Spiritual Life
ENTERPRISE — The
Enterprise Community
Congregational Church is
hosting a free John Nilsen
concert on Friday, Aug.
12, at 7 p.m. Nilsen is a
pianist, guitarist, vocalist
and composer. Because
his father was a rural min-
ister, he has a passion for
rural churches and enjoys
playing for their small
congregations.
Nilsen was born in
Seattle and raised in Port-
land. He began studying
classical piano at the age
of 6 and recorded his
fi rst collection of orig-
inal piano solos, “Sea of
Inspiration,” in 1983 with
Eagle Records in Los
Angeles.
Nilsen will play
a variety of music,
including church hymns,
in the church sanctuary.
The concert is open to the
community and all are
welcome to attend. The
church has a ramp for
wheelchair access.
live auctions, a dinner and
a campfi re. Come for the
day, spend the night or
stay for the weekend. For
more information, contact
directors David and Peggy
Lovegren at 541-432-1271
or wallowalakecamp@
gmail.com or visit www.
wallowalake.gocamping.
org.
Pendleton church
hosts weekly outdoor
song circle
Contributed Photo
John Nilsen, a pianist, guitarist, vocalist and composer, will
be performing a free concert at the Enterprise Community
Congregational Church on Friday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m.
SUBMISSIONS
Churches and faith-based
groups are encouraged to
submit Highlights for the Spiri-
tual Life page by noon Tuesday
for publication Thursday.
Submit by email to news@
lagrandeobserver.com (with
Highlights in the subject line).
Sunday service will
be streamed and
recorded
LA GRANDE — Zion
Lutheran meets for wor-
ship on Sunday, Aug. 14, at
9 a.m. The sermon, based
on Jeremiah 23:23-29 and
Luke 12:49-56, is titled
“Fire!” Holy Communion
will be served. Fellow-
ship time will follow the
service.
The service will be
streamed live and will be
available later. The link
for those will be posted to
Zion’s Facebook page and
website on Saturday, Aug.
13.
His word is like
fi re, purifying and
strengthening
NORTHEASTERN
OREGON — This Sunday,
Aug. 14, Faith Lutheran
Church in La Grande at
10 a.m. will have a Matins
service (a morning service
with a lot of singing) and
a Divine service in Enter-
prise at 2 p.m. The text
used will be from Luke
12:49-53, in which Jesus
says, “I came to cast fi re on
the earth,” referring to the
refi ning fi re through his
word. A refi ning fi re puri-
fi es and strengthens. In the
Old Testament reading, the
Prophet Jeremiah wrote,
“Is not My Word like fi re,
declares the Lord, and like
a hammer that breaks the
rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah
23:29).
Weekly lessons
available on Gospel
Library app
NORTHEASTERN
OREGON — The youth
and adult leaders of the
La Grande Stake of the
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints partic-
ipated in a pioneer trek
this week in Wyoming,
pulling handcarts and cel-
ebrating the church’s pio-
neer heritage.
Members of the con-
gregation will speak
during Sacrament ser-
vices on Sunday, Aug.
14, with Relief Society,
youth group and Priest-
hood meetings during the
second hour.
The “Come, Follow
Me” lesson for the week
of Aug. 15 is based on
select chapters from
Psalms. Lessons will
focus on where to turn
when facing the struggles
of this life and about our
Savior’s infi nite mercy.
For lesson details, down-
load the free Gospel
Library mobile app or
visit the church website.
chapel is at the Wallowa
County Park on the north
end of Wallowa Lake.
Morning prayer services
are led by members of the
Wallowa County Ecumen-
ical Ministry Society.
Celebrate a century
of United Methodist
Wallowa Lake Camp
WALLOWA LAKE
— United Methodist
Wallowa Lake Camp
will celebrate its cen-
tury mark Aug. 19-20
with “100 Years Around
the Campfi re,” an event
for everyone to visit and
experience the camp. On
Friday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m.,
there will be a free dul-
cimer concert. The next
day, beginning at 1 p.m.,
will include tours of the
camp, history, crafts,
singing, a camp store,
refreshments, silent and
Thursday, August 11, 2022
We are called to see
the value in people
SPIRITUAL LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Free concert features
Jon Nilsen on
Friday, Aug. 12
A6
ROBERTA
SMYTHE
OTHER VIEWS
just returned from nine
days in Germany, and
there were many things
that were diff erent over
there. Of course, I knew
there would be a diff erent
language, diff erent money,
diff erent food, etc. What
I wasn’t expecting were
other, smaller diff erences.
For instance, only one of
the seven hotels we stayed
in provided washcloths.
All provided hand and bath
towels, but no washcloths. A
little thing, but unexpected,
and something I wasn’t pre-
pared for. Another diff erence
at most of the hotels was no
little hand soaps, nor small
bottles of shampoo and con-
ditioner. Rather there were
attached to the shower wall
in each hotel, a single bottle
of “hand, body and hair
wash.” (Fortunately, I had
brought my own little bottles
of hair products from pre-
vious hotel stays here in the
U.S.) Another surprise at the
hotels: no ice machines, and
few had vending machines.
