Spiritual Life
6A
Thursday, April 29, 2021
HIGHLIGHTS
Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
LA GRANDE — Special
events this week by the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
include the 2021 BYU Women’s
Conference, which will be broad-
cast starting at 9 a.m. Thursday
and Friday, April 29-30, along
with a Worldwide Devotional for
Young Adults on Sunday, May
2, at 5 p.m. Elder and Sister Ras-
band will speak Friday at the
Women’s Conference and Elder
and Sister Stevenson will be the
guest speakers at the Young Adult
Devotional. All who wish to
attend are welcome to these vir-
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).
tual meetings; visit www.chur-
chofjesuschrist.org for ways to
access them.This Sunday, May 2
also is Fast Sunday for members.
The “Come, Follow Me”
lesson for the week of May 3 is
on Doctrine and Covenants sec-
tions 46-48. These instructions
to early members directed them
to welcome visitors to worship
services, provided information
on the “gifts of the spirit” and
declared the need for members to
keep a history of the church.
Zion Lutheran Church
LA GRANDE — Zion
Lutheran Church will meet for an
in-person worship service Sunday,
May 2, at 9 a.m. COVID precau-
tions will be in place, including
masks and social distancing.
Those planning to attend are asked
to RSVP to the offi ce via email or
phone by noon Saturday. The ser-
vice will be livestreamed to You-
Tube, and the link for that stream
will be posted Saturday on Zion’s
Facebook page and website.
God’s word is surely powerful
and eff ective. After the service is
a First Sunday meal followed by a
meeting of the elders.
Faith Lutheran Church
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
LA GRANDE — The sermon
at Faith Lutheran Church Sunday,
May 2, will expound on John
15:1-8. In these verses Jesus iden-
tifi es that he is the source of
proper spiritual thoughts, beliefs
and actions. He uses the imagery
of being the grapevine that pro-
vides sustenance to the branches
and assures us that we “are
already clean because of the Word
that I have spoken to you” (vs. 3).
LA GRAND — St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church will resume
in-person worship Sunday, May 2,
with a service of Morning Prayer
at 11 a.m. COVID-19 precau-
tions will be in place, including
the requirement of masks and
social distancing. The service will
be recorded, and that video will
be posted to the church’s Face-
book page and member emails on
Sunday afternoon or evening.
A year without knocking on doors Elie Wiesel gets seat at National Cathedral
The Observer
In March 2020, the
some 1.3 million Jehovah’s
Witnesses in the United
States suspended its door-
to-door and face-to-face
forms of public min-
istry and moved congre-
gation meetings to video
conferencing.
It’s now been more
than a year since the
church worldwide adjusted
its methods due to the
pandemic.
For many, the change
from ringing doorbells
and knocking on doors to
making phone calls and
Jehovah’s Witnesses Public Information Desk/Contributed Photo
writing letters expanded
Trish McCauley of Central Oregon, a member of the Jehovah’s Witness-
and invigorated the min-
es, pursues virtual ministry in her home in this 2021 photo. The church
istry, according to the
paused its door-to-door ministry for more than a year due to the
United States branch of
COVID-19 pandemic.
the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Public Information Desk.
Pausing door-to-door
McCauley said after
friendships with several
ministry “has been a very
door-to-door ministry
in my community by our
deliberate decision based
resumes, she won’t stop
phone visits. We talk about
on two principles: our
writing letters and calling
the day we can fi nally
respect for life and love
people.
meet face-to-face, when
of neighbor,” said Robert
“I feel this is truly a
it’s safe to do so. I feel like
Hendriks, U.S.
I have learned
spokesperson
new skills that I
“In fact, I think we have needed
for Jehovah’s
will continue to
Witnesses. “But
use even when
each other more than ever.
we are still wit-
we are able
nesses and, as
to resume the
We are fi nding that people are
such, we must
public ministry.”
perplexed, stressed and feeling
testify about our
Nearly 51,000
faith. So it was
people
in the
isolated.”
inevitable that
United States
— Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s
we would fi nd a
last year made
Witnesses
way to continue
a request for a
our work.”
