Elgin Portland United Church
Advance notice JAN 25, 2025 our Canadian Women in Song troupe plays the Joshua Bates Centre, Athens. Get your tickets early. joshuabatescentre.com
Bible Discussion Groups
Reason to read the Bible #19: The Bible is God’s way of reasoning with us so that we may understand His purpose and how we may fit into it. Numbers 14:21 “But truly, as I [God] live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD,” Two meetings each week: Portland UC on Monday at 6:30; Elgin meeting this week will be the Elgin Community Room (next to the Post Office), Tuesday 10am. Please join us. For info contact Jim at ccjimbarton@gmail.com or 613-328-4089.
The Official Board is called to meet at 7 pm at Portland United on Sept 24th.
Elgin Portland United Church Council
Elgin United Church
Jim Rowat: Many will have received the news that Jim Rowat has passed away. We send our prayers and support to Barb, Krista, Scott , and the extended family members. May God’s Grace bring them comfort and peace. Further details can be found online at the Lannin Funeral Home in Smiths Falls.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Pat Greenhorn, may you have a superbly awesome day.
“This is a gentle reminder that the need at the local food bank is continuing to increase. The easiest way to help is by donating e-transfer to United Church of Canada-Elgin <treasurer-euc@eppc-ucc.ca>” Note it is a direct deposit.
Elgin United Church
Portland United Church
UCW Meeting October 15th at 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Portland UCW Apple Pie Sale. Please place your order before September 25th. $18.00 Call Sheila @ 613-272-3531 or Connie @ 613-220-7914, Order form is placed on the board in the Friendship room.
Portland United Church
Devotional Reflection
September 21, 2024
I had a huge reminder this week: I don’t know everything? And that realization is annoying, until it is not!
Let me tell you how it came about – the fields of canola. That’s what did me in. For a number of weeks, I have watched field after field turn into brilliant hues of buttery yellow. Canola crops everywhere are moving toward maturity.
Within another few weeks the intense yellows will fade, the seeds will be encased into pods and shortly after that, the canola crop will be ready to harvest.
For some reason, over the past seven years, since moving to this area, I failed to take notice of this magnificent miracle.
Strangely enough, the vivid yellow always caught my eye. And somewhere, in my finite mind, I pictured a jar of canola oil and this seemed a logical conclusion to come to: yellow flowers, put into a crushing press, would produce yellow oil.
Without stressing you out with details of the growing process, suffice to say, I was off the mark, way off!
In a remarkable progression, and in an impressively short time, a tiny seed flowers, and grows to maturity. It forms a pod containing green seeds, which, after another short period of time turn to yellow seeds, ready to harvest.
The leaves, stems, and especially pod surface areas, during this time, must be kept free from disease, insect and weather damage. Many factors threaten a crop before harvesting takes place.
I think I must stop there. My knowledge is shallow, at best. Yet, I cannot fail to see the correlation between this process and that of a maturing Christian.
As Christians, we go through many stages in our spiritual development. To those around us, we may be a bright light into the spiritual realm; or intent to discover how quickly we can find the answers for a spiritual dilemma we are facing. We might continue to mature, without the impulses, or choices we make doing much damage.
However, for the majority, storms come into our lives. We are battered about, broken by disappointments, grief, apathy. We are unable to notice how fragile we are – until we do. And we find ourselves burned out, disillusioned, and outright rebellious. We try to run away.
But we are still rooted! Something holds us back, or holds us up. Sustenance comes and we continue our spiritual journey.
I could write so much about this experience. Up till now, there is so much I have missed and perhaps you have too.
In order for that canola to continue to exist, the seeds must be harvested, and put through further processing.
To me, this is wildly motivating. Imagine yourself as just one pod – bigger than one seed but having numerous seeds. Can you not just picture yourself taking each of those seeds, and branching out in your spiritual life? Are you ready to explode? What is the next step for you? Where is God directing you?
Be prepared my friends. Cultivate your soul. And amazing fruit will blossom. You will have, as Scripture says: Life more abundant!
You are loved. You are blessed.
Liz Church, Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge
BE All THAT YOU CAN BE