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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2017)
FAITH Friday, March 17, 2017 LIMEY PASTOR Time for a change B e at peace, oh my soul. It is a transitional week, as I prepare to step away from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for a while. For a while (maybe longer, who knows), relinquishing the heavenly cockpit to Pastor Paul, my predecessor at the church. I step away to be surgically reshaped at Providence Hospital, St. Vincent in Portland. Three arteries that hang from my beating heart, that have become worn-out and clogged, are to be replaced by fresher arteries from elsewhere in my body that, for some reason, just aren’t as beaten up. I don’t know why that is. I don’t know why the design of the Colin good stuff is not so much at the Brown center, but is out in the regions of Faith legs, arms and behinds. This pastor is going to be reconfigured by arterial pipes from these nether regions that are just less clogged up with the glue of French fries, bacon grease and tallow. However, I’m not knocking the creator’s wisdom. I’m the one who enjoyed French fries, sausages, biscuits and gravy. No one else is responsible for the torrent of lipids that flooded my system. No one else is to blame for my disarray. I read the books. I knew the score. The church will be in good hands. Pastor Paul wrangled this congregation for 11 years before I showed up. I have no doubt as to the pleasure that my congregation and Pastor Paul will have in each other’s company. Pastor Paul had retired due to his own need — and, thanks be to God, he has regained his health and is now as spry as when he began at the church. At Church Council meeting last week I was saddened to hear that our neighbor school had decided not to take our offer of leasing one acre of our land for their use as a parking lot, which would have provided them with fire brigade access. They had decided they would only take up the deal if we sold them the land, which, of course, is not something a church congregation could do as such a property has been donated by a congregant for the benefit of the church. So the deal, as it was, is now off. We tithe our money to charities here at the church, but we cannot give away the substance of our land, which has been entrusted to our care. But I am still thinking of the discussion we have had and are still having about developing our land as a retirement village focusing on assisted living. We offer five acres of space that could be used to create a lively situation for our church. Imagine, people moving into town rather than away — families visiting and worshiping together. It is what my prayer is focusing on now. I pray that my church will find its purpose in the life of God this Easter — that the promise of Jesus Christ in living community will become embedded here. ■ Colin Brown is the pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, located on Locust Road in Boardman. Faith Center to hold dedication service for new altar space PENDLETON — A dedication service for the newly remodeled altar space, platform and sanctuary of Faith Center Church, 108 S. Main St., is planned for Sunday’s 10:30 a.m. service. Visiting guest Dr. Greg Romine of Vancouver, Wash., will perform the dedication and provide gospel and Holy Spirit ministry to those attending. For more information, contact Pastor Ray O’Grady at 541-276-9569. East Oregonian Page 7A Faith and traditions infuse St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. — There were no green beers or gaudy T-shirts when Savannah first celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, just a solemn procession of immigrants seeking to honor their Irish roots more than 3,800 miles from their homeland across the Atlantic. Many things have changed in the nearly two centuries since Georgia’s oldest city held its inaugural St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1824. Now thousands of tourists from across the U.S. flock to Savannah every March 17 for a sprawling street party that may be the South’s largest celebration between Mardi Gras and Spring Break. Still, many of Savannah’s Irish descen- dants maintain St. Patrick’s Day traditions that have nothing to do with beer-swilling revelry. Here are some of the (mostly) sober ways Savannah celebrates the Irish holiday that arrives Friday. MASS BEFORE MARCHING Before they join the masses lining the sidewalks and filling the oak-shaded squares to watch the St. Patrick’s