TEN - Heppner Gazette-Times,
ette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April
Apm 12,
iz , 1995
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F aster B iessincis T o A ll
"I Have Seen the Lord >/
"New Life is God's Business"
By Rev. Lea Mathieu, lone United Church of Christ
“ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, '1 have
seen the Lord'" (John 20:18).
Imagine being Mary; imagine being the disciples. What an in
credible day the first Easter must have been, and how honored
and blessed its first witnesses were.
What would we give to say we have seen the stone rolled away,
have entered the empty tomb, and have seen and spoken to the
Lord?
It may seem far distant in time and place to us, but actually
Easter happens all the time. The body of God is crucified anew
daily, in war, violence, oppression, and evil of all sorts great and
small. But the stone is rolled away and the crucifixion is over
come each time love and truth confront that evil; each time we
work for God's vision and the coming kingdom, in full faith of
the power of eternal life and love.
And we can see the risen Lord daily if we open our eyes. Blind
ed by despair and grief, Mary Magdalene first thought the risen
Lord was a gardener. We, too, often mistake God for other peo
ple. But God is present in our loved ones, in our neighbor, in
our enemy, and in ourselves. We all were created in the divine
image, and we all have a divine spark. The courage to work for
the good against all the trouble in the world comes from know
ing that God is with us as much as Jesus was with the first
disciples.
May our eyes be open this Easter so that we, too, may say with
joy and belief, "1 have seen the Lord."
"A Resurrection For All O f Us"
Rev. Bob Dowrey, United Methodist Church
For those who have ever painted houses, you have heard
the expression, "th ere's a place you m issed". For those who
have cut grass, you have heard it, "you didn't get that piece
over there” ; for those with the cloth, "you left more dust on
the other sid e ". For the typist, " I never knew the first letter
in 'nursery' was a n 'm ' or "why do you always spell my name
wrong?" And the dishes, "h e re's a dirty o n e".
The strange fact about all this is that the so called imperfec
tions probably amount to much less than one percent of all
the work done. If one piece of printing has a wrong letter,
look at all the correct ones.
But those typos and mistakes tend to pop out and hit us
in the eye, don't they? Don't ask why they do, they just do.
Maybe it has to do with our love of perfection.
Life is like that. We need strength to combat all the
negativisms, because all of us who work usually strive to do
our very best. We like to see things done well too. Negative
comments are usually blown way out of proportion.
Jesus knew this. He had to walk the lonesome valley all by
Himself. During Lent we think of all He had to suffer. But
we also see light at the end of His tunnel. His life didn't all
end in defeat. It ended as a bright new day for you and me.
Hallelujah, Christ arose!
1 hope that is what this season of the year means to you. It
this writing has helped you, I'm glad I picked up my pencil.
Let's pick up our pencils, or whatever passes for our pencil
and lend someone a helping hand. As the song says, " a great
new day will soon be here” . Hopefully, this will be a resur
rection for all of us.
"The Final Word Life"
-
By Fr. Gerry Condon, St. Patrick Catholic Church
The week was one of amazing events. It began with the crowd
shouting: "Hosanna to the Son of David", and ended with
another crowd demanding: "Crucify him". Between those events
the apostles had joined Jesus at the Last Supper, he had wash
ed their feet, and given them an inspiring talk. In the Garden
of Gethsemane he had allowed Judas to kiss him, and he had
restored the ear of Malchus. Before Herod he had been silent,
but on the cross he had forgiven his murderers and promised
paradise to the penitent thief. The agony in the garden, the
scourging, the crowning with thorns, the crucifixion finally took
their toll. He gave up his spirit to the Father. Yet the final word
was not death, it was life.
Early on Easter morning, some women made their way to the
tomb, but it was empty. They brought the news to the apostles.
Peter and John ran to the tomb. John out ran Peter, but then ar
riving at the tomb, waited to let Peter enter first. They were
amazed.
The Gospel accounts tell us not only of the empty tomb, but
also of his appearances. He appeared to Magdalen, to the
apostles, to the two disciples who were going to Emmaus, and
to a multitude who saw him before his ascension. So, the resur
rection of Christ became the foundation of their faith, it must
also be the foundation of ours.
Celebrate
Rev. Alfred Miller, All Saints Episcopal
There was a family who spent most of their Christmas season
being wrapped in grief at the loss of the mother and grandmother
to many in the family. Christmas was supposed to be a happy
time, full of love and good cheer. But between the funeral, the
sense of loss, and the need to take care of the estate, the family
was rather numb. On Christmas morning, the youngest member
of the family was dressed in the cutest dress you ever saw. She
was mesmerized by the ribbons and bows. She giggled and laugh
ed. She became the center of attention.
