Spiritual Life
6A
Thursday, February 25, 2021
HIGHLIGHTS
Faith Lutheran Church
LA GRANDE, ENTER-
PRISE — Faith Lutheran
Church will hold Sunday ser-
vices, Feb. 28, in La Grande
and 10 a.m. and in Enterprise
at 2 p.m. The sermon will be
drawn from the eighth chapter
of Mark. In this reading Jesus
explains about the things that
would happen when they got
to Jerusalem. Jesus assured the
disciples that it was God’s plan
that he would “rise again” to
be victorious over the suffering
that would occur.
Verse 32 says: “And He said
this plainly. And Peter took Him
aside and began to rebuke Him.”
Humankind regularly looks for
ways to avoid any kind of suf-
fering, even when that suffering
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).
will bring great rewards. Jesus
corrected Peter with some fi rm
words: “you are not setting your
mind on the things of God, but
on the things of man” (verse 33).
This is a correction that we can
use in our lives.
Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
LA GRANDE — The sub-
ject of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints’ “Come,
Follow Me” lesson for the week
of March 1 is Doctrine and Cov-
enants Sections 20-22, which
are revelations given to Joseph
Smith on church organization
and government.
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints was formally
organized on April 6, 1830, by a
small group of believers gathered
in the home of Peter Whitmer
Sr. in Fayette, New York. These
sections teach about the funda-
mental doctrine and sacred ordi-
nances that were taught then and
still followed today.
RootsTech Connect, which is
the world’s largest family history
celebration, begins Thursday,
Feb. 25, and will be virtual, and
free, for all who would like to
attend. Sessions will be recorded
and available for viewing for the
next 12 months. Visit www.root-
stech.org to learn more.
Zion Lutheran Church
LA GRANDE — Zion
Lutheran Church will not wor-
ship in person this Sunday, Feb.
28, due to COVID-19.
A recorded worship ser-
vice will be posted on Zion’s
Facebook page and website on
Saturday.
A virtual Lenten service will
be held via Zoon on Wednesday,
March 3, at 6:30 p.m. A link
for that service will be emailed
Tuesday. Zion won’t worship in
person again until a week after
Union County is in the yellow
zone of the state’s metrics. The
church offi ce also will be closed
until then.
St. Peter’s Episcopal
Church
LA GRANDE — Due to the
coronavirus, St. Peter’s Epis-
copal Church will not worship in
person until at least mid-March.
A link to a recorded worship ser-
vice for Sunday, Feb. 28, will be
posted to Facebook on Saturday.
There will be a Zoom Lenten
midweek service on Wednesday,
March 3, at 6:30 p.m.
The link for the virtual ser-
vice will be emailed on Tuesday.
Love and vaccinations
Pastors tapped to overcome racial divide on vaccine
By ASHRAF KHALIL
and HILARY POWELL
seniors, who vividly remember
medical exploitation horrors such
The Associated Press
as the Tuskegee syphilis study,
WASHINGTON — Stately
where hundreds of impoverished
and deliberate, with a distinc-
rural Black men suffered syphilis
tive white streak in his black
effects with minimal treatment
hair, the Rev. Wallace Charles
for decades as part of the medical
Smith started his Valentine’s
study.
Day sermon at Shiloh Baptist
“We know we need to focus
Church by talking about love and on Black and brown commu-
vaccinations.
nities,” Dr. LaQuandra Nes-
“That’s what love’s all about.
bitt, the director of the district’s
When you get a vaccination, you
health department, said earlier
are saying to everyone around
this month. “Let’s not give up
you that you love them enough
on communities of color being
that you don’t want any hurt,
interested in the vaccine. Let’s
harm or danger to befall them,”
continue to answer their ques-
he said. “In the spirit of love,
tions. Let’s continue to be very
keep at it until you get your vac-
thoughtful in how we answer
cination. That’s the only thing
their questions.”
that’s going to erase this terrible
The D.C. government is giving
scourge.”
priority for vaccine registra-
The church was empty except
tion to predominantly Black ZIP
for a camera crew and a tiny
codes and running public infor-
choir. Thanks
mation cam-
to COVID-
paigns, including
19, Smith’s
“Our role as clergy the clergy vac-
Sunday ser-
cinations. The
and as faith-based
mons are now
latest numbers
virtual affairs.
show the gap is
leaders is to be
Still, health
narrowing, but
offi cials in the
the southeastern
optimistic and
nation’s cap-
core of the city’s
hopeful. We say
ital are hoping
Black community
that Smith
is still getting
to our people that
and other
vaccinated at the
Black reli-
slowest rate.
these vaccines
gious leaders
“There’s dis-
will serve as
trust
in our com-
are the gift of life.
community
munity. We can’t
We believe in the
infl uencers
ignore that,”
to overcome
said Rev. James
science.”
what offi cials
Coleman of All
say is a per-
Nations Baptist,
— Rev. H.B. Holmes Jr., Bethel
sistent vac-
who was vac-
Missionary Church, Tallahassee,
cine reluctance
cinated along
Florida
in the Black
with Smith.
community.
