Spiritual Life
A6
Thursday, March 17, 2022
SPIRITUAL LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Scripture tells us we are
like living stones
SUBMISSIONS
LA GRANDE — First Chris-
tian Church (Disciples of Christ)
will observe the third Sunday of
Lent on March 20, with a message
from 1 Peter 2:4-5. Pastor Archie
Hook’s message will be “How
Are We Like Stone?” Scripture
tells us we are like living stones,
built into a spiritual house. Wor-
ship begins at 10:30 a.m. Masks
are now optional.
Repentance is turning, with
intention, from evil
LA GRANDE — The Divine
service on Sunday, March 20, at
Faith Lutheran Church begins at
10 a.m. The sermon will expound
on Luke 13:1-9. In these verses
Jesus was asked if people had
horrible things happen to them
because they were worse sinners.
Jesus answered, “No, I tell you;
but unless you repent, you will all
likewise perish (verse 5). Repen-
Churches and faith-based groups are encouraged to submit Highlights for the Spiritual Life
page by noon Tuesday for publication Thursday. Submit by email to news@lagrande-
observer.com (with Highlights in the subject line).
tance is turning, with intention,
from evil to God. Church Council
and Junior Confirmation follow
the service.
The message at the
Wednesday evening Lenten ser-
vice will be “The Apostle Peter
as a Witness to Christ.” A soup
supper is served at 5:30 p.m.,
and the Lenten service is at
6:30 p.m.
Morning Prayer service
followed by fellowship
LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church will meet for
Morning Prayer at 11 a.m. on
Sunday, March 20, followed by
a time of fellowship. Masks and
social distancing are required.
Worship available in person
and online
LA GRANDE — The
9 a.m. worship service at Zion
Lutheran Church on Sunday,
March 20, will include Holy
Communion and be followed by
fellowship time. Masks are no
longer required but are recom-
mended for those at risk. The
service will also be streamed
live to YouTube, and the link for
that stream will be posted on
Zion’s Facebook page and web-
site on Saturday, March 19.
We want to know: 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 experience spirituality, email
news@lagrandeobserver.com
or call 541-963-3161. Ongoing
monthly columns and one-time
submissions will be considered.
Columns are generally 500-600
words and include a photo of the
writer.
Deadline for Highlights is
now noon on Tuesdays
LA GRANDE — Due to
changes in The Observer’s pro-
duction schedule, the deadline for
submission of Highlights is now
noon on Tuesday for publication
on Thursday.
Highlight announcements are
welcome from all faith-based
organizations and groups and are
published at no charge.
Direct questions to lkelly@
lagrandeobserver.com or leave a
message at 541-624-6019.
Weekly lesson based
on Exodus 1-6
NORTHEASTERN OREGON
— The La Grande Oregon Stake
High Council members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints will be speaking
during Sacrament Services in
most area wards this Sunday,
March 20, on Elder Dale G. Ren-
lund’s conference address titled
“The Peace of Christ Abolishes
Enmity.” The exceptions to this
will be the Baker Valley and John
Day wards, which will be holding
ward conferences. Sunday school
classes will be held during the
second hour of meetings.
The “Come, Follow Me” lesson
for the week of March 21 is based
on Exodus 1-6 and how the Lord
will strengthen and support those
who believe and trust in him.
Recordings of the RootsTech
conference are available to anyone
interested in family history work.
Visit rootstech.org to learn more.
St. Patrick: A loving teacher to the makers of his chains
LAURA
HUDSON
BELIEVING AND
BECOMING
y ethnic claim to
St. Patrick’s Day
is tenuous at best.
I have a mixed Northern
European heritage, all the
more ambiguous because
my father was adopted.
However, with no knowl-
edge of his biological her-
itage and a great appreci-
ation of Celtic music, Dad
declared St. Patrick’s Day
to be his ethnic holiday.
My affinity for this
saint’s day began there, but
M
my enthusiasm increased
after I learned about St.
Patrick himself, beyond
the odd legends that claim
he banished Ireland’s
snakes (though there never
were any on the Emerald
Isle).
Most of the precise
details of Patrick’s life are
lost to the mists of time,
but likely he was born in
Britain around 390; auto-
biographical writings tell
us he was captured as a
teenager by raiders, traf-
ficked to Ireland and
enslaved to a chieftain. In
captivity, he worked as a
shepherd for six years; he
escaped after being told in
a dream to go home.
Back in Britain, Pat-
rick became a priest, and
he had another dream in
which he heard a voice
pleading in Irish, “Come
and walk among us.” Since
he knew the people’s lan-
guage and customs, the
Church sent Patrick back
as Bishop of Ireland in
432. He did not engage in
violent conquest but tried
to use indigenous customs
to communicate Christian
faith. His greatest success
may have been his con-
version of St. Brigid of
Kildare, who pioneered a
distinctly Celtic form of
Christianity that spread
slowly through the land.
Patrick died around 493.
“What if I were called
across the ocean / To the
land where I had been a
slave / Could I be a loving
teacher / To the makers of
my chains?” asks song-
writer Garrison Doles in
his song “Patrick on the
Water” (you can hear it at
https://songchapel.com).
Patrick is one of my heroes
because he said yes to the
calling in his dream, and
he returned to a place of
danger bearing a message
of peace.
Could you be a loving
teacher to the makers
of your chains? In our
country, there are many
for whom this is not a rhe-
torical question, people
whose ancestors were cap-
tured, carried over oceans
and enslaved here. Through
the faith they share with
St. Patrick, many of these
people have also become
loving teachers to those
who harmed them.
What kind of faith
does it take to do this?
“The Deer’s Cry,” a hymn
attributed to St. Patrick,
gives us clues: “Christ
with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ
beneath me, Christ above
me, Christ on my right,
Christ on my left.” Pat-
rick arose in the strength
that comes from a profound
awareness of God’s pres-
ence and a powerful confi-
dence in God’s protection.
My dad eventually met
his birth mother, and I
learned that we do have
Irish ancestors. But St. Pat-
rick is true kin to all those
who arise in the strength of
the Spirit and receive the
courage to face danger and
bring peace, a strength well
worth celebrating.
———
Laura Elly Hudson is
co-pastor of the La Grande
First Presbyterian Church.
You can find her at www.
lauraellyhudson.com.
Springfield Ukrainian church offering donations, prayers for Ukraine
Church was founded
by Ukrainians who settled in
Oregon after World War II
By Adam Duvernay
The (Eugene) Register-Guard
SPRINGFIELD — When his congre-
gation assembled Sunday, Father Richard
Janowicz, pastor at Nativity of the Mother
of God Ukrainian Catholic Church took
up another round of donations meant to
help those suffering the crisis unfolding in
Europe.
And, just as importantly, he asked his
congregants to offer up their prayers.
“Our Patriarch said, ‘prayer is more
powerful than the sword,’ and we believe
that. So we’re praying,” Janowicz said. “But
we’re also sending humanitarian aid for the
people that are displaced and to help those
who are wounded in war, including the sol-
diers who are fighting for the independence
of Ukraine.”
At its founding in 1979, most con-
gregants of Nativity Ukrainian Catholic
Church in east Springfield were Ukrainian.
Though there are now fewer worshipers
with direct ties to the eastern European
country under siege by Russia, that connec-
tion remains.
“We just have a few handful that are
(Eugene) Register-Guard/Contributed Photo, File
Fr. Richard Janowicz is pastor of Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Springfield,
which was founded by Ukrainians who settled in the area after being displaced by World War II. The
church in March 2022 is offering both prayers and donations for the people of Ukraine in the midst of the
Russian invasion.
of Ukrainian descent, and most of them
are second-generation or third-genera-
tion. Originally, our church was founded by
post-war Ukrainians who settled here in this
area after being displaced by World War
II,” Janowicz said. “Those people have now
died, but a few of their kids are still here.”
The outbreak of one of the most sig-
nificant conflicts in Europe since the
end of World War II has created world-
wide tension, including in Oregon, where
more than 20,000 Oregonians claim
Ukrainian ancestry, according to U.S.
Census data.
Janowicz said the conflict has left mem-
bers of Nativity Ukrainian Catholic Church
troubled.
“People are hoping the United States
will do more in order to help Ukraine out.
This is a dangerous situation for world
peace, not just for Ukraine and Russia,”
Janowicz said. “It’s really sad. Sometimes
you hear people talking about not wanting
oil prices to go up, or they’re worried
their quality of life might be reduced a
little bit because of our aide for Ukraine.
I think it’s a very short-term attitude
to take — for world peace, not just for
Ukraine.”
Janowicz is hoping his diverse congrega-
tion will feel kinship with Ukraine — and
offer up both prayer and support.
“We already sent some money. We’re
taking up collections now,” Janowicz said.
Donations collected at Nativity
Ukrainian Catholic Church are being
sent to the Ukrainian Catholic Archep-
archy of Philadelphia, who will forward it
on to humanitarian missions in Ukraine.
Donors also can support humanitarian
causes in Ukraine by donating directly to
the Archeparchy of Philadelphia, www.
ukrarcheparchy.us/donate.
“I hope people will come to the defense
of Ukraine. They’ve shown themselves
to be so brave and courageous against the
Russian army. It’s just unbelievable,” Jano-
wicz said. “They’re people of great resil-
ience and strength, and I think their faith
continues to support that hope and courage.
They will be victorious in the end, no
matter what.”
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!
Worship: 9:00 a.m. Cove
Worship: 10:00 a.m. N. Powder
SUMMERVILLE
BAPTIST 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
First Christian
Church
(Disciples of Christ)
GRACE COMMUNITY
LUTHERAN CHURCH
The Place
901 Penn Avenue 963-2623 62848 Philynda Loop in Island City
lgdisciples@gmail.com
“We are called to Serve”
Bible Study
Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am
9:00 a.m.
Sunday Worship 10:00 am
Worship
Phone: 541-568-4230
10:30 a.m.
grace.lutherancove@gmail.com
~Join us at The Lord’s Table~
Sunday Services
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Sunday School
Worship Service
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
www.lagrandeumc.org
www.imblercc@gmail.com
Adventist Church
“OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS”
For service information go to
440 Ruckman, Imbler 534-2201
La Grande Seventh-day
LA GRANDE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
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