Elgin Portland United Church
We keep all who are ill, troubled, or undergoing difficult times in our prayers that they are comforted by God’s Grace.
Precious Lord, we ask you to hold the soul of our dear friend and your faithful servant Bonnie Bilton tenderly in your loving arms. Our prayers turn to Bonnie’s family and friends that they find comfort and peace through Your Grace. Celebration of Life to take place on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Bethel Pentecostal Church in Elgin, Ontario.
Don’t forget to spring ahead early Sunday morning as we transition to daylight savings time.
Bible Discussion Groups
This week’s discussions will be centered (but not limited to) on Bible readings from 2 Corinthians 3-13 and Luke 1&2. Please join us for lively discussions and warm fellowship on Monday evening at the Portland UC at 6:30 pm or on Tuesday morning at the Elgin Municipal Complex at 10 am. All are welcome. For info contact Jim at ccjimbarton@gmail.com or 613-328-4089.
John 4:14 “But whoever drinks of the water that I [Jesus]will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Elgin United Church
We pray for the continued improvement of Marg, Barb, Joanne, Karen, Bradley and Adriaan. May their recovery be speedy and complete.
Happy Birthday to Jim Earl, Karen Myers and John Carley. May you feel God’s Grace in your special day.
Elgin United Church Council
Portland United Church
We keep Kathleen Seward and family in our prayers. She is in palliative care in Smiths Falls Hospital.
Cheryl Stoddard is now residing at Hilltop Manor in Merrickville. Please remember Cliff and Cheryl in your prayers.
As always, you are invited to drop in weekly to Chit Chat, downstairs between 10:30 and 12:00 noon.
March 12th UCW Meeting at 1:30 p.m.
Several religious books have been donated to the Portland United Church library. Please check them out and borrow them as you wish.
Mark Friday, March 22nd on your calendar for a fabulous turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Bring your families, friends and neighbours. 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. $18 for adults and $10 for children under 12.
Thursday, April 11th is the UCW AGM in Carleton Place at Zion United Church beginning at 9:30 a.m. Rev. Rodney (former minister at Elgin/Portland United) is the guest speaker. If you would like to join us at this meeting, please contact Connie Cochran at 613-220-7914 to participate in a carpool. Cost is $20.00 for lunch and snacks. A donation to the Food Bank would be appreciated.
An advance planning event:
This is a notice of the second annual ecumenical worship service and potluck event held at Bethel United Church. Last year, we had a lovely time with about 45 people with 7 different churches represented. The sentiment “we should do this more often” was heard many times.
So, we are!
Bethel United Church would like to invite you to be part of this on July 7 beginning at 4:30 PM. We will have an informal worship service, that I hope all of you can participate in, and it will be followed by a ‘true’ potluck supper. Last year the tables were groaning with food!!! I’m considering using Matthew 18:30 “Where 2 or 3 are gathered….” and that we can specifically address rural and small church issues.
Portland United Church Council
Devotional Reflection
March 9, 2024
Spring is around the corner. Soon to be followed by summer. This gives rise to activities we look forward to.
Years ago, my children were so excited to go visit their grandmother. Why? This was the time they got to live in a tent for a week. Rain or shine, bugs, sunburns, eating at picnic tables, outdoor games of all manner. What a wonderful life – until it wasn’t! Too much rain made them cranky. The tent seemed smaller when you had to remain inside it. It smelled damp and you play snakes and ladders only so many times before boredom sets in.
Then, excitement again flourished – we bought a tent trailer. A step up. But it came with the same restrictions. We soon realized, that as we grew older, this type of living was less appealing to us. We wanted something more permanent – lasting a lifetime. And as each year passed, this kind of vacation fizzled out – even glamping had its drawbacks!
I was reminded this week of those long, ago days. Reading my Bible I encountered something of a revelation, one of those ah-ha! moments! 2 Corinthians 5: 1-9.
Here it is from the Living Bible: “For we know that when this tent we live in now is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have wonderful new bodies in heaven, homes that will be ours forevermore, made for us by God himself and not by human hands. How weary we grow of our present bodies. That is why we look forward eagerly to the day when we shall have heavenly bodies that we shall put on like new clothes. For we shall not be merely spirits without bodies. These earthly bodies make us groan and sigh, but we wouldn’t like to think of dying and having no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will, as it were, be swallowed up by everlasting life. This is what God has prepared for us, and as a guarantee he has given us His Holy Spirit. Now we look forward with confidence to our heavenly bodies, realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in heaven with Jesus. We know these things are true by believing, not by seeing. And we are not afraid but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So, our aim is to please Him always in everything we do, whether we are here in this body or away from this body and with Him in heaven.”
I’m sure as you have read this devotional you may be thinking about so many who are not present with us anymore, and those who are preparing (as we too should be) for this permanent Home. This week has been a reminder to us of the frailty of life. But may it also remind us that as we move through this world, our ‘tent’ is just a temporary home. A fraction of time spent here, living by faith; an eternity with God!
All the hymns that speak of ‘My Home Is Heaven’ come alive as we rejoice in the knowledge that one day, this life behind us, we get to live forever!
Be blessed and refreshed.
Liz Church, Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge
