Spiritual Life
A6
Thursday, January 20, 2022
SPIRITUAL LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Broadcast addresses
senior missions
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@lagrandeob-
server.com (with Highlights in the subject line).
NORTHEASTERN OREGON
— Members of the congrega-
tion will be speaking during Sac-
rament Services at the region’s
Churches of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints on Sunday, Jan.
23, and the second hour will be
Priesthood and Relief Society
meetings.
Also on Jan. 23, at 5 p.m.
(PST) there will be a spe-
cial regional broadcast for all
senior members of the church
with interest in serving a mis-
sion. Elder Gifford Nielson will
preside and be joined by sev-
eral area leaders. The link to this
broadcast is www.churchofjesus-
christ.org/broadcasts/languages/
nac-senior-missionary-devo-
tional/2022/01.
The “Come, Follow Me” lesson
for the week of Jan. 24 is based on
Moses chapter 7, which is a con-
tinuation of the record of Enoch,
who is listed in Adam’s posterity
in Genesis as one who “walked
with God” (Genesis 5:22, 24).
This is a record of how God’s fol-
lowers successfully built Zion by
becoming “of one heart and one
mind … and there was no poor
among them” (Moses 7:18).
Join worship service in
person or online
LA GRANDE — Zion
Lutheran Church will offer
in-person and online worship on
Sunday, Jan. 23, at 9 a.m. Masks
and social distancing are required.
The service will be livestreamed
to YouTube. The link for that
stream will be posted on Zion’s
Facebook page and website on
Saturday, Jan. 22.
Recorded service may be
viewed at any time
LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church will meet for
worship on Sunday, Jan. 23, at
11 a.m. Masks and social dis-
tancing are required. The ser-
vice will be streamed live and
recorded for viewing at a later
time. The link will be posted to
the church’s Facebook page on
Saturday, Jan. 22.
Message drawn
from Psalm 37
LA GRANDE — First Chris-
tian Church (Disciples of Christ)
meets at 10 a.m. on Sunday,
Jan. 23. Pastor Archie Hook’s
message will raise the ques-
tion, “What Are Your Heart’s
Desires?” He will speak from
Psalm 37:3-6: “Trust in the Lord
and do good; dwell in the land
and enjoy safe pasture” (v. 3).
Jesus is the fulfillment
of scripture
LA GRANDE, ENTERPRISE
— The sermon at Faith Lutheran
Church on Sunday, Jan. 23, will
examine Jesus as the fulfillment
Rachel Center provides help and healing
of scripture, drawn from Luke
4:16-30. In these verses Jesus is
handed the scroll of the prophet
Isaiah when he was in the house
of worship on the appointed day,
as was his custom. Jesus read a
section of Isaiah and proclaimed,
“Today this Scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing” (vs.
21). There will be a worship ser-
vice in La Grande at 10 a.m. and
in Enterprise at 2 p.m.
This Sunday is Lutherans for
Life Sunday. Lutherans for Life
equips Lutherans and their neigh-
bors to be Gospel-motivated
voices for life.
SHINE Preschool, of Faith
Lutheran Church, is recog-
nizing Lutheran Schools’ Week,
January 24-28. SHINE Pre-
school is one of 1,885 schools of
the Lutheran Church Missouri
Synod.
— The Observer
Resolve to repent
LAURA ELLY
HUDSON
By LISA BRITTON
Baker City Herald
BAKER CITY — Vera Grove
expected to see an increase
in people seeking help at the
Rachel Pregnancy Center as the
pandemic continued to affect
everyday life.
It didn’t happen.
“It has affected our traffic —
it’s way down,” she said.
Grove is the director of the
Rachel Center in Baker City,
which offers support for those
experiencing an unplanned preg-
nancy and help for families in
need.
The center’s mission is “to
offer hope, help and healing
through the love of Christ to
hurting women and men in diffi-
cult situations.”
Grove attributes the decrease
in clients to expanded government
benefits over the last year or so.
Those are ending, though, and she
expects to see more visitors to the
center in the coming months.
“We think we’ll see an increase
in people with needs,” she said.
The center, at 2192 Court
St., is open Tuesday through
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is
closed from noon to 1 p.m. for
lunch.
Resources for pregnancy help
including tests, a referral for
a free ultrasound, pregnancy
options, adoption referrals and
maternity clothes.
For parents, the center provides
“encouragement and counseling,”
baby clothes up to size 3, baby
furniture, diapers and formula,
and referrals for other assistance.
Classes are offered too, on
topics including prenatal, infant
care, relationships, money man-
agement and more.
Grove said a program called
“Earn While You Learn” allows
participants to earn Baby Bucks,
which can be redeemed in a spe-
cial area of the center.
Those who are unable to attend
in person can still access the
center’s offerings with educa-
tional lessons by email and Zoom
meetings.
