Elgin Portland United Church
Time is running out. Only two more weekends to marvel at the photographs in the Clifford Pennock Remastered: A New Lens on South Crosby exhibit 10 am – 3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays at the Red Brick School. Hosted by the Elgin and Area Heritage Society.
Sunday, Aug 25th at 2 pm, Heritage Park, beside the Red Brick School 3 Halladay St., will come alive with classical music performed by the Beverley Trio. Bring a chair and partake of an enjoyable musical afternoon, hosted by the Elgin and Area Heritage Society.
Spotlight on Portland, Saturday, Aug 24 & Sunday, Aug 25 – 10 am to 4 pm – Emmanuel Heritage Centre, 2767 Hwy 15, Portland
Bible Discussion Groups
Reason to read the Bible #15: The Bible answers the hard questions like “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” Psalm 10:1 “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Two meetings each week: Portland UC on Monday at 6:30; Elgin Community Room, Tuesday 10 am. Please join us. For info contact Jim at ccjimbarton@gmail.com or 613-328-4089.
The Lyndhurst Turkey Fair celebrates its 30th Anniversary on Saturday September 21st between 10 am and 4:30 pm. They are looking for volunteers for the day of the fair. Call Diane Joliffe at 519-389-7797 if you are interested. The fair lottery funds this year will be going to the Sweet’s Corners Elementary School Playground equipment Fundraiser.
Y@HBC…… The Young at Heart Breakfast Club will meet again on Thursday the 19th of September at 9 am at the Junction restaurant. Complete information the week before. All are welcome……….Ted
Elgin United Church
Happy Birthday to Jack Gill, Aug 26th and Leighton Coatsworth and Marg Ross, Aug 29th. May they each enjoy a truly celebratory day.
Happy Anniversary to Cindy and Greg Carbino, Friday Aug. 30th. Have a super day.
Elgin United Church Council
Portland United Church
The Portland Food Bank proudly presents
“We’re Singing for Their Supper”
An afternoon of wonderful music performed by
various Rideau Lakes and area musicians –
Rasa Krokys, Janet McKeage, Anne Lewis,
Morgan Wright, Graham Lowe,
and instrumentalists: Pam Newton, Claire French and John Wanless
Sunday, September 8, 2 p.m. at Portland United Church
This is a fund-raiser for the Portland Food Bank.
A free-will offering will be received. Receipts for tax purposes will be issued for donations of $20 or more. Refreshments.
Norma Cummings.
Portland United Church Council
Devotional Reflection
August 24, 2024
I had an amazing experience this past week. My daughter treated me to a showing of the Musical: Come From Away. Most have heard of this. It’s been playing since 2015 and has come back to Ottawa for a short time. In brief, it is an account of how 34 planes, plus 4 military flights, landed in the community of Gander, Newfoundland, after 9/11. It represented almost 7,000 people landing in a town of 9,500 people.
The aftermath of this tragedy, related in the Musical, were of actual events that took place during the 5 days those planes were grounded. We have all heard of how magnificent the people of Gander and surrounding areas were to these stranded travellers, providing everything to make their unplanned stay as comfortable as possible.
For a moment, I want you to think about acceptance. Passengers came from 95 countries, with differing cultures, dietary and religious needs and customs. In the midst of what appeared to be utter turmoil, the needs of these people were being met by complete strangers, in a phenomenal way. And the story continues to this day of new friendships that were made and people’s lives changed.
How important it is to each of us to feel acceptance? Many have lost their capability to distinguish between acceptance and individualism. The internet traps countless people into believing that being ‘followed’ by hundreds of strangers is acceptance, and yet they have never met or even conversed with them. Many are dragged away from critical thinking, just in case it makes them stick out as different. Instead of being individuals, they take on the ‘herd’ mentality to fit in.
There is a song from years ago that would suggest individualism is extremely important – and that we are made this way. It says: “God made me special, I’m the only one of my kind!” Then, why do I need to fit in? Why can I not celebrate me?
When I look back to that time, I remember members of my church being unable to walk down the street without racial slurs being cast at them. Many refrained from going to work. Fear ran rampant as Canadian-born Iranians, Egyptians, Afghans, just to name a few, were treated as terrorists. Most of my readers will recall those days immediately following 
9/11. The lives of humanity that day brought out the worst for some and for others, like those in Gander, it brought out the best.
We come back again to my original thought – acceptance! In an amazing turn of events, this man Jesus, whom we serve, took His individuality and shook the world.
And for us, we have that unique opportunity to make our mark in the same way. God’s endorsement was given to you from the beginning. It is easy to blend in, to follow the crowd, not make waves. But, is that who you were meant to be? Acceptance or approval is yours – to be who God has called you to be.
Scripture has numerous passages to encourage you. We could look at 1 Corinthians 12, or Colossians 1. And most significantly we read in 1 Peter 2: 9-10 those verse we have heard often, from the Living Bible: “But you are not like that, for you have been chosen by God Himself, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own—all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. 10 Once you were less than nothing; now you are God’s own. Once you knew very little of God’s kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it.”
You never have to worry about acceptance, for you belong to the One who loves you, just as you are. You are in the shelter of His protection. You can be who you were meant to be.
ROCK ON – let nothing prevent you from shining your light to the world – don’t conform to this world, stand up and be counted! And as a gentle reminder Romans 12: 2 speaks clearly:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will really satisfy you.”
You are blessed. You are loved.
Liz Church, Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge