Spiritual Life
A6
Thursday, September 1, 2022
SPIRITUAL LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Group continues study
of book of John
SUBMISSIONS
LA GRANDE — St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church on Sunday,
Sept. 4, will celebrate Com-
munion with Katy Anderson at
10 a.m. Bible study is held in the
church library after the worship
service. The group is studying the
book of John, with emphasis this
week on John 6:1-25.
Worship service will be
streamed live and recorded
LA GRANDE — Zion
Lutheran Church meets for wor-
ship Sunday, Sept. 4, at 9 a.m.
The sermon is based on Deuter-
onomy 30:15-20 and Luke 14:25-
33, and is titled “Choosing Life.”
Holy Communion will be served,
and a time of fellowship will
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@lagrandeobserver.com (with
Highlights in the subject line).
follow the service.
The service will be streamed live
on Sunday and also will be available
for viewing later. The link for those
will be posted to Zion’s Facebook
page and website on Sept. 3.
Sept. 4 is ‘fast Sunday’
NORTHEASTERN OREGON
— All members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
are encouraged to fast for two
meals on Sunday, Sept. 4, and to
donate the value of those meals to
the church to help the less fortu-
nate, both locally and throughout
the world.
Testimonies will be shared
during Sunday’s Sacrament ser-
vice (and other meetings) by
members of the congregation who
choose to do so. Sunday school
lessons will be taught during the
second hour of services with les-
sons based on the “Come, Follow
Me” curriculum studied the prior
two weeks.
The “Come, Follow Me” lesson
for the week of Sept. 5 is based on
Isaiah chapters 1-12 and his proph-
ecies about Jesus Christ and the
work to come in the latter days.
The carpets in buildings
throughout the stake are being
cleaned during the next week.
Members are asked to check
the calendar before planning or
holding activities in their local
church building.
Junior confi rmation
begins this week
LA GRANDE — The sermon
at Faith Lutheran Church’s 10 a.m.
worship service on Sunday, Sept.
4, will focus on the costs of disci-
pleship and Jesus’ emphasis that
no one or no thing should come
before God. The Bible text used
will be Luke 14:25-35.
Junior confi rmation at Faith
Lutheran begins this week. The
students will recite the books of
the Bible and review last year’s
lessons. They will also begin
studying the Ten Commandments.
Observer seeking local
spirituality content
LA GRANDE — The
Observer welcomes announce-
ments and photographs of local
faith-based events and activi-
ties for inclusion on the Spiri-
tual Life page. We also invite
thoughts and comments from
community members on spir-
itual matters. If you would
like to share how you experi-
ence 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 gener-
ally up to 600 words and include
a photo and bio of the writer.
— The Observer
It is time to go back to school and back to church
LEO
SMITH
TAKING STOCK
have always thought of Labor
Day as the beginning of the
new year. School starts but
also work picks up after vaca-
tions, long weekends of camping
or fi shing. Summer for me is a
time for lazy afternoons. You just
I
naturally slow down.
We see the same thing at
church. Attendance falls each
summer. I get it, there is a lot you
want to do while the weather is
nice — and let’s face it, I’d rather
be standing on a riverbank fi shing
than sitting on a pew in a hot
stuff y church building.
I know what people say: “I
don’t need to be in church to feel
close to God. He’s standing right
next to me while I fi sh.” That’s
true, but it’s not worship. You’re
not giving your time to God.
You’re just letting God hang out
with you.
Worship refreshes and renews
the spirit. It allows you to interact
with God and fellow believers.
You are reaching out to God,
and he is reaching out to you. In
worship there is grace and for-
giveness, singing of hymns. The
word is read and preached, you
announce your faith in the creed.
You receive Christ himself in
Holy Communion.
Worship is also important in
the family. Many of society’s
problems — violence, crime and
drug abuse — stem from the lack
of God in the family. Church
teaches us how to treat and care
for others, how to be kind and
loving. It also instructs you how
to socialize with people who may
have diff erent opinions and life-
styles than you.
Church is important to you and
your family, and it’s important for
this country.
█
Leo Smith, of Elgin, is a graduate of Imbler High
School and Eastern Oregon University. After
retiring from a 30-year career as a stockbroker,
he returned to Eastern Oregon and currently is
serving as the council president of La Grande’s
Zion Lutheran Church.
www.lagrandeobserver.com
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With good will for the entire cosmos, cultivate a limitless heart: Above,
below, and all around, unobstructed, without hostility or hate.
—Sutta Nipata 1.150
1429 Adams Ave
La Grande, OR
541-962-7557
Know this, O good one: Evil things are diffi cult to control. Let not greed
and wickedness drag you to protracted misery.
—Dhammapada 18.248
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To have much wealth and ample gold and food, but to enjoy one’s
luxuries alone — this is a cause of one’s downfall.
—Sutta Nipata 1.102
One has broken the cycle, attained freedom from desire. The dried-up
stream no longer fl ows. The cycle, broken, no longer turns. This, just
this, is the end of misery.
—Udana 7.62
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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