Spiritual Life
6A
Thursday, June 17, 2021
SPIRITUAL LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
The Lord’s Prayer, fathers
and donuts highlight
June 20 service
LA GRANDE — The wor-
ship service at the La Grande First
Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) begins at 10 a.m. Sunday,
June 20.
Pastor Archie Hook’s message,
“Saluting Our Fathers Through
the Lord’s Prayer,” will honor
fathers, while looking at Jesus’
model prayer from Matthew 6:5-
13. Donuts will be served during
the fellowship time, in honor of
Father’s Day.
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@lagrandeob-
server.com (with Highlights in the subject line).
We should take Jesus
just as he is
Every step off ers us
an opportunity to
encounter God
LAURA
HUDSON
BECOMING AND
BELIEVING
t’s nearly the fi rst day
of summer, prime
hiking season here
in the mountains. As my
son prepared for a recent
Scout backpack trip in the
Wallowas, I recalled an
important lesson from my
own backpacking adven-
ture in Colorado’s San Juan
Wilderness.
About four days into the
trip, a few of us decided
to day hike to the top of
a nearby peak. Without
much of a trail, this trek
took us up a steep, scrubby
incline with shaley,
shifting rocks.
I was the slowest
member of the small
group, plodding behind
the others, wondering if I
had made the right choice
to leave camp for this
extra adventure. Most of
our group stayed behind,
relaxing at our camp.
Always one to push
myself, I hadn’t wanted to
miss out on the view from
the top.
But after hiking uphill
for an hour, the outlook
wasn’t great. Misty clouds
swirled around the peak
above us, and it looked
pretty certain that we’d get
no spectacular panorama
up there. I felt sort of
cheated: all this eff ort and
no payoff !
Just then, our teacher
stopped us for a break.
“Probably no view up
there,” he said, shrugging.
“But this is a great oppor-
tunity to allow yourself to
notice how God meets you
in every step.”
As I caught my breath
and guzzled water, I con-
templated this invitation.
I’d heard plenty of popular
proverbs like “the journey
is the destination,” and
often I’d scoff . Why go on
a journey if it wasn’t about
getting somewhere?
This time, something
I
about Bill’s reminder con-
nected with me in a whole
new way. Focused on
getting to the top, I was
missing all of the colors,
textures and nuances the
mountain revealed all
along the way.
Jesus’ words sprang
to mind, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at
hand.”
It was time for a change
in perspective. There was
nowhere else to get to;
God’s presence was right
here all along.
When we started hiking
again, I practiced focusing
on each step, no longer
lamenting my slow pace
or the steepness of the
incline. Suddenly I could
feel the mountain under
my feet; I could feel the
power of my own body
lifting me up the slope.
Every so often, I allowed
myself to stop and look
around, take in the plant
life, notice animals and
sense the textures of the
rock face above me.
What had seemed like
an interminable climb with
no reward became won-
drous right now, every
step an opportunity to
encounter the mystery of
the world God is always
making new.
When we arrived at the
top, the clouds didn’t mag-
ically disappear. In the
cold, obscuring mist, we
had no expansive view of
neighboring peaks and val-
leys. But it didn’t matter
any more.
This moment, however
clouded, was the present
truth of the mountain —
God could meet us here as
well as in any broad vista.
Every moment, every
experience, every step
could be a meeting place
with God.
———
The Rev. Laura Elly
Hudson is co-pastor
of First Presbyterian
Church, La Grande, and
founder of Story Journey.
You can fi nd her at
fpclagrande.org or at
lauraellyhudson.com.
LDS lesson materials are
off ered free to all
of the Sea of Galilee. The disciples
responded to their leader’s needs:
“ ... leaving the crowd, they took
(Jesus) with them in a boat, just
as He was ... “ (vs. 36a). Jesus had
been teaching and was tired. We
are encouraged to take Jesus just
as he reveals himself in Scripture.
Following the service is June’s
Church Council Meeting.
LA GRANDE — The sermon
at the 10 a.m. Divine Service
Sunday, June 20, at Faith Lutheran
Church, of La Grande, will use
Mark 4:35-41. In these verses
Jesus was busy with his ministry
and desired to go to the other side
mandments,” the precursor of
today’s Doctrine and Covenants.
The lesson focuses on inspira-
tions through the Holy Ghost that
refl ect the Lord’s will, and the
responsibility of parents to teach
their children gospel principles.
All lesson materials are available
for free from the church’s web-
site or from the mobile app called
Gospel Library.
Registration for BYU Educa-
tion Week, held Aug. 16-20, 2021,
is now open. Visit https://educa-
tionweek.byu.edu/home to learn
more and to register.
— The Observer
Faith’s yard sale is Saturday,
June 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at
104 S. 12th St., La Grande.
SUBMISSIONS
LA GRANDE — The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” lesson
for the week of June 21 is based
on Doctrine and Covenants sec-
tions 67-70, which were revela-
tions given through the Prophet
Joseph Smith in November 1831.
These sections discuss the pub-
lication of the “Book of Com-
Mormons, NAACP advance new projects
The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY
— Top leaders from the
The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints
announced $9.25 mil-
lion in new educational
and humanitarian projects
Monday, June 14, as they
seek to build on an alliance
formed with the NAACP
in 2018 as part of the
faith’s eff orts to improve
race relations.
The Utah-based church
will donate $3 million to
fund scholarships for three
years for Black students
through the United Negro
College Fund and give
$250,000 to create a fel-
lowship for students from
the United States to travel
to Ghana to learn about
slavery, said church presi-
dent Russell M. Nelson in
Salt Lake City.
The faith known
widely as the Mormon
church will also give
$6 million to fund three
years of humanitarian aid
aimed at helping under-
privileged people in six
metro areas of the United
States. They announced
the initiatives ahead of
Juneteenth, a holiday cel-
ebrated June 19 that com-
memorates the date of the
emancipation of enslaved
people in the U.S.
Nelson made yet
another plea for people
to root out the “ugly
sin of racism” during
his remarks as he con-
tinues to make racial
injustice a priority since
assuming the top post in
2018 overseeing the faith
of 16.5 million members
worldwide.
Its partnership with the
civil rights organization is
part of the religion’s eff orts
to improve race relations.
Until 1978, the church had
a ban on Black men in the
faith’s lay priesthood that
was rooted in the belief
that black skin was a curse.
STORAGE
SHEDS
www.CountrysideSheds.com
La GRANDE
AUTO REPAIR A little bit more room
975-2000
STORAGE
BUILDINGS
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EASTERN OREGON
2021
PHOTO CONTEST
Official Rules:
Photo Contest open now and closes at
11:59 pm Sunday, June 20, 2021.
Staff will choose the top 10. The public can
vote online for People’s Choice from 12:01
am Monday, June 21 through 11:59 pm
Thursday, June 30.
Digital or scanned photos only, uploaded
to the online platform. No physical copies.
Only photographers from Oregon may
participate.
The contest subject matter is wide open but
we’re looking for images that capture life
in Eastern Oregon.
Submit all photos
online at:
Entrants may crop, tone, adjust saturation
and make minor enhancements, but may
not add or remove objects within the
frame, or doctor images such that the final
product doesn’t represent what’s actually
before the camera.
The winners will appear in the July 8th
edition of Go Magazine; the top 25 will
appear online.
Gift cards to a restaurant of your choice
will be awarded for first, second and third
place.
lagrandeobserver.com/photocontest
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