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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 2019)
OPINION/NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 COLUMN Love and forgiveness are key to marriage A s the pastor of Trin- wives as Christ loved the ity Lutheran Church, Church, laying down his life Hermiston, I have the for her. Jesus said, “No one honor and privilege of offi - has greater love than this, that ciating at many weddings. they would lay down their life A greater honor and privi- for another.” So if husbands lege for me is to work with the and wives would daily love engaged couple as they pre- one another by doing some- pare for a lifelong thing for their spouse marriage. that benefi ts them We discuss many without regard to items such as commu- the cost or benefi t to nication skills, con- themselves, their mar- fl ict resolution skills, riage would be much basic fi nance/bud- richer, more joyful geting and spiritual and fi lled with peace. matters. However, I This is certainly a R ODNEY believe that the two wonderful practice M RUK most important com- to cultivate in every COMMENT ponents of this mar- marriage. riage preparation The second prac- work which will help lead to tice I discuss with engaged a joyful and peace fi lled mar- couples is that of forgiveness. riage, is to learn about love From a Biblical perspective, and forgiveness from a Bibli- forgiveness is to release the cal perspective. other, the offending party, from Certainly those engaged to any and all obligation to make be married have deep emo- it right. For example, if some- tional attraction and affection one owes me some money, toward one another which we when I forgive them the debt, call love. But from a Biblical I release them from the debt, perspective, love is much more from the obligation of paying than just emotions or deep back the money owed. This is feelings. Love from a Biblical what God has done when Jesus perspective is a verb. It is an went to the cross. The debt action, a behavior. The word or obligation for sin against for this is ‘agape’. It essen- God is death. Paul wrote, “The tially means doing something wages of sin is death.” There- for another that benefi ts them fore, in the death of Jesus on without regard to cost of bene- the cross, a payment has been fi t to self. made for our debt of sin. Jesus The Apostle Paul said that did this freely for our benefi t. husbands should love their As a result, we are called to freely forgive one another out of a sense of gratitude ask- ing no payment or restitu- tion be made. Husbands and wives who release one another from any and all obligation to make right the offense, the debt, fi nd that their marriage is greatly enhanced, enriched, and peace-fi lled. Like love, forgiveness takes hard work and practice. It never means that the offense was ‘okay’ or that the pain and hurt are automatically healed. But the one doing the forgiv- ing is released from any bit- terness and feelings of ven- geance, etc. These emotions can eat away at a person. For- giveness is the beginning of healing of the one offended and healing of the relationship. Love and forgiveness from a Biblical perspective are not only helpful in marriages, they are helpful in any relation- ship. Love and forgiveness enrich and deepen relation- ships between family mem- bers, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. I encourage you to refl ect upon these things and try being a more loving and more for- giving person in all your rela- tionships. I think if you do, you will fi nd yourself more at peace and fi nd days fi lled with more joy. Rev. Rodney Mruk is rever- end of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hermiston. Photo contributed by Kristi Smalley Area 3 v 3 basketball team athletes and volunteers of Hermiston/Pendleton Special Olympics Local Program #510. Special Olympians slam dunk season’s end unteers to play against the Special Olympians. Members of the Board- man Rural Fire Protection District and high school students from Herm- iston, Boardman, Stanfi eld and Irri- gon received quite the workout from the Special Olympians, Smalley said. Also, Smalley said Jason Speer along with area coaches and high school students provided offi ciating for the games. “It was truly a team effort to pro- vide a fast paced afternoon of compe- tition for our local athletes,” Smalley said. Special Olympics provides ath- letic training and competitions for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There is no cost for athletes to participate. Athletes or volunteers interested in the spring sports season — includ- ing track and fi eld events, bocce or golf — are encouraged to contact Schneider at 541-314-0166. By HERMISTON HERALD A season-ending event included 40 local Special Olympics ath- letes, who took to the hardwood to compete. Representing the Hermiston/ Pendleton Special Olympics Local Program #510, basketball athletes charged into the gyms March 17 at Sandstone Middle School in Hermis- ton. The afternoon began with Indi- vidual Skills Athletes participating in passing, dribbling and shooting drills. Kristi Smalley said the drills are designed to work on basketball fundamentals. Also, three 3 v 3 teams com- peted against three different oppo- nents in 20-minute games — provid- ing an opportunity to showcase skill improvement and teamwork. The 5 v 5 team also competed in three games. Providing an assist was local program coordinator Angela Schneider, who rounded up area vol- Visit us on the web at HermistonHerald.com MORE WINNERS. MORE OFTEN. WIN UP TO $ 10,000 CASH EVERY FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY! Starting April 5 from 6 – 9pm Come Spin the weekend with us! UPCOMING EVENTS 20 , 000 $ Tickets for all events on sale now in person at Wildhorse Gift Shop or wildhoresresort.com TONY ORLANDO Hot Seats! 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