Her new and loving spirit just became contagious to the rest
of the family. Christmas was once again a time of joy and
goodness. For a few minutes people were lifted from desponden
cy into grace. New life has a way of doing this for us humans.
You see this isn't so much a Christmas story as it is an Easter
story. Easter is God's continued story of new life.
New life has been God's business since the beginning of the
world. Certainly creation still sings that song today. Moses led
the people of God out of a life of slavery and into a new life of
freedom and self-determination. Jesus' resurrection is the crown
ing example of God's "new life" business.
A problem can be a curse or it can be an opportunity. The end
of a relationship can bring despair or a new way of living. A river
flowing downstream when you want to go up, can be an obstacle
or a new adventure.
New life will not come through just looking at the "bright side"
of things, it will always come, most fully, through sacrifice. The
plant will die in order to sow the seeds of a new tomorrow. The
parent will work hard to ensure a better future for the child. Self-
denial today brings prosperity tomorrow.
The only mystery in the new life that God is always offering
is that we are so loved in order to receive it. Jesus sacrificed
himself that you and I might live. God's new life work continues
whenever anyone of us places someone else above their own
desires and needs. Whenever we let go of the things, the guilt,
and the sin which binds us and enslaves us, we participate in
new life. God is always calling us to be made new in Christ. This
is God's greatest gift.
May your Easter bring you the blessings of new life in Christ!
"Cross on hill is reminder"
Rev. Stan Hoobing, Hope-Valby Lutheran Church
When I step out my front door and walk over to the church
the one item that catches my eye is the cross overlooking the
city of Heppner. That cross reminds me daily of one person, who
many centuries ago in a far off corner of the world gave his life
on a cross outside a walled city. This innocent man of God was
tried in a distorted court and accused of blasphemy and sentenced
to death. The Roman governor, Pilate, took a politically popular
stand with the people and washed his hands of the business,
but allowed this man to be mocked, and whipped by Roman
soldiers and led away to his own crucifixion, and even his own
followers desert him. Peter, one of his closest associates, denies
three times that he even knows the man. And once left on the
cross to die, he is scoffed and abused by those who are passing
by and looking on, by the priests and scribes, and even by the
two men who were crucified on either side of him. And yet this
man with all his energy and compassion can cry out to His Lord
"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!"
On the third day, when the women came to the tomb to an-
noint the body, two men in dazzling white apparel said: "W hy
do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told
you, while he was still in Galilee that the Son of man must be
delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on
the third day rise." (Luke 24:5b-7). And when the women told
this to the apostles; "...these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them ."
I hope and pray that the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, is not
an idle tale that you disbelieve, because the cross on top of hill
overlooking Heppner is a reminder to many that Jesus is indeed
the Christ, who lived and died and rose again to forgive the sins
of many, many people and offer them newness of life.
Nazarenes host missionaries
Bob and Colleen Skinner,
m issionaries serving the
Church of the Nazarene in the
Philippines since 1990, will
speak Friday, April 14, at the
Heppner Church of the Naza
rene at 7 p.m.
Last June the Skinners were
reassigned to the Ukraine
District on the Eurasia Region
where they will pastor the Kiev
Church of the Nazarene.
ster at "Beecher's
a
"E
in lone - April 16
Buffet served from noon until 7 p.m,
featuring:
Honey Baked Ham • Lamb with mint sauce • Prime Rib
Spinach Salad • Fresh Fruit Salad
Asparagus with cream sauce • Green Pea Salad
Baked Potato • Mashed Potatoes with gravy • Sweet Potatoes
Triple Berry Dessert with Ice Cream
422-7038
Reservations Recommended
Remember Seniors night every Wednesday
Buy one dinner get second one free, 60 and over
t
In the Philippines the Skin
ners primarily administered the
existing churches and the plan
ting and establishment of new
churches. The Phillipines is
composed of over 7,000 islands.
Much of Rev. Skinner's time
was spent traveling via the
waterways to the various
islands within the boundaries
of The Southern Tagalog
District. Many of the people are
fishermen or farmers, some
Son Rise service, breakfast planned
An Easter Sunday 'Son Rise'
service has been planned for 7
a.m. April 16 at the Morrow
Coounty Fairgrounds.
The service is sponsored by
the South Morrow County
Ministerial Association, rep
resenting All Saints Episcopal,
St. Patrick Catholic, First Chris
tian, United Methodist, Chris
tian Life Center, Church of the
Nazarene, United Church of
Christ, Hope and Valby
Lutheran, Lexington and
Heppner Baptist, Seventhday
Adventist and Christian Mis
sionary Fellowship churches.
