FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Spiritually Speaking
He was amazed at their
lack of faith
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph
Though Jesus had made a big impact
in other towns and villages, He is rejected
by His own town members. Jesus said to
them, “A prophet is not without honor
except in his native place and among Fr. Thankachan
his own kin and his own house.” (Mk. Joseph
6:5). Why? They felt they knew all about
Him, and He had nothing to offer them. We have a chance
to listen to the same Jesus and to receive Him into our
hearts and into our lives. The readings of the day call us
to open our hearts, our minds, and our whole being to
the presence of God in others, to reflect: Can we see the
presence of God in others? Can we recognize that God
speaks through others? Do we see and acknowledge the
prophets of our own time?
The prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:2-5) describes what a
real prophet does and his duties and responsibilities. God
sends prophets to His people. We don’t always like to hear
the words that a prophet speaks. On the other hand, not
everyone who speaks is a prophet. The Old and the New
Testaments both understand clearly that a true prophet
must speak according to the Word of God, not according
to the words of men. Today, many claim to be prophetic,
but most lack any claims to speaking the Word of God.
The Prophet Ezekiel’s message is always the same:
faithfulness to God’s word revealed in Holy Scripture,
love for God, love for others, care for the needy and the
oppressed. The message always demands that we give
up our own concerns and be concerned only for God and
God’s message for us. The moment we begin to seek our
own good, our own enrichment, our own way of thinking,
we become unfaithful to the word of God.
In St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (12:
7-10), he describes the difficulties that he has undergone to
spread the Word of God: “I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the
sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
(v.10). Paul warmly invites all of us to embrace the word
of Jesus Christ with all our strength and all our being.
When we do, we shall surely suffer and become aware
of our own weaknesses. This also is a form of prophecy
because the more we embrace Christ and follow His way,
the more our lives speak about God and His incredible
love for us.
St. Mark (6: 1-6) narrates the challenges of rejection
faced by the prophet in his own native town. We should
remember that Ezekiel told us that it does not matter if
a prophet is recognized or not. What matters is that the
prophet speaks the word of God. The Gospel of Mark
points out that we can reject a true prophet simply because
we don’t believe that God acts in the ordinary events of
our lives and in seemingly ordinary people. Jesus’s home-
town people do not simply puzzle over His extraordinary
powers. They are actually “scandalized” by Him. In tell-
ing them how He feels, Jesus identifies Himself with the
rejected prophets of old. The townspeople’s lack of faith
renders Jesus, the prophet in their midst, powerless –He
acknowledges, however, that some few do have faith:
“he cured a few sick people.” He cures these people “by
laying his hands on them.” We have seen, in the request of
the man with leprosy (1:41) and the action of the crowds
(3:10,) the people’s well-founded faith in the healing
power of touch, of bodily encounter.
At times, we may be like Jesus, bringing the wisdom
and power of God to our families or local communities,
only to meet with rejection. Sometimes, we may be like
the few who come in faith and experience a healing touch.
At other times, we may replicate the behavior of the op-
ponents of Jesus and discount the achievements of those
who excel or whose message challenges us. To refuse to
listen to a prophetic message because the messenger fails
to meet our preconceived ideas about prophets may have
something to do with a lack of faith. It may actually stymie
the power of God. Finally, the emphasis on healing invites
us to pause and consider the intrinsic value of all, human
and other-than-human, so often denigrated and devalued
by attitudes that dichotomize the material and the spiritual
with dire consequences for the Earth community.
Join us as we celebrate
George Nairns
Gilliam & Bisbee Building
July 8th, 2021 at 1:00 pm.
We will celebrate her hard work and
dedication that she has put into Willow
Creek Terrace over the years and wish
her good luck on her new journey!
~ Letters to the Editor ~
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following
criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name
of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you
provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The
address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be
printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the
right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in
letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under
“Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload
to Heppner.net.
