radiant and confi dent
older are viewed by society as less
faith in God because “our times are
important, and more than a third
in his hand” (Psalm 31:15).
of respondents admitted to treating
When we realize how much we
seniors “differently.”
are loved by God and how generous
At the same time, 41% of
he is toward us — all of which is
seniors said they had been ignored
communicated to us through Jesus
or treated as invisible; 38% felt
Christ — we can face the uncer-
they had nothing more to con-
tainties of this and every day in res-
tribute; and 27% found they were
olute, courageous and restful faith.
assumed to be incompetent. They
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
even claimed that in some doc-
Donald N. Bastian, of Ontario,
tors’ offi ces their symptoms were
Canada, is the bishop emeritus of
written off as the result of having
the Free Methodist Church of North
had too many birthdays.
America.
R
f our minds are fi lled with
also captivated your mind. If
a world of thoughts that are
Jesus has been invited to sit on
contrary or even dishonor-
the throne of your heart, you
able to God, how can there be
are sitting at his feet intently
room for us to concentrate on
waiting for him to speak and
his good-
always
ness, peace
ready to
LIVING ON
and hope?
respond and
PURPOSE
When Mary
obey his
BILLY HOLLAND
was about to
voice.
give birth
Our
and there
desire to
We cannot serve God
was no
please
room in the
Christ is
and our carnality at the
inn, God
a direct
same time. If we fail to
was also
result of
allowing
love
control our thoughts, our our
us to see
for him.
that many
thoughts will not hesitate Within
people in
this per-
to control us.
this world
sonal and
have no
intimate
room in
relation-
their life
ship is the
for Jesus.
reveren-
Their hearts and minds are
tial fear and awe of who he is.
fi lled with carnality, selfi shness, This respect of his holiness is
arrogance and negativity.
the beginning of wisdom and
This is why the enemy of
causes us to be humble and
our souls has created many
grateful for his presence.
obstacles and diversions for
Until sin convicts and
the purpose of redirecting our
wounds our hearts to the
attention away from our Lord.
point of weeping, we have not
Secular reading material,
understood the full meaning of
video games, movies, cell-
spiritual transformation. The
phones and television are only
term “lukewarm” is mentioned
a few distractions that can be
in Revelation chapter three —
snare traps that can replace
the passage in context is gen-
and redirect our mental and
erally talking about a person
spiritual focus away from
who is drifting along in a spir-
Christ. Having a disciplined
itually lethargic state and is
mind for God is a key to living convinced they are approved
a victorious spiritual life.
and acceptable in the sight of
When we talk about our
God.
love for the Lord, there are
In verses 15-19 God
plenty of ways to prove we are declares, “I know thy works,
not just cluttering the air with
that thou art neither cold nor
empty words. The call to take
hot: I would thou were cold or
up our cross and follow Christ hot. So then because thou art
has everything to do with our
lukewarm, and neither cold
level of devotion to him. When nor hot, I will spew thee out
a person falls in love with
of my mouth.… As many as I
someone, this is all they think
love, I rebuke and chasten: be
about. Why? Because what-
zealous therefore, and repent.”
ever captures your heart has
To say the least, this is a
I
sobering warning for all who
proclaim to be followers of
Jesus. Deception is common
and can easily happen when
we are not constantly devoted
and focused on God.
The true Christian life is
not about fulfi lling our own
plans and then squeezing
Jesus in if we have some extra
time. This is referred to as
“broad way thinking,” which
allows carnality to infl uence
and manage our priorities. In
reality, our relationship with
God is about abandoning our
life, laying down our will,
and rising every morning
singing, “I surrender all, all to
thee my blessed Savior, I sur-
render all.” Sadly, many have
never realized what this means
and most have no intention of
learning.
John the Baptist said of
God in Chapter 3, Verse 30,
“He must increase, but I must
decrease.”
Why did he say that? He
was trying to explain that
our old nature is fi lled with a
strong love for pleasure and
our heart has only one throne.
We cannot be fi lled with God
if we are already fi lled with
everything else.
Those who hide behind the
mask of denial have willingly
convinced themselves they can
have their cake and eat it too.
This is a lie from the dark side.
We cannot serve God and
our carnality at the same
time. If we fail to control our
thoughts, our thoughts will not
hesitate to control us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ordained minister and
chaplain William “Billy” F.
Holland Jr. is the founder of
an independent ministry in
central Kentucky. For more
writings and original music,
visit www.billyhollandminis-
tries.com.
Northeast Oregon Directory of Churches
Services This
Week
First Christian
Church
(Disciples of Christ)
FIRST LANDMARK
MISSIONARY BAPTIST
CHURCH
1812 1st St. La Grande
901 Penn Avenue 963-2623 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
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
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
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
- 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
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