Day parade, roughly 1,000 of the Savannah’s Catholic faithful fill the pews for Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Parishioners are typically waiting outside for the doors to open an hour before the 8 a.m. church service honoring St. Patrick, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. After Mass, they scramble to spots along the parade route — which passes in front of the church steps — before the procession begins. For those who don’t want to face the crowds, the St. Patrick’s Mass also gets broadcast on TV in Savannah and is streamed live on the internet. More than 23,000 tuned in to watch last year, said Barbara King, spokeswoman for the Diocese of Savannah. St. Patrick’s Day may be a secular beer- fest for many. But in Savannah, King said, “the religious roots are important.” PROCESSION OF GENERATIONS Among shamrock-decorated floats, marching pipe bands and Army units in formation, Savannah’s parade also features the Rossiters ... and the Hogans, Halligans, Staffords, Reardons and many other fami- lies with deep Irish roots on the Georgia coast. Irish families marching in green jackets and dresses make up a big part of the Robert S Cooper/Savannah Morning News via AP An acolyte burns incense during the procession prior to Mass on Sunday, during the Celtic Cross Ceremony at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah, Ga. 2.6-mile parade route through Savannah’s downtown historic district. Dr. Frank Rossiter, a retired pediatrician, estimates more than 40 extended family members will take part in Friday’s parade. Because Rossiter is a past grand marshal of the Savannah parade (as his father was 36 years before him), he no longer has to walk and rides in a convertible. His family — siblings, cousins, children and grandchil- dren — will fall in behind him. “In Savannah, at least with the Irish families, St. Patrick’s Day is almost like Christmas,” Rossiter said. “For your chil- dren and their children, a visit home on St. Patrick’s Day is almost a must.” “NO LEPRECHAUNS, NO RAIN- BOWS” Occupying a mid-19th century building on Savannah’s cobblestone riverfront, Kevin Barry’s is one Irish pub that takes its heritage seriously. It’s dark inside, with no TVs and no Wi-Fi for customers’ phones. There’s no jukebox playing U2 or Van Morrison tunes. Instead, live troubadours perform Irish folk songs every night of the week. The shepherd’s pie and beef stew on the menu are based on recipes handed down by the owner’s Irish ancestors. And on St. Patrick’s Day, the rule at Kevin Barry’s is “no leprechauns, no rain- bows,” said Tara Reese, a manager at the pub. “You will never find a shamrock on top of your Guinness,” Reese said. Still need convincing? Last fall, the Irish Pubs Global Federation named Kevin Barry’s the world’s “Most Authentic Irish Pub” outside of Ireland. REFLECTION BEFORE THE REVELRY Each year on the Sunday before March 17, Savannahians of Irish stock gather for a smaller, more somber procession that echoes the city’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1824. The march from the cathedral to the Celtic cross standing in Emmet Park, near the downtown riverfront, honors the initial Irish immigrants who arrived in Savannah in the 1800s and labored on the waterfront and railroads after being turned away from Boston and New York. At Sunday’s annual Celtic cross cere- mony, Dennis Counihan, grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day parade this year, recalled how the early Irish immigrants to Savannah were “fleeing religious, political and social persecution.” “Today in many ways symbolizes the planting of the Irish seed in American,” Counihan said during the ceremony, held five days before the parade. AP FACT CHECK: Pope didn’t change Ten Commandments VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis didn’t say that God had told him to revise the Ten Commandments as claimed in a widely shared story. Francis never made the purported comments and has not changed or added to the Ten Commandments. He has no authority to do that, given that the core moral teachings of Christianity and Judaism were said to have been revealed to Moses by God and are written in the Bible. The story said Francis made the announcement July 6, 2015, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, during his first Mass at the start of a three-nation South American tour. It said Francis had revised the biblical teaching to cover children raised by same-sex parents and removed prohibi- tions