Leadership Letter
accountability
To the editor,
In the article, Board
Oversight of Culture for
High Performing Hospi-
tals, healthcare consultants
Mitchell Rabkin, MD and
Susan have Friedman write
of the importance of mea-
suring and caring for the
organizational culture in
healthcare. The article starts
by asking the question,
‘Is the board doing its job
with only a limited view
into how the organization
actually operates?’
“Good board members
monitor, guide and enable
good management…form-
ing strategic policies and
goals…authorizing major
transactions; overseeing
viability of the organiza-
tion’s business model…
and accuracy of its financial
statements.” Boards “mon-
itor, guide and enable good
management” by doing the
following:
It requires a chair who
sets appropriate agendas
and leads.
It brings skilled and
committed members un-
afraid to ask difficult ques-
tions of each other and the
CEO and his/her team in an
open environment.
It reviews an external
auditor’s detailed report and
its “Management Letter.”
While this role of activ-
ities is critical, another vital
perspective does not get
board’s attention. Culture
is the result of leadership
decisions shaping policies,
processes and procedures,
and how seriously these are
internalized throughout the
organization. While culture
is not treated as important,
it is the result of leadership
decisions.
According to the writ-
ers, the more prevalent
indicators of deeper issues
that reflect organizational
culture include:
-excessive turnover be-
cause of poor management.
-unenforced or inade-
quate personnel policies.
-unclear description of
roles or relationships.
-lack of openness.
-poor reception or han-
dling of complaints by em-
ployees or patients.
These situations lead
to low morale, inefficien-
cy, costly re-work, loss of
talented staff, customer
loss, sagging reputation as a
place to work and patients’
diminished expectations of
technical quality of care and
human concern.
Just as the external au-
dit with its Management
Letter provides insight into
financial operations and
ways to improve them,
boards and hospital lead-
ership would benefit from
a comparable audit of the
organization’s workplace
operations and culture,
producing a Leadership
Letter with observations
and recommendations for
improvement, followed by
board discussion with the
hospital’s CEO, including
implementation timelines
and follow-through.
I will write in the next
letter to the editor on how to
conduct a Leadership Let-
ter. The need for change is
up to this community to get
back the trust of the present
leadership.
Dr. Carmelo A. Di Salvo
Chamber Chatter
Willow Creek Farmer’s
Market runs each Thursday
through September 2 from
4-7 p.m. at the Heppner
City Park. Cost for the
entire season for vendors
is $50 or by the week at
$10 per week. Check out
the Facebook page, email
willowcreekfm@gmail.
com or call 541-720-4399
or 757-285-5792 for addi-
tional information.
Music in the Park will
begin Sunday, July 11 from
5:30-7:30 p.m. featuring
Neymark and Sons. Joel
Neymark and his sons Eli-
jah and Gabe, who share the
gift of singing and playing
a variety of stringed instru-
ments in a style they refer
to as eclectic folk flavored
with campfire jam ses-
sions will perform. Hopeful
Saints Ministry will be
offering food for purchase/
donation at each event for
their Mission and Outreach
fund.
Friday, August 6 from
5-10 p.m., Murray’s Annual
Wine Tasting Event at the
Willow Creek Fit Park.
Live entertainment will be
provided by Joe Lindsay
from 5-7 p.m. and Brady
Goss from 7-10 p.m.
Sunday, August 8 from
5:30-7:30 p.m., Music in
the Park at the Heppner City
Park will feature a return
of La Grande’s Wasteland
Kings.
Sunday, September 12
from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Mu-
sic in the Park at Heppner
City Park featuring Chasing
Ebenezer, a Portland musi-
cal group.
Applications for the
2021 culturally based ac-
tivities in Morrow County
are now being accepted.
Projects supported in the
past have included quilting,
art displays, historical li-
brary books, cultural enter-
tainment and events, kids’
activities in the parks and
schools, drama and musical
workshops. Grants can be
awarded up to 50 percent
of the total project cost. For
complete guidelines and
application forms, please
contact Jaylene Papineau at
541-676-5630, email jpap-
ineau@co.morrow.or.us or
visit the Morrow County
website under the Clerk/
Elections Office, Morrow
County Cultural Coalition
Information.