Of course, there were
also positive surprises. My
favorite was fresh vegeta-
bles at breakfast. There were
always wedges or slices of
fresh tomatoes and sliced
cucumbers, and usually slices
of bell peppers. Another
food diff erence that I found
odd was the bratwurst from
food carts on the streets: The
brats were about a foot long,
but the bun was more like
a dinner roll, so there was
more sticking out of the bun
I
PENDLETON — On
Tuesday evenings, Peace
Lutheran Church is holding
an outdoor song circle at
6 p.m. in the church’s out-
door courtyard, acces-
sible from Carden between
Eighth and Ninth streets.
This gathering is for
anyone who would like to
sing. People of any faith
and background are wel-
come to join, and are asked
to bring a lawn chair.
The Observer seeks
local spirituality
content
LA GRANDE —
The Observer welcomes
announcements and pho-
tographs of local faith-
based events and activi-
ties for inclusion on the
Spiritual Life page. We
also invite thoughts and
comments from commu-
nity members on spiritual
matters. If you would like
to share how you expe-
rience spirituality, email
lkelly@lagrandeobserver.
com or leave a message
at 541-624-6019. Ongoing
monthly columns and
one-time submissions will
be considered. Columns
are generally 500-600
words and include a photo
of the writer.
— The Observer
than in it. (And you thought
it odd that our hot dogs come
in packages of 10 and buns in
packages of eight.)
The little diff erences
taught me a lot about my own
habits and presumptions that
I’m not usually aware of on
a regular basis — until they
weren’t met. I think those
kinds of subconscious expec-
tations can also happen in
our own country, in our own
society. We tend to assume
that we all share most of the
same expectations, habits,
behaviors, etc. And we are
surprised when others don’t
have or follow the same
behaviors we do. We may
even judge them for not
being “normal.” This might
be someone diff erent in
appearance: diff erently col-
ored or styled hair, diff erent
clothing styles, lots of visible
piercings and/or tattoos, etc.
Or someone who behaves
diff erently. Or someone who
lives diff erently. Or those
needing help with food,
clothing or shelter for them-
selves and their families.
We are each unique, each
created diff erently from one
another. That is something to
be celebrated, not forced into
conformity. We are also each
on diff erent journeys through
life and have or will face dif-
ferent challenges along the
way. Most of us are doing the
best we can with the hand
we’ve been dealt. It is not
ours to judge how another is
handling life. Rather we are
called to see the value in each
human being, and to help
those who may need it.
█
Roberta Smythe is the pastor of La
Grande’s Zion Lutheran and United
Methodist churches.
Message is drawn
from Psalm 100
LA GRANDE — First
Christian Church (Disci-
ples of Christ) will wor-
ship on Sunday, Aug. 14,
at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Archie
Hook’s message chal-
lenges us to “Shout for
Joy!” He will reference
Psalm 100:1-5, which in
part states: “Shout for joy
to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with
gladness.”
GRH Children’s Clinic
GRH Union Clinic
GRH Regional Medical Clinic
GRH Elgin Clinic
Call 541-663-3150
Wednesday 8-17-22
Friday 8-19-22
Monday 9-12-22
Call 541-562-6180
Wednesday 8-10-22
Wednesday 9-21-22
Call 541-663-3138
Wednesday 8-3-22
Monday 8-8-22
Wednesday 8-17-22
Morning prayer
services at the lake
open to all
Before you suit up:
Get checked out !!
— FREE —
Call 541-437-2273
Wednesday 8-10-22
Thursday 8-11-22
Friday 9-9-22
GRH Sports
Physicals !
College students? Find out about sports physicals for the
discounted fee of $50! Call one of these clinics today!
WALLOWA LAKE
VILLAGE — The Wal-
lowa Lake Chapel
announced that all are
welcome to “worship in
the beauty of God’s holi-
ness” each Sunday in July
and August at 8 a.m. The
Find out more about all we do at grh.org
Grande Ronde Hospital & Clinics—an independent, 501(c)3 not-for-profit health system since 1907
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)
901 Penn Avenue 963-2623
lgdisciples@gmail.com
Bible Study
9:00 a.m.
Worship
10:30 a.m.
~Join us at The Lord’s Table~
Imbler
Christian
Church
www.imblercc@gmail.com
Sunday Services
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Sunday School
Worship Service
Phone: 541-568-4230
grace.lutherancove@gmail.com
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
www.lagrandeumc.org
Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am
Sunday Worship 10:00 am
Adventist Church
“OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS”
For service information go to
The Place
62848 Philynda Loop in Island City
440 Ruckman, Imbler 534-2201 “We are called to Serve”
LA GRANDE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
Pastor Roberta Smythe
GRACE COMMUNITY
LUTHERAN CHURCH
2702 Adams Avenue, La Grande
963-4018
109 18th Street • 963-3402
Sunday School 9:30 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
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