Witness to con-
It was 33
tact them, either
years ago that Trish
great way to reach people. through a local congrega-
McCauley of Cen-
It’s helped me think out-
tion or jw.org, the organi-
tral Oregon was bap-
side the box.”
zation’s offi cial website,
tized into the church. She
Robin Kuenzi, also of
according to Hendriks.
enjoyed spending full days Central Oregon, began
Since the outbreak, the
preaching door-to-door
her full-time volunteer
Witnesses have followed
and conducting in-home
work nearly 38 years ago,
up on these requests via
Bible studies. Then a
according to the church.
letters and phone calls
health crisis changed her
She enjoyed preaching
instead of in-person visits.
life dramatically.
from door-to-door, con-
“Our love for our neigh-
“My energy level was
ducting in-home Bible
bors is stronger than ever,”
so low, it took all I had
studies and standing at
Hendriks said. “In fact, I
just to use my walker to
cart displays in city parks. think we have needed each
get to the door,” McCauley
During the pandemic
other more than ever. We
said.
she had to learn new ways are fi nding that people are
During the pandemic,
to reach people.
perplexed, stressed and
she has regularly partici-
“At fi rst I was appre-
feeling isolated. Our work
pated in virtual ministry
hensive. However my
has helped many regain a
groups, making dozens of
experience has been
sense of footing — even
phone calls and writing
overwhelmingly posi-
normalcy — at a very
letters.
tive,” she said. “Many
unsettled time.”
“By staying in my own
Witnesses also made
express appreciation for
home I feel less draw on
the interest shown to them an eff ort to check on
my energy,” she said. “I
distant friends and family
and are clearly relaxed
truly enjoy talking with
— sometimes texting
speaking with me on the
others on the phone and
links to Bible-based
phone. Some say they
receiving encouragement.” prefer it. I feel I have built articles on jw.org.
Image of Nobel
prize winner and
Holocaust survivor
joins other
prominent figures
By ASHRAF KHALIL
Associated Press
WASHINGTON —
Washington National
Cathedral, the massive
Episcopal house of worship
that prides itself on being
an unfi nished work-in-
progress whose stones and
stained glass tell the story
of the 20th and 21st centu-
ries, is unveiling its newest
addition: a carving of
iconic author, human rights
campaigner and Holocaust
survivor Elie Wiesel.
The carving com-
pletes a quartet of heads
of prominent fi gures
sprouting from the four
corners of an alcove
known as the Human
Rights Porch, joining
Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks
and Jonathan Myrick Dan-
iels, a young Episcopal
theologian and civil rights
crusader who was shot to
death in Alabama in 1965,
giving his life to protect a
17-year-old Black woman.
“This is the space
where we celebrate
human aspiration,” cathe-
dral spokesman Kevin
Eckstrom said.
Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press
Stone carver Sean Callahan uses a chisel and mallet as he works on a
limestone head of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winning
author Elie Wiesel in the Human Rights Porch at the Washington Nation-
al Cathedral, Thursday, April 1, 2021.
Wiesel, who died in
2016, was the author of 57
books including “Night,”
which is based on his expe-
riences as a Jewish pris-
oner in the Auschwitz and
Buchenwald concentration
camps. He became an out-
spoken advocate for human
rights causes around the
world, helped found the
United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum and
was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1986.
The Rev. Randy Hol-
lerith, the cathedral’s
dean, chose Wiesel for
the alcove’s fi nal corner,
calling him “the living
embodiment of resilience
in the face of hatred.”
Wiesel’s inclusion is par-
ticularly important as the
number of living Holo-
caust survivors dwin-
dles, he added.
“We have to make sure
that we keep that reality in
front of people,” Hollerith
said. “Those who stood for
human rights and human
dignity ought to be part of
this sacred space.”
Artist Chas Fagan,
who created all the sculp-
tures in the Human
Rights Porch, worked off
photos and videos pro-
vided by Wiesel’s family
to fashion a clay image of
Wiesel’s head that cathe-
dral stone carver Sean
Callahan and head stone-
mason Joe Alonso used
to make a plaster model.
Then Callahan, using
specialized calibration
equipment, painstak-
ingly carved the image
into a small slab of rock
that has been sticking
out of the wall for years
awaiting a fourth face.
We thank these Chamber Members
for their continued support
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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