Hold the Date - Au-
gust 17-22 for the Morrow
County Fair and Oregon
Trail Pro Rodeo. The theme
this year is “Morrow Coun-
ty Strong.” The parade will
take place on Saturday,
August 21 at 10 a.m. Those
who are interested in being
in the parade should contact
the Heppner Chamber at
heppnerchamber@gmail.
com or 541-676-5536.
Space available for
service club sign
A space has become available for another service club
sign at the entryway into Heppner due to the Heppner
American Legion consolidating with the Ione Legion post
and their sign being removed.
Anyone interested in placing a sign should call John
Edmundson at 541-676-5177.
DA’s Report
Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson has
released the following report:
- Ajamu Dia Nathan was convicted of telephonic
harassment and sentenced to 30 days jail with credit for
time served, 24 months bench probation, no contact with
victim and trespassed from Green Acres RV Park.
County government in lottery gambling business
To the editor:
“County chips in
$70,000 additional prize
money for vaccination
lottery.” Are you joking,
Morrow County? Morrow
County government is now
in the lottery gambling
business? How do we reel
in this Ponzi scheme? I
know our county commis-
sioners and trust them, so
this Covid 19 sweepstakes
does not add up. So here are
my concerns and questions.
1) Why does the coun-
ty need to spend $70,000
to entice Morrow County
citizens to take an experi-
mental vaccine? The Mod-
erna, Pfizer, Johnson and
Johnson vaccines have been
approved under “Emer-
gency Use Authorization”
only. Why do we need to
be bribed to take a vaccine
for a flu virus that is 99.5
percent survivable? Why
should Morrow County
citizens be enticed to take
an experimental vaccine
that nobody (Virologists,
Immunologists, Epidemi-
ologists, Doctors) know
what the long-term health
effect will be. The CDC, on
June 26, added a warning
about the risk of adverse
events including myocar-
ditis and pericarditis for
both Moderna and Pfizer.
A recent Harvard Pilgrim
study found the Covid 19
vaccine adverse (VAERS)
events (death, heart at-
tacks, strokes, blood clot,
immune disability, anaphy-
lactic reaction, etc.) were
underreported by 100 per-
cent. (Feb. 19, 21, Richard
Jaffe). There is not one peer
reviewed scientific study
that demonstrates Covid
19 vaccinations are better
than natural immunity. In
addition, US Surgeon Gen-
eral Dr. Vivek in May 2021
warned “people should be
prepared for the fact that we
may need a booster every
year.”
2) The Morrow Coun-
ty prize of $70,000 is in
addition to Oregon lottery
of over $1,000,000 for the
lucky (?) Oregon winners.
To entice children ages 12 to
17 to have at least one shot,
five will earn $100,000 for
an additional government
outlay of $500,000. The
1.86-million-dollar Oregon
prize money will come
from the Federal Corona-
virus Relief Act. The funds
are fiat money, printed by
the Federal Reserve with
no collateral backing, and
add to the national debt
that must be repaid with
interest every year going
to outside lenders including
foreign (hostile) govern-
ments. During the fiscal
year 2020 the federal debt
increased $4,210,000,000
the largest annual dollar
increase in history.
3) Morrow County
government has no business
being a participant in the
vaccination lottery industry.
Nor does Morrow County
have any business in entic-
ing, bribing or encouraging
citizens to take any exper-
imental, emergency use,
virus vaccination that may
well prove devastating to
the future health, immune
system and wellbeing of
those that take it. And once
you start taking it are you
hooked for life? I support
those that decide to take
the vaccine, however those
that choose to trust God
and their immune system
should not be bribed, en-
ticed, coerced or one day
mandated (when the bribes
won’t work) to comply.
Stuart Dick, Irrigon