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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2020)
Spiritual Life 6A Thursday, November 5, 2020 HIGHLIGHTS FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH Submissions 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). LA GRANDE — The sermon at Faith Lutheran Church on Sunday, Nov. 8, will expound upon Matthew 25:1-13, in which Jesus teaches a parable about 10 maidens with their lamps and only fi ve with enough oil. All were waiting and even “rose and trimmed their lamps” to welcome the groom, who represents Jesus Christ. Christians are urged to be prepared with all that is provided to properly welcome our Savior. Sunday, there will be a Matins Service in La Grande with a bap- tism at 10 a.m. and then a Divine Service in Enterprise at 2 p.m. CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Hemisphere centuries before the Nephites. The records of these people were found by the people of Limhi in the days of King Mosiah (Mosiah 8:5-14) in about 121 BC and were handed down from generation to generation until Mormon was commanded to abridge the records and include this history in the Book of Mormon. The scriptures in Ether LA GRANDE — For the week of Nov. 9, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” study of the Book of Mormon turns to Ether chapters 1-5, which is a history of the Jaredites, who were a group of people who arrived in the Western teach us a great deal about per- sonal revelation and remind us that we are created in the image of God. ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH LA GRANDE — An in-person worship service with Holy Com- munion will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at Zion Lutheran Church with COVID-19 precau- tions in place, including wearing face masks and social distancing. There will not be Sunday school nor a coffee hour. People who are planning to attend should RSVP by noon Saturday at 541-963-5998 or offi ce@zionlagrande.org. The service will be recorded and uploaded late Sunday or Monday to Zion’s Facebook and website for viewing by those not able to attend. ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s Episcopal Church will not wor- ship in person until 2021, due to COVID-19. Links to a recording of Zion Lutheran’s in-person worship on Sunday, Nov. 8, also also be posted on St. Peter’s Facebook page late Sunday or sometime on Monday. Exorcism: Increasingly frequent, including after U.S. protests The power of the Spirit in your life By David Crary omans 8 has been called the most beautiful chapter in the New Testament, tre- mendously rich in spiritual under- standing and resources. There are at least 10 references in this chapter to the Holy Spirit and his R DONALD BASTION CALL ME PASTOR work in the lives of believers. The Spirit’s transforming work often begins with great rejoicing as he bears witness to forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ. But, alas, new Chris- tians may soon fi nd impulses or habits they thought they had been delivered from — jealou- sies, bursts of bad temper and lusts — roaring back. This can be baffl ing because the Apostle has told us at the beginning of the chapter that Christ “has set you free from the law of sin and death” (v. 2). The Apostle explains that mystery as arising from “the fl esh.” The primary meaning for this word in scripture is the human body. The word also has theolog- ical meanings. It can describe the frailty or vulnerability of humanity, or false or evil impulses that lodge in us, or evil itself. All may fall under the term — often referred to as our carnal nature. In the Roman letter the term is used mostly in this last sense. At this point the Apostle widens his lens to show that the temptations we continue to expe- rience in our new life are shared with all of the world, created by God but fallen and thus impaired. But, Paul says, even now the universe itself is groaning to be renewed (v. 22a). Something better is ahead. In turning to this fresh thought of promised future renewal, Paul uses the imagery of childbirth (v. 22b). Giving birth involves groaning pain, but the end result brings great joy. So will the future renewal of our fallen world bring great rejoicing. The Apostle makes clear that our new birth by the Spirit has already in some mea- sure signaled the glorious future ahead for us. Yet, for now, we work out our faith in a fallen world. Verse 23 says: “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the fi rstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.” In our struggle with fallen- ness, we know the Holy Spirit comes to our aid. As the Apostle says in verse 26: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself inter- cedes for us through prayers too deep for words.” And so God’s Spirit who is in us untangles our prayers at times and reforms them into prayers the Father can answer. God is obviously interested in more than certifying our pas- sage to heaven through Christ’s death and resurrection for us. We are also to embrace in faith the power of the Holy Spirit to live out the radiance of the Gospel here and now. ——— Donald N. Bastian, of Ontario, Canada, is the bishop emeritus of the Free Methodist Church of North America. For more of his writings, go to justcallmepastor. wordpress.com. AP National Writer PORTLAND — In