on adultery. It said Francis had added new commandments to forbid genetic engineering and self-glorification and said the Vatican was having a new set of commandments etched into marble. The pope did indeed cele- brate his first Mass in Ecuador on July 6, 2015, but his homily focused on the Virgin Mary and the joy of families. At no time during the trip, or at any other point in his four-year pontifi- cate, has Francis changed the Ten Commandments. The story appeared on a site called Real News Right Now, which is listed on media watch lists as a hoax site. The purported author, R. Hobbus J.D., is identified on the website as an investigative journalist who has won awards that don’t exist, including the “Oscar Mayer Award for Journalistic Excellence.” Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said such stories are “absurd” and that most people recognize them as such. “We’re aware of many of these fake stories, but most don’t merit any action on our part because they’re so far-fetched,” he said. Worship Community OPEN HEARTS – OPEN DOOR www.graceandmercylutheran.org Sunday Worship 8:45 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. (Nursery Provided) Fellowship, Refreshments & Sunday School Check Out our Facebook Page or Website for More Information 541-289-4535 Redeemer Episcopal Church St. Johns Episcopal Church Join Us On Our Journey With Jesus. 241 SE Second St. Pendleton (541)276-3809 www.pendletonepiscopal.org Scripture, Tradition and Reason Sunday Holy Communion 9:00 a.m. Wednesday Holy Communion Noon Weekly Adults Spiritual Life Group Family service 9am Sunday N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston Fr. Dan Lediard, Priest. PH: 567-6672 We are an all inclusive Church who welcomes all. All Are Welcome Faith Center Church Worshiping God Loving People 108 S. Main • 276-9569 Sunday Worship 10:30 am Sr. Pastor, Ray O’Grady pendletonfaithcenter.org Tom Inch, Pastor Grace and Mercy Lutheran Church, ELCA (First United Methodist Church) 191 E. Gladys Ave. / P.O. Box 1108 • Hermiston, Oregon 97838 Come meet Jesus at PENDLETON BAPTIST CHURCH 3202 SW Nye Ave Pendleton, OR 541-276-7590 Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM Sunday Bible Classes 9:45 AM Sunday Youth Group 6:00 PM Mon. Community Women’s Study 9:30 AM & 6 PM Awana Kids Club (K-6th grade) Wed Men’s Study 6 PM MOPS meeting the 1st Thur of the Month 6 PM FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH in Mission for Christ LCMC Bible Study.........9:00 AM Sunday Worship......10:30 AM Red Lion Hotel ( Oregon Trail Room ) www.faithpendleton.org First United Methodist Church Pendleton/Hermiston Sunday Worship 10:00am Wednesday Healing School 6:00pm Youth Classes: Nursery - 6th grade Sun & Wed Jr & Sr High Discipleship Program Wed Overcomer’s Outreach Tuesday at 6:00pm - Annex A Christ-centered, 12-Step Recovery Support Group Pastor Sharon Miller 401 Northgate, Pendleton 541-278-8082 www.livingwordcc.com 352 SE 2nd Street, Pendleton Sunday Worship 9am 541-276-2616 Worship Broadcast on KUMA 1290 @ 11am 191 E. Gladys Ave,Hermiston Sunday Worship 11am 541-567-3002 Worship Livestream at herfumc.com Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors Rev. Dr. Jim Pierce, pastor Grace Baptist Church 555 SW 11th, Hermiston 567-9497 Nursery provided for all services Sunday School - 9:30 AM Worship - 10:45 AM 6:00 pm Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM “Proclaiming God’s word, growing in God’s grace” Good Shepherd Lutheran Church LCMC Sunday worship at 11:00 AM Seventh-Day Adventist Church Community Presbyterian Church Saturday Services Pendleton 1401 SW Goodwin Place 276-0882 Sabbath School 9:20 am Worship Service 10:45 am P eace L utheran C hurch 210 NW 9th, Pendleton ELCA Join us Sundays 9:30 Sunday Worship 9:30 am am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Fellowship 11:00 am Sunday School & Adult Class FIRST SERVICE 8:30 AM SECOND SERVICE 10:30 AM 712 SW 27 TH ST. 541-276-1894 www.fcogpendleton.com 14 Martin Drive, Umatilla, OR 922-3250 Worship: 10 AM Sunday School at 11:30 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH -Presbyterian Church (USA)- 201 SW Dorion Ave. Pendleton 541-481-6132 ~Come and be at Peace ~ Service of Worship - 10:00 am Children’s Sunday School - 10:20 am Fellowship - 11:00 am www.pendletonpresbyterian.com Colin Brown, Pastor on 1290 KUMA noon each Sunday Open Hearted... Open Minded 420 Locust St. • Boardman, OR To share your worship times call Terri Briggs 541-278-2678