Following Easter morning
sunrise services at the heppner
Fairgrounds at 8 a.m., a free
breakfast will be served at
Christian Life Center Assembly
of God Church.
Everyone is invited for the
breakfast and morning ser
vices. Sunday school begins at
9:30 a.m., followed by an il
lustrated Easter service, por
trayed
by pastor
Tim
VanCleave and his family at
10:30 a.m.
Church schedules for Easter
lone United Church
of Christ
Holy Week at lone United
Church of Christ will be
celebrated with special services
on Maundy Thursday, April 13
and Sunday morning, April 16.
A traditional Tenbrae ser-.
vice with communion and
special music by the choir will
held on Thursday, April 13, at
7:30 p.m. "Tenebrae" is Latin
for "shadows". This service of
readings is accompanied by the
gradual extinguishing of lights.
Easter celebration begins
Sunday, April 16, with a com
munity breakfast at 9 a.m. Wor
ship at 10 a.m. will feature an
thems by the adult and youth
choirs, a special children's
time, and the celebration of the
sacrament of baptism. The
Easter sermon is entitled " I
Have Seen the Lord," by the
Rev. Lea Mathieu.
Everyone is welcome to
attend.
St. Patrick's Church
St. Parick's Church will
celebrate Holy week with a 7
p.m. Commemoration of the
institution of the Blessed
Eucharist on Holy Thursday,
April 13. On Good Friday,
April 14 there will be Way of
the Cross at noon and com
memoration of the Lord's Suf
fering and Death at 7 p.m. On
Holy Saturday, April 15, the
Vigil of the Lord's Resurrection
will be at 5 p.m. This year there
will be a display depicting the
events of the triduum,
prepared by Nelson Connor,
Kim Armato, Bob and Pam
Worden. On Easter Sunday
Mass of the Resurrection will be
held at 11 a.m.
begin at 5:30 p.m. On Easter
Sunday Mass of the Resurrec
tion will be held at 8:45 a.m.
Hope-Valby Lutheran
Parish
Congregational members and
friends will gather at 6 p.m.
Maundy Thursday April 13 at
Valby Lutheran Church, for a
special soup and potato feed
supper. A solemn communion
service will be observed at 7
p.m. including a special ritual
for the stripping of the altar.
Pastor Hoobing will deliver a
message entitled, "New Life in
the Blood of Christ", based on
scripture reading of Jeremiah
31:31-34.
Members and friends will
gather on Good Friday, April
14 at Hope Lutheran Church,
near the Willow Creek Dam in
Heppner, at 6 p.m. for a soup
and sandwhich supper. A
solemn service of the Passion of
Christ wil be observed. Pastor
Stan Hoobing will bring a ser
mon entitled, "The Suffering
Servant" based on scripture
reading of Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
A festive communion service
will be held at 8 a.m. on Easter
Sunday at Valby, with music
by Rikka Tews of The Dalles.
The old Christmas tree, now a
cross will be covered with
spring flowers. Pastor Hoobing
will bring the message "Tell
T h em " based on Exodus
15:1-11. An Easter breakfast of
pancakes, hash browns, ham,
eggs, coffee and juice will
follow the worship service.
Confirm ation class and
parents of Hope Lutheran
Church of Heppner will pro
vide an Easter breakfast of
ham, waffles, scrambled eggs,
St. William's Church
fruit tray, juice and coffee.
St. William, lone, the Good Breakfast will be served from 9
Friday Way of the Cross will a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Festive com-
muion service with special
music led by Dr. Jeanne Berret-
ta will be at 11 a.m. Pastor
Hoobing will bring the mes
sage, "Tell Them", based on
the Song of Moses from Exodus
15:1-11.
Meeting planned
for 8th grade
parents
A meeting for the parents of
Heppner eighth grade students
will be held Wednesday, April
19 at 6 p.m. in the Heppner
Middle school cafeteria.
The purpose of the meeting
will be to discuss the eighth
grade party, set a date and
make preparations. All parents
are encouraged to attend.
Students may attend if they
wish. For more information
contact Joyce Hughes 676-9959.
Methodist Church
Worshippers at Heppner
United Methodist Church will
partake of a light meal with
Biblical foods on Maundy
Thursday, April 13 at 6 p.m.
This will be followed by the
Lord's Supper at 6:30 p.m. and
a tenebrae "se rv ice of
shadows" after signifying the
events that led up to Christ's
Crucifixion.
Easter Sunday service will be
held April 16 at 10:30 a.m. The
choir will sing at both services.