popular culture, exorcism often serves as a plot device in chilling fi lms about demonic possession. Recently, two Roman Catholic archbishops showed a different face of exorcism — performing the rite at well-attended outdoor ceremonies to drive out any evil spirits lingering after acrimo- nious protests. The events’ distinctive char- acter gave a hint of how exor- cism — with roots in ancient times — has evolved in some ways as it becomes more com- monplace in many parts of the world. In Portland, Archbishop Alex- ander Sample led a procession of more than 200 people to a city park on Oct. 17, offered a prayer, then conducted a Latin exorcism rite intended to purge the com- munity of evil. The event fol- lowed more than four months of racial justice protests in Portland, mostly peaceful but sometimes fueling violence and riots. On the same day, 600 miles to the south, San Francisco Arch- bishop Salvatore Cordileone per- formed an exorcism ceremony outside a Catholic church in San Rafael, where protesters had ear- lier toppled a statue of Father Junipero Serra. “We pray that God might purify this place of evil spirits, that he might purify the hearts of those who perpetrated this blas- phemy,” Cordileone said. Serra was an 18th-cen- tury Spanish missionary priest, long praised by the church for bringing Roman Catholicism to what is now the Western United States. His critics say Serra, in converting Native Americans to Catholicism, forced them to Catholic Sentinel/Contributed Photo The faithful kneel to pray a rosary in Portland’s North Park Blocks during a rosary and exorcism for peace and justice in the city led by Archbishop Alexander Sample on Oct. 17, 2020. abandon their culture or face brutal punishment. Cordileone said the exorcism prayers in Latin, remarking that “Latin tends to be more effec- tive against the devil because he doesn’t like the language of the church.” The prayers were dif- ferent from those offered when a person is believed to be the sub- ject of demonic possession. Two experts on exorcism — religious studies professor Andrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University and the Rev. Pius Pietrzyk of St. Pat- rick’s Seminary and University in California — recalled no other recent exorcisms in the U.S. similar to those in Oregon and California. Chesnut noted that in Mexico, some high-ranking Catholic clergy performed an exorcism in 2015 seeking to expel demons nationwide. Participants said they were responding to high levels of violence, the practice of abortion and the crimes of the drug cartels. More broadly, Chesnut said exorcism, in its traditional form as a demon-chaser, is increas- ingly widespread around the world, though there are no offi - cial statistics. “The Exorcist,” the memo- rable horror fi lm of 1973, depicts exorcism as a relatively rare and secretive endeavor. But it’s now so common that some exorcists combat demons remotely using their cellphone, according to Chesnut. He says the driving force behind the surge since the 1980s has been the spread of Pente- costal churches that highlight the confl ict between demons and the Holy Spirit, especially in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia, including the Philippines. The Catholic Church is not ceding the practice of exor- cism to these other faiths. Pope Francis has acknowledged the legitimacy of the practice, and a Vatican-approved university in Rome has been conducting exor- cism training sessions during Francis’ papacy for priests from around the world. Northeast Oregon Directory of Churches Services This Week GRACE COMMUNITY LUTHERAN CHURCH The Place 62848 Philynda Loop in Island City “We are called to Serve” Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am Sunday Worship 10:00 am Phone: 541-568-4230 grace.lutherancove@gmail.com LA GRANDE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH “OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS” 1612 4th Street – 963-2498 Pastor Taylor Gould For service information go to www.lagrandeumc.org 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 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 Cove United Methodist Church 1708 Jasper St., Cove, OR North Powder United Methodist Church First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 901 Penn Avenue 963-2623 lgdisciples@gmail.com 390 E. St., North Powder, OR JOIN US... Catch the Spirit! Worship 10:00 a.m. Worship: 9:00 a.m. Cove Worship: 10:00 a.m. N. Powder ~Join us at The Lord’s Table~ 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. 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 IS 40:31 Visit us at summervillebaptistchurch.org La Grande Seventh-day Adventist Church 1531 S. Main St. Union 541-562-5531 A Place where hope is found in Jesus Join us in Fellowship & Worship Saturday 11am 2702 Adams Avenue, La Grande 963-4018 lagrandeor.adventistchurch.org Learning for Today and Eternity Little Friends Christian Preschool/Childcare 963-6390 La Grande Adventist Christian School K-8th Grade 963-6203 www.UnionBaptistOregon.org 109 18th Street • 963-3402 Sunday School 9:15 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship Service 11:00 am Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. Birthing, Building and Being the Body of Christ FIRST LANDMARK MISSIONARY BAPTIST 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