Elgin United Church
Georgina and Jim Campbell welcomed their great granddaughter Charleigh James Perrin on Monday. Charleigh’s mom & dad are Maddie and Sean, daughter and son-in-law of Krista and Todd Gill. Congratulations all around.
Cindy and Greg Carbino’s granddaughter and our own regular church attendee, Morgan Gordanier, celebrates birthday number 3 on Saturday. Happy Birthday Morgan.
Make time to visit the Elgin & Area Heritage Society’s WWI exhibit of memorabilia belonging to two local WWI veterans, Martin James Flynn and Arthur Thomas Cooper: Nov 12, 13, 19 & 20, 10am – 3pm at the Red Brick School, 3 Halladay St.
Check your Facebook settings and mark November 23rd to the 30th on you calendars for Elgin United’s 3rd Annual on-line auction of new items and services from local businesses and entrepreneurs.
Elgin United Church Council
Portland United Church
Place your orders for Tourtieres! $18.00 (same as last year) Call Connie at 613-220-7914 or MJ at 613-222-9070 to order before November 19. Limited supply!
The date for the funeral service for Graham Mowat has been changed to Friday November 18, 2022, at Blair Funeral Home, 17 Gore Street W, Perth, ON – Visitation: 10:00 a.m., Service: 11:00 a.m., Interment in Auld Kirk Cemetery, Almonte.
For many years Sheila Campbell has prepared the Sacrament of Communion for us. She would like to pass the torch to someone new. We thank you Sheila for your dedicated service. Please contact Norma Cummings or Duncan Pickard if you would consider taking on this role for November 27th.
Build a Mountain of Food takes place Saturday, December 3rd in front of the Royal Bank.
As the year end and Christmas approaches many of us review our support of those less fortunate than ourselves and those who support them. As you do this, please include Portland United Church. If you find life gets too busy to make a donation in person, we remind you that there are 3 options for ensuring your donation gets to the church to support its activities, mail, e-transfer and on the EPPC website via the “donate now” button.
A Christmas Bake Sale! – Portland United Church – Saturday, December 10th from 10:00 to 2:00. Let us know what goodies you can offer and how you can help. Proceeds to the General Fund. Contact Connie Cochran.
Christmas in the Village! Watch for posters announcing this event Saturday, December 17th. Sponsored by the UCW. Wagon ride with carolers through the village, hot chocolate and decorating gingerbread cookies and Santa with candy! Looking for volunteers! Contact Connie or Pauline.
We would like to wish Yvonne Caldwell birthday wishes on Tuesday, November 15th
Portland United Church Council
Linda Carr,
RIDEAU LAKES COUNTRY CONDO
& LEAVE IT WITH LINDA
Rideau Lakes, Ontario
613-246-2081. 613-272-2227
Devotional Thought – November 12, 2022
I’ve had this thought running around in my head all week: What does ‘form follows function’ really mean? And how do I relate this in a spiritual realm that has meaning to our daily living?
So, I went to GOOGLE and tried to find some material related to this thought. Well, believe it or not the internet had hundreds of pages and videos explaining this concept. Yet, I still wanted to give a spiritual perspective to this thought.
When we talk about ‘form and function’ we can really apply it in so many ways. For instance – it’s raining. And we want to stay dry. Some of you will immediately think you need an umbrella. But if you were my father, you wouldn’t be caught carrying such a mamby-pamby thing. So, you might choose instead, a raincoat. Or if you just want to keep dry, a plastic garbage bag will do the trick. The function is to keep you dry and you get to choose the form.
Another example of form and function would be a vessel for hot water. Well, you would not use a coffee cup (a vessel holding hot water) to take a bath. Or a bathtub (a vessel holding hot water) to drink your morning coffee. Again, the function is to hold hot water, but the form must be appropriate for the task at hand.
So, form following function is in reality a concept that is somewhat easy to explain in our everyday lives. But what about in our spiritual living? We believe that God made us in His Image (form). And we have been taught that we have a purpose as Christians (function). And I ask myself, is it really as simple as that!
As I read through page after page, searching for depth in this devotional, I was reminded that we do indeed take on the qualities of God. When we first started on our journey, we were new, not yet broken in, like a new baseball glove. And then, over time we begin to recognize that God has been using us for the intended purpose of telling others, sharing the Good News of salvation. And we become better with practice. We become comfortable with our role as Christians. And for many of us, time has shown that we have endurance and continue to be used for the function we were created. We have taken on the qualities of God.
And I began to understand more about function and form. To say it bluntly, we are all vessels, being used to spread the truths of our Creator. None of us are exactly the same. Your vessel may take on the function of sharing through administration, another vessel will be better equipped to carry another’s load through listening, through sharing a burden. Some vessels will write an encouraging note and still others will be heard through their music.
What I really know is God has said He has equipped His people with all that is necessary to grow His Kingdom. And I know that some who read this devotional may feel that your God-given vessel is starting to rust, please know that God will reshape and repurpose your Vessel and continue to use you.
So whether your function is as a pen, a voice, a listener, a singer, a hands-on get things done vessel, know that you are shaped in the image of God and being used to build His church. Get out there, whatever your vessel and be filled with God’s love as you find your function in the form God has made you.
Blessings, peace and love to each of you,
Liz Church -Pastoral Care Director
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge
