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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2021)
Spiritual Life A6 Thursday, October 21, 2021 SPIRITUAL LIFE HIGHLIGHTS Country Gospel band performs at First Christian Church SUBMISSIONS LA GRANDE — Soul Ren- ovation, a country Gospel band from Wallowa County — will perform at the La Grande First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on Sunday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. Soul Renovation has been performing since 1995. Their desire is to lift Christ up through their message in song. All are welcome. Face masks are required. Faith Lutheran services off ered in Union and Wallowa counties LA GRANDE — Faith Lutheran Church on Sunday, Oct. 24, will hold a worship service in La Grande at 10 a.m. and in Enterprise at 2 p.m. The sermon 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). will be drawn from Mark 10:46- 52, which tells of a man who had been taught about Jesus. When he knew Jesus was passing by, he called out to him for mercy. We are blessed by those who have helped us to know about Jesus and Jesus’ desire for us to be near him. streamed live and also recorded. The link to the livestream will be posted to the church’s Facebook page on Saturday, Oct. 23. That same link can also be used to watch the service at a later time. Join St. Peter’s service virtually, live or later LA GRANDE — The Sunday, Oct. 24, worship service at La Grande’s Zion Lutheran Church begins at 9 a.m. The service will include Holy Communion and will be followed by a time of fel- lowship. Masks and social dis- tancing are required. The service will also be livestreamed to You- Tube, and the link for that stream LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in La Grande will meet for in-person worship at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 24. The ser- vice will include Holy Commu- nion. Masks and social distancing are required. The service will be Livestreaming of service resumes at Zion Lutheran will be posted the day before on Zion’s Facebook page and website. Children present Primary Program at region’s services NORTHEASTERN OREGON — Children will present the annual Primary Program during the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat- ter-day Saints’ Sacrament Ser- vice in the Pine Valley, Union and Enterprise wards on Sunday, Oct. 24. Members of the congregation will speak in the other La Grande stake wards, and the second hour will be Priesthood and Relief Society meetings. The “Come, Follow Me” lesson for the week of Oct. 25 will be based on Doctrine and Covenants Section 124, which is a revelation given to Joseph Smith in January 1841 that provides direction for the members settling in Nauvoo, Illinois, and provides informa- tion on the temple they were to build. Lesson materials may be enhanced by a series of podcasts released this past week titled “The Nauvoo Temple: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast.” Visit www.news- room.churchofjesuschrist.org to learn how to access this material. What does spirituality mean to you? LA GRANDE — The Observer welcomes thoughts and comments from community mem- bers on spiritual matters. If you would like to share how you expe- rience spirituality, email news@ lagrandeobserver.com or call 541- 963-3161. Ongoing monthly col- umns and one-time submissions will be considered. Columns are generally 500-600 words and include a photo of the writer. — The Observer The greatest good for the greater good MATT HENRY THE ROAD NOT TAKEN A s a retired pastor, I tend to stay con- nected to local clergy for friendship and support. I was having coff ee recently with one of them, a good, wise, experienced pastor who serves a com- munity church in Weston. We both have analytical minds by nature, shaped and formed by our Chris- tian faith. So it was that he asked me the million-dollar ques- tion: “Do you think we have an unconscious death wish?” My unspoken thoughts immediately crackled like a dry grass fi re. Who is “we” and who is to decide the defi nition of that? Uncon- scious — or rather, as I sus- pect, quite conscious? And perhaps most important: Are there enough of us who want to live to overcome those of us who seem hell- bent on dying and leaving a scorched earth behind? The fi rst sermon I ever preached in a church set- ting was as a lay person. The pastor of the church asked me if I would “give the message” at the Easter Sunrise Service of all things. Thinking we were both nuts, I humbly accepted. I was scared to death. What did I have to tell anyone, especially fellow believers who were much more experienced with the Holy Scriptures than me? My solution was to not center my refl ection on any specifi c passage but to rather concentrate on the