“The church,
Smith and sev-
and particularly
eral other local ministers recently the Black church, is essential. ...
received their fi rst vaccine shots.
That’s what pastors do.”
Black residents make up a
Coleman said he has worked
little under half of Washing-
to create a vaccine-positive atmo-
ton’s population, but constitute
sphere among the seniors in his
nearly three-fourths of the city’s
church. Before a recent Sunday
COVID-19 deaths. The District of morning sermon, conducted via
Columbia is now offering vacci-
audio conference call, elderly
nations to residents over age 65,
parishioners in Coleman’s church
but numbers show that seniors in
updated one another on their
the poorest and blackest parts of
progress and congratulated those
Washington are lagging behind.
who had been vaccinated.
Offi cials partially blame his-
“There was some nervousness
toric distrust of the medical estab- to overcome at fi rst,” Coleman
lishment, especially among Black said. “People outside the Black
Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press
In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, photo Reginald Henry, 69, of Washington, D.C., receives his second dose of
the COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic at Howard University, in Washington, D.C. “I felt confi dent about getting
the vaccine,” says Henry, who lives in a senior building, “because God helps those who help themselves.”
community sometimes can’t
relate to that sensitivity.”
Health departments nation-
wide are dealing with the same
challenges, and other jurisdic-
tions also are calling on religious
leaders to help dispel vaccine
fears.
“Our role as clergy and as
faith-based leaders is to be opti-
mistic and hopeful. We say to our
people that these vaccines are the
gift of life. We believe in the sci-
ence,” said Rev. H.B. Holmes Jr.
of Bethel Missionary Church in
Tallahassee, Florida.
Holmes has gotten vaccinated,
and his church has hosted vacci-
nation drives.
“We knew that because of hes-
itation and reluctance we needed
trusted voices. So we brought
together persons of great infl u-
ence in Black and brown com-
munities, particularly from our
community, to say, you know, I’m
going to take the vaccine and roll
up our sleeves and do that pub-
licly,” he said.
In Washington, the Pennsyl-
vania Avenue Baptist Church has
been designated a “faith-based
Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press
Kathy Boylan, 77, of Washington, who says she has never received any
vaccinations herself, protests the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, Feb.
11, 2021, outside the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church that was
hosting a vaccination clinic in southeast Washington, D.C.
vaccination partner,” with a por-
table vaccination trailer set up in
the church’s parking lot twice a
week.
The vaccinations have gone
smoothly.
But showing that vaccine skep-
ticism transcends racial lines,
a white D.C. resident, Kathy
Boylan, crossed the city on a
recent icy day to stand on the
sidewalk outside the church with
a sign saying “Danger: COVID
Vaccine Say No!”
Northeast Oregon Directory of Churches
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!
First Christian
Church
(Disciples of Christ)
901 Penn Avenue 963-2623
lgdisciples@gmail.com
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~
SUMMERVILLE
BAPTIST CHURCH
LA GRANDE UNITED
METHODIST 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
“OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS”
1612 4th Street – 963-2498
Pastor Taylor Gould
For service information go to
www.lagrandeumc.org
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
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
Imbler
Christian
Church
440 Ruckman, Imbler 534-2201
www.imblercc@gmail.com
Sunday Services
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Sunday School
Worship Service
Services
This
Week
La Grande Seventh-day
FIRST LANDMARK
MISSIONARY BAPTIST
CHURCH
Adventist Church
A Place where hope is found in Jesus
Join us in Fellowship & Worship
Saturday all age classes 9:30 am
Saturday Worship 11:00 am
1812 1st St. La Grande
Pastor Dave Tierce • 541-605-0215
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
We use the King James Version Bible
109 18th Street • 963-3402
Sunday School 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Worship 10:30 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”
www.flmbclagrande.com