The Rachel Center is a non-
profit organization, and depends
BELIEVING AND
BECOMING
id you make a resolu-
tion for the new year?
Three weeks into Jan-
uary, how is it going?
There’s something about
turning that calendar page
that energizes me. I make
plans to adopt or let go of
attitudes habits, or behav-
iors, whatever I imagine will
improve my physical, emo-
tional or spiritual well-being.
However, by the third
week of January, my initial
enthusiasm often fizzles out.
Firm resolve has turned into
doubt. Maybe my old habits
weren’t as bad as I thought.
After all, how possible is it,
really, for human beings to
change ourselves?
I know I’m not alone in my
wavering. This January, I’ve
seen numerous social media
posts from people who are
giving up on New Year’s res-
olutions. Maybe after nearly
two years of pandemic adap-
tations, we’re all a little tired
of change.
But perhaps there’s more
than change-fatigue behind
the skepticism. While the
concept of a New Year’s reso-
lution fits the Western ideal of
individual self-determination,
as psychologists and social
scientists have discovered —
and as the world’s spiritual
teachers have long known
— there is a big gap between
this ideal and the reality of
human nature.
“All have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God,”
writes the Apostle Paul
(Romans 3:21). “Sin” —
which simply means “missing
the mark” — describes the
greatest obstacle we face in
making change. Beyond an
individual’s choice to engage
in problem behaviors, this
word also points to the truth
that human beings are entan-
gled in systems of relation-
D
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
Vera Grove, director of the Rachel Pregnancy Center in Baker City, organizes clothing on
Jan. 18, 2022. The center provides help for those experiencing an unexpected pregnan-
cy and offers counseling, parenting classes, baby clothes, diapers and more.
National Sanctity of Human Life
Day.
“It’s a reminder of life, and that
life is important to God,” Grove
said.
MORE INFORMATION
WHAT: Rachel Pregnancy Center
WHERE: 2192 Court St., Baker City
WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
DONATIONS NEEDED: Maternity clothes,
winter clothes, toiletries. Checks can be
mailed to P.O. Box 1086, Baker City, 97814
CONTACT THE CENTER: Call 541-523-
5357, check the Facebook page or email
rpc.director1@gmail.com.
Center needs
on local contributions and grants.
“Everything is donated,” Grove
said.
In addition to donated items,
she said monetary gifts help buy
diapers, formula, and other items.
This weekend, the center is
observing “Sanctity of Human
Life Sunday” on Jan. 23. Grove
said bulletin inserts are provided
to local churches with informa-
tion about the center, and the help
it provides.
The Sunday observation dates
to 1984, when President Ronald
Reagan issued a proclamation
designating Jan. 22 as the first
Grove said the center has lim-
ited storage, but is accepting
maternity and winter clothes.
Baby furniture is welcome, but
call ahead first.
Other needed items include
diapers, wipes and toiletries
such as shampoo, body wash and
toothpaste.
“Prior to COVID we gave out
quite a bit of that stuff,” Grove
said of the personal care items.
Monetary donations can be
mailed to PO Box 1086, Baker
City 97814.
Also, the center’s annual Baby
Bottle Fundraiser will again run
from Mother’s Day to Father’s
Day.
For more information, call the
center at 541-523-5357, check the
Facebook page or email Grove at
rpc.director1@gmail.com.
ships that can and do trigger
us to enact behaviors we
would never intentionally
choose. Remembering Martin
Luther King Jr. this month
reminds us of the struggle to
end the systems of racism.
Does the problem of
sin mean it’s impossible to
change? Christian tradi-
tion holds a tension about
this question. Human beings
can certainly recognize our
need for change, and we can
be willing to “turn around.”
That is the literal meaning
of the word “repent.” If you
don’t like where your life is
heading, you can turn around
and go a different direction.
Yet we must also recog-
nize that repentance is not
a once-and-for-all decision,
because the internal and
external obstacles of sin will
hinder us. That’s why true
and lasting transformation
requires more than repen-
tance. We also need forgive-
ness, so that when we make
a mistake or fail to follow
through on a decision to
change, we are not stuck in
failure.
Forgiveness allows a
second chance — and a third,
fourth, fifth, and more! When
you have a sincere desire to
change, divine grace provides
as many new beginnings as
you need to learn a different
way of life in alignment with
God’s way.
So, rather than seeing
your New Year’s resolutions
as all-or-nothing and giving
up at the first hint of failure,
consider resolving to repent,
again and again. Turn back
around as many times as it
takes. And trust that your
desire to change will be met
with grace so that you can
stay the course toward life
filled with hope, peace, joy
and love.
———
Laura Elly Hudson is
co-pastor of the La Grande
First Presbyterian Church.
You can find her at www.
lauraellyhudson.com.
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