central message of Jesus’ Gospel itself — that of supreme self-sacrifi ce. But my audience could repeat the Easter story in their sleep so what was left to say? In my own simple way, I just brought it home, down out of the transcen- dent distance and into the imminent moment. I asked them to close their eyes and imagine their favored child or loved one. Holding that person in front of their eyes, I envisioned the classic sci-fi scenario of an alien race invading earth, possessing the tech- nology to kill all humans immediately with the mere thought of it. But here’s the deal — they will not do that, and leave, never to return, if one human would give them their most cher- ished and loved human to take away. For most of them, that was their child. It was that simple. The simple swap of one — their one — for all, everyone else on the entire planet, even those they call “enemy.” What would be their deci- sion? What would be yours? That decision had been both Abraham’s and God’s, and we have been given their responses: The greatest good for the greater good. The One for the All. In both cases, I’m sure the decision was beyond imaginable excruciation. Now think about my friend’s question and my inexperienced homily for a second against the cur- rent backdrop of partic- ular, historic and largely white-induced hyper- individualism that is drowning the world and casting a future with much uncertainty and anxiety. As the second act of “Opera COVID” plays out, the uber self-centeredness, the classic American self- ishness of anti-vaxxers con- tinues to stump me, particu- larly because their decision has no grounding in logic or common sense. Is this what our frontline health care providers are sacrifi cing their own lives for? Simple childish obsti- nacy? Or is it rather as I suspect — they are willing to sacrifi ce everyone else on earth so that their own, cherished ideological child survives the dominant alien onslaught above all others? Have we “Americans” bun- kered down with a fallout shelter mentality toward each other? You come for the last can of pork and beans on earth and I’ll shoot you? Another Abraham, this one surnamed Lin- coln, to someone who was requesting a prayer that “God might be on the Union side to win the war,” responded wisely and adroitly, “Sir, I am not really concerned about whether God is on our side. I am very concerned we are on God’s side.” One theologian puts it like this, “It is diffi cult to stand on God’s side. Per- haps that is why we are so often tempted to believe that God stands on ours.” For bona fi de Christians, there can only be one side. The Gospel of ultimate self-sacrifi ce — the greatest good for the greater good — draws a line in the sand that cannot be breached. ——— The Rev. Matt Henry is a retired American Baptist/United Methodist pastor, who pastored the Pendleton First United Church and now joyfully makes “hippie food” for the houseless at the Warming Station. WORDS OF THE BUDDHA Irrigators direct the water. Fletchers fashion the shaft. Carpenters bend the wood. The wise control themselves. — Dhammapada 6.80 You are your own master, you make your future. Therefore discipline yourself as a horse-dealer trains a thoroughbred. — Dhammapada 25.380 Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace. — Dhammapada 8.100 Source: www.pariyatti.org The Week Communities Pledge to Stay Drug Free GO TO UCSAFECOMMUNITES.ORG TO LEARN MORE 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) Worship 10:00 a.m. ~Join us at The Lord’s Table~ SUMMERVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH LA GRANDE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH A church for your whole family Visit us at summervillebaptistchurch.org The Place 62848 Philynda Loop in Island City 901 Penn Avenue 963-2623 “We are called to Serve” lgdisciples@gmail.com Worship: 9:00 a.m. Cove Worship: 10:00 a.m. N. Powder 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 GRACE COMMUNITY LUTHERAN CHURCH Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am Sunday Worship 10:00 am Phone: 541-568-4230 grace.lutherancove@gmail.com www.lagrandeumc.org www.imblercc@gmail.com Sunday Services 9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Sunday School Worship Service La Grande Seventh-day 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 1612 4th Street – 963-2498 For service information go to 440 Ruckman, Imbler 534-2201 Adventist Church “OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS” Pastor Taylor Gould Imbler Christian Church 2702 Adams Avenue, La Grande 963-4018 109 18th Street • 963-3402 Sunday School 9:15 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. 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 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 Services This Week
