Spiritual Life
A6
Thursday, March 3, 2022
SPIRITUAL LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Bible study followed by
10:30 a.m. service
followed by the worship service at
11 a.m.
SUBMISSIONS
LA GRANDE — First Chris-
tian Church (Disciples of Christ)
will observe the first Sunday of
Lent on March 6. Pastor Archie
Hook’s message, “Find Our
Humble Side,” will reference Phi-
lippians 2:1-5. Sunday morning
worship starts at a new time,
10:30 a.m., beginning this week.
There will be a Bible study at
9 a.m. before the service. Pastor
Archie will be leading a study on
the book of Romans.
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).
First Sunday of Lent focuses
on Jesus’ 40 days in the
wilderness
LA GRANDE — For the First
Sunday of Lent, observed March
6, Faith Lutheran Church will
remember the 40 days of Jesus
fasting in the wilderness before he
began his three-year ministry. At
the end of those 40 days Jesus was
tempted by Satan who showed
Jesus “all the kingdoms of the
world in a moment of time” (Luke
4:5). We worship Jesus who over-
came those temptations and sub-
dued Satan.
Following the Divine service is
the First Sunday Potluck, Junior
Confirmation and the monthly
elders meeting at 12:45 p.m.
A midweek Lenten service is
offered on Wednesday, March
9, at 6:30 p.m. The service will
consider the witness to Christ of
Mary, the sister of Martha and
Lazarus. A soup supper is served
at 5:30 p.m. before the service.
Sermon series looks at
how Jesus transforms
relationships
ENTERPRISE — The Sunday,
March 6, service at the Enter-
prise Community Congregational
Church, also known as the “big
brown church,” will feature the
message “New Society,” based
on Mark 2:13-22. The congrega-
tion’s interim pastor, Rev. Dr. Craig
Pesti-Strobel, will talk about how
Jesus can transform relationships.
Bible study is offered at 9:30 a.m.,
Worship in person or
via livestream
LA GRANDE — The worship
service at Zion Lutheran Church
on Sunday, March 6, begins at
9 a.m. and will include Holy
Communion. Masks and social
distancing are required, and fel-
lowship time will follow. The ser-
vice will be streamed live to You-
Tube. The link for that stream
will be posted on Saturday, March
5, on Zion’s Facebook page and
website.
March 6 is Fast Sunday
NORTHEASTERN OREGON
— Sunday, March 6, is Fast
Sunday for members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints. Individual testi-
monies will be shared during the
Sacrament Service, and Sunday
School classes will be held during
the second hour.
The “Come, Follow Me” lesson
for the week of March 7 will be
on Genesis 37-41 and focus on
Joseph’s faithfulness, even when
it seems he had been forsaken
by the Lord, resulting in great
blessings.
The Columbia River Temple
will be closed from March 14 to
June 20. The Boise and Meridian,
Idaho, temples will remain open
during much of this time.
The free RootsTech 2022 vir-
tual conference continues through
Saturday, March 5. Anyone inter-
ested in learning about their
ancestry is invited to attend. Visit
RootsTech.org to register and
learn more.
— The Observer
Hymn sings bring back that ‘old time religion’
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
ECHO — Not every church-
goer appreciates the tide of
change, according to one Herm-
iston resident.
Doug Fehrenbacher said there
are many believers, like him-
self, who prefer hymns. He is
trying to bring them back to pop-
ularity with musical services at
Echo Community Church on the
first Sunday of every month at
5:30 p.m.
He said people are allowed to
sing the hymns they choose at his
services from provided hymnals.
Attendees are accompanied by
Louise Sundvall, a fellow Herm-
iston resident.
“She is just absolutely out-
standing,” Fehrenbacher said.
“Not only does she know all the
songs, but she can run that key-
board so beautifully.”
Sundvall said she has been
playing piano for around 80 years,
though she has not played hymns
exclusively. She started with
classical music, then played for
churches.
“I add my style to it,” she said
of church music. She described
her style as “Southern gospel”
with “life and pep.”
In Fehrenbacher’s Echo Com-
munity services, after a series of
group hymns, he sometimes has
what he calls “a special.” One or
two people will stand up in front
of the congregation and sing by
themselves.
“It’s very unorganized and
nondenominational,” he said.
In his services, Fehrenbacher
puts total attention on the music,
he said. His services do not even
have a sermon. After the hymns
and the special, there is only a
fellowship These hymns have
served him, as well as his con-
gregation, Fehrenbacher said. He
added that hymns such as “It Is
Well with My Soul” have helped
him during dark times. He said
he will continue singing hymns
and giving others opportuni-
ties to sing them for as long as
he can.
Ukraine invasion a sign we live in a broken world
ROBERTA
SMYTHE
WALKING WITH THE SHEPHERD
artin Luther said, “War is the
greatest plague that can afflict
humanity; it destroys religion, it
destroys states, it destroys families. Any
scourge is preferable to it.”
