Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 8, 2020 -- THREE
Messages of Easter hope from local pastors
Alone but not forsaken
We find ourselves in the middle of a historical event
most of us will likely never experience again. It is the
type of circumstance people will tell their children or
grandchildren about. Of course, if you haven’t already
guessed, the event to which I refer is the COVID-19 crisis.
Aside from all the historical consequences of the
coronavirus, there is a human and emotional toll that is
difficult to measure and that does not really fit into any
metric we have to assess damage. The feelings of loneli-
ness, finitude, and even abandonment are front and center
in our collective psyche.
Real questions arise as to why otherwise healthy
people will die from this? Why will many lose their jobs
and businesses? Has God abandoned us? Why would He
allow such a widespread, global disaster to take place?
Has God forsaken us?
There was a man many years ago who cried out the
very words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken
Me?” That man was alone and had been abandoned by
his friends in his hour of greatest need. He had been
treated unfairly and unjustly by a government that cared
little about what happened to him personally. His words
were not empty words. He had in fact been forsaken by
God. But why?
This man is Jesus of Nazareth. What seemed to
many at the time like meaningless suffering had a divine
purpose. All of the evil of the world was dumped on him
by God when he was nailed to a cross by the Roman
Government. All of what is wrong with the world was
laid at his nail pierced feet. He experienced a loneliness
and abandonment that can never be matched. He was
abandoned by God so that we would never be abandoned
by God.
The simple truth of what Jesus has done for us has
the power to bring you peace during the days we find our-
selves in. Jesus knows exactly how you feel right now. He
too experienced the pain of loneliness and abandonment.
He knows how it feels but not just in an empathic way. He
does not just know how it feels, he has done something
to correct it. That correction is the cross.
Because of what Jesus did on the cross, any tragedy
we experience is just temporary. Any disease we contract
or heartache we experience or burden we bear is brief
because eternity is waiting on the other side. An eternity
without respiratory disease, without broken hearts, with-
out loneliness and without pain of any kind. It is a promise
sealed with the greatest expression of love the world has
ever known, a perfect man who needed nothing, gave
everything to imperfect people who needed everything.
That love took on the shape of a rugged cross and was
sealed with an empty tomb. This Easter when you feel
abandoned, or just plain lonely in quarantine, remember
this is temporary. This one day will give way to fields that
will shimmer in eternal sunlight for those who just simply
believe and draw near to this man, Jesus.
Tripp Finch, Willow Creek Baptist Church
What have you been
doing over the past five
weeks?
The Season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday,
February 26 th , and for the Christian, Lent is traditionally
a time of sacrifice and reflection. Many often “fast” from,
(give up), either a certain food or drink. Others choose
to abstain from a hobby, favorite pastime or any other
activity that requires some amount of time and energy –
the goal being to instead apply that time and energy, or
food and drink, to deepening our relationship with God
through Jesus Christ.
This particular Season of Lent has been drastically
different from those we have experienced before and,
rather than voluntarily, we have been forced to give
up our normal lives and try to find ways to adapt. This
“problem” can seem frustrating, frightening, perhaps
overwhelming. It might even lead a person into feeling
like just giving up and giving in to their fear, frustration,
anger or despondency.
In spite of this, over the past few weeks I have been
blessed to witness acts of sacrifice, support and encour-
agement, love and care, that are uplifting to the soul…
that put wind in one’s sails. At the same time, there are
some who are investing the valuable resources of the time
and energy of their lives in attitudes and behaviors that
tear down, rather than build up. Social networking sites
such as Facebook provide evidence of the attitude and
kind of thinking that are associated with the two choices
we are given.
Yet, what happens if we intentionally choose to re-
frame our thinking, and instead look for the opportunities
for better things that may exist in the midst of all that is
happening?
What if we did away with pride, arguments and pre-
tenses that run counter to God, and instead take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ? What if we
intentionally used the time we’ve been given for reflection
and identifying where we are in life, where Christ would
like us to be, and what we need to do in order to get there?
What if we choose to pay more attention to the rainbow
in the clouds, rather than the storm?
Poet Maya Angelou once wrote, “God puts rainbows
in the clouds so that each of us – in the dreariest and most
dreaded moments – can see a possibility of hope.” At
another time, she also wrote, “Each of us has the power
and responsibility to become a rainbow in the clouds.”
In the midst of all that’s happening, all that’s chang-
ing, all that’s uncertain, remember that God is the same
today as he was yesterday, and will be tomorrow, and
that He “… has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power
and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV).
A living hope
Easter thoughts
As social distancing becomes our new normal, for
now at least, we will find ourselves celebrating the emp-
ty tomb in an empty church. It’s a comfort to know that
hundreds will be hovering around us in real time on the
web to celebrate the resurrection with us, but it’s just not
the same. Christianity assumes community, not isolation,
and a love that extends physically and visibly to friend
and foe alike.
But the contradiction we’re confronted with this year
aligns well with our faith in a Savior who was himself
a massive contradiction. Jesus was a king but born into
poverty. He lived a sinless life but kept company with
sinners and outcasts. According to the Gospel of John,
he was with God from the beginning, the very beginning,
when God breathed into a lump of clay the breath of life,
and yet he let that created world beat him down and betray
him and nail him to a cross. He died, but God’s love was
stronger than death, and he lives.
Our church buildings, like the tomb, may be empty
this Easter but the promises the church proclaims and the
tomb revealed are not empty. Death no longer has the last
word. We are invited to live in God’s presence forever,
beginning now. And, thankfully, the God of contradictions
is not limited by our expectations. We are loved, not
rejected, even when we’re fearful. We are forgiven, not
condemned, even when we doubt. We can have hope, even
when our way of life has been upended by an invisible
enemy, because God is with us every minute of it, whether
stressful or peaceful.
This Easter and the days that follow, let’s contra-
dict the chaos inflicted by COVID-19. Let’s erupt with
gratitude for our blessings. Let’s choose to be joyful
and thankful, no matter what happens, because God will
always have the last word and God’s love will always
win in the end.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth
into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)
Rev. Katy Anderson
Hopeful Saints Ministry
A Lutheran & Episcopal partnership
Good Friday:
Jesus died for all of us on Passover weekend. He be-
came our Passover, our covering from sin, in fact 2 Cor.
5:21 says, He became sin for us. On the Cross, the vast
break in our relationship with God was reconciled. The
gap that sin had created behind humanity and God was
closed. The incurable curse of sin was lifted, the chains
of bondage were broken.
Sabbath rest day:
Jesus rested from His work of our salvation on the
seventh day; just like he had some 4,000 years before at
creation of this planet and humanity. In this day of rest
Jesus shows us that resting is very important, that we need
to follow His example of rest once a week, and even more
so we need to rest in Him from the stress of sin and life
on this planet each day.
Resurrection Morning:
The victory over sin was confirmed as Jesus stepped
back into life. In the wee hours of the early morning dark-
ness, He was called forth from the Tomb, destroying the
grip that death had on humanity. Granting to His human
brothers and sisters a hope of escaping this death pit we
call home. The resurrection is the promise of life eternal
with Him, and it is the proof that all God’s promises
are 100 percent true. The most glorious of these are 1.
Freedom from the bondage of sin in our lives today, 2.
The promise of His return for His own, which will be
very soon.
Please accept the knocking of Jesus on your life, at
this time. Rev. 3:20
Elder Erik Wenberg, Heppner Seventh-day Ad-
ventist Church
When the rock rolls
away
Presently we are sheltering in our homes and when
we leave our homes for errands we try to practice “so-
cial distancing.” I don’t think it should be called “social
distancing” but it is “physical distancing.”
Now is the time to do a spiritual self-examination of
ourselves. Are we going to continue the way we always
lived our lives or is it time for a 180 degree turn of our
lives? My life has changed since high school, to logging,
to ranching, to being a pastor of a church. I had to roll
a big rock out of my life. Years of listening to the world
(the rock) and living in the world, I rolled the rock away.
Now is the time to evaluate ourselves and check our
whole being of who we are going to be? Easter is coming
but we need to treat each day as the celebration of the
resurrection. So how are we going to treat ourselves and
our friends and neighbors? That rock couldn’t hold Jesus
from paving the way for us to a new life. He gave His
life for us so we can have a life-changing experience, and
living an upholding life of love, faith, and forgiveness in
the Savior of the world because of his resurrection when
the Rock Rolled Away.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send
His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
Pastor Norman Lee, Heppner Nazarene Church
The Apostle Paul once wrote to the church in Ephesus,
“… I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have
received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to
keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called
to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith,
one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all
and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:1-6, NIV).
You see, in our lives today we can choose where
we focus our time and attention – and with Easter being
God’s gift of hope and new beginnings as we celebrate
the resurrection of Jesus – we can choose to receive that
gift and share it with others. Through Christ we all have
the ability to be rainbows in the clouds.
Blessings to you and yours,
Pastor Jeff, Ione Community Church
Season of hope
Easter, the word alone carries hope for a world in
crisis. You may think I am talking about the current crisis
dealing with COVID-19 but I am not. Oh, I believe we
are in a crisis which, I, like you, pray will be over before
much longer. A crisis that is fueled by something Easter
did away with which is the fear of death. Let me come
back to that thought in a moment.
I, like many of you, am disappointed that we will not
be able to celebrate Easter in our normal fashion. Easter
egg hunts will only be able to include our families in our
own yards and not the large rat race of the community egg
hunt. Easter lunch will be at home with only the family
in our home, so grandma and grandpa will not be able to
see the little ones in their new Easter outfits except for
whatever technology they use. I, like you, will not be able
to sit around the table with my siblings and my parents
and enjoy all the different food that has been prepared.
Frankly, that may be best for the waistline.
However, and let me be very clear, I will be celebrat-
ing Easter. I will be up at sunrise to celebrate the “hope”
that Easter signifies. Come Easter Sunday the tomb will
still be empty, and Jesus will still be at the right hand of
God. Come Easter Sunday His work on the cross will still
have been done and its purpose will still be whole. Come
Easter Sunday the means of salvation and victory over
death will still be a reality through Jesus Christ. Come
Easter Sunday you and I will still have hope because of
these realities.
Back to that thought from earlier. The crisis we truly
face is not the crisis of COVID-19. The crisis humanity
has faced since the garden of Eden is death and separation
from our creator because of our sin. That is a crisis that
we have been given a vaccination for through the blood
of Jesus. It is through Him we have been given hope.
Hope over death. Hope for eternity. Hope and not fear.
So friends, may I encourage you to not be people of
fear but be people of hope. Put your hope and your faith
in the One who died for you and overcame the grave so
we do not need to be people of fear but people of hope.
Happy Easter.
Ray DeLoe, Heppner Christian Church
!! REWARD !!
Missing!
Black and White
Male Cat
Balm Fork Creek
Thorpe Farm
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