I find myself saddened by the events
of the past week regarding the invasion of
Ukraine. I also feel helpless. This invasion
is almost half a world away—what could I
possibly do about it?
This is not the first time, nor will it be
the last, that there is conflict, invasions
and outright war in our world. We live in a
broken world, and there are many broken
people, including some in positions of
M
power and authority, who want more: more
power, more territory, more wealth, more
control.
Even the Bible has many stories of wars
and conquests, some over whose God was
THE God, some over territory, some over
power and wealth. The reality is that con-
flicts often arise where there is disparity in
resources. And unfortunately, the Earth’s
resources are not distributed evenly among
people or nations. Some have more, some
have less. And sometimes those with
“more” still want even more.
Regrettably, religion is another common
cause for war. Christians have killed and
conquered in the name of Jesus, which is
ironic given Jesus’ own words, “Blessed
are the peacemakers.”
I am certainly not alone in feeling sad
and helpless about conflicts and wars.
Rarely can we do anything about them on
own own. The Bible records these feel-
ings in the form of laments, many located
in the psalms, where the psalmist or even
all the people cry out for an end to what-
ever has befallen them: war, poverty, ill-
ness, etc.
Yet a lament is not limited to complaints
about suffering and misfortune. A lament
also includes statements of hope and faith
that God hears us and is powerful enough,
and willing enough, to act on our behalf.
But as with all prayer and supplication,
sometime God’s answer is “yes,” some-
times “no” and sometimes “wait.” And
sometimes the people God would work
through do not listen or follow.
And so I lament the current situation,
even as I continue to pray for peace and for
the wisdom of political and military leaders
around the world.
Of course, we may disagree on what
our own leaders should do. Should the U.S.
get involved at all? In what way? Are dip-
lomatic measures enough? Are economic
sanctions enough? What are we willing to
risk in order to rein in Russia?
I don’t have the answers. And yet, I am
not as helpless as I feel. Neither are you.
Though we may not have much power indi-
vidually, we can make a difference together.
If you have good ideas, share them, espe-
cially with your legislators. If you have the
means, donate to organizations that are
doing humanitarian work for Ukrainians
affected by the invasion. And continue to
keep the faith. Keep believing that God
walks with us during these discouraging
times.
———
Roberta Smythe is the pastor of La
Grande’s Zion Lutheran and St. Peter’s
Episcopal churches.
Aligning behaviors with physical, spiritual world
SARAH
HAUG
LIGHT OF UNITY
stopped drinking alcohol 32 years
ago in January, long before “Dry Jan-
uary” made it a thing. I did it because
I was becoming a Baha’i, even if I hadn’t
yet declared myself to be one. The Baha’i
Faith forbids the consumption of alcohol or
non-medically prescribed drugs.
This law against substances is what
we call a “social” law. It isn’t as funda-
mental to the Baha’i Faith as the central
tenets, which include the oneness of God,
the oneness of religion and the oneness of
humanity, but rather is a commentary on
I
the needs of the world today.
That’s a crucial caveat: the needs of the
world “today.” While alcohol has been an
important part of human society for at least
10,000 years, the needs and understand-
ings of our ancestors are not necessarily the
same as ours.
I felt the effects of alcohol long before
I decided to quit drinking. When I drank,
my behavior changed, and I was more
open to suggestions — from men, from
friends, from total strangers. Often these
behaviors were ones I would never have
considered when I wasn’t under the influ-
ence. During my junior year abroad in
England (where, ironically, I was only
20, so not yet a legal drinker in the U.S.),
someone told me that it took 36 hours
for alcohol to leave the body. I couldn’t
remember the last time it had been 36
hours between drinks.
“It is inadmissible that man, who hath
been endowed with reason, should consume
that which stealeth it away.”
Few would argue that alcohol has poten-
tially destructive effects on people’s lives
and that it puts up a barrier between an
individual and their usual self — or even,
one could say, their “true” self. From a
Baha’i perspective, alcohol thus acts as a
veil between an individual and God.
Baha’is are instructed not to condemn
anyone or judge the behavior of others
— ever. (We don’t believe in hell, either.)
But we are taught that there is a phys-
ical world and a spiritual world. Those
worlds aren’t actually separate or dis-
tinct from one another, but exist within
a single whole. Our job is to align our
behaviors with, and live within, the laws
of both. In so doing, we become happier
and healthier.
“Every created thing in the whole uni-
verse is but a door leading … to His
straight Path.” These last two years have
been hard for our world as a whole, as
well as for me personally. Given the dra-
matic increase in alcohol consumption in
the United States as a result, I can only
be grateful to my 21-year-old self for put-
ting my feet on this path I’ve walked for 32
years.
———
Sarah Haug is a member of the Baha’i
Faith and has called Pendleton home since
2002. You can find her most days walking
on the riverwalk with her husband, Dan.
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