Elgin Portland United Church Council
Sunday is Father’s Day. A special shout-out to all parents and parental figures past, present and future.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Krista Gill and Michelle Knapp. May their special days be superbly so.
The Bible Discussion Group meetings will go on hiatus for the summer. The weekly meetings will resume on September 8th & 9th. They will continue to follow their Bible reading planners throughout the summer, and we look forward to continuing lively discussions in the Fall. If you are interested in joining us or receiving a daily Bible readings planner, please contact Jim Barton- ccjimnbarton@gmail.com. All are warmly welcomed.
Elgin United Church is hosting the livestreaming of the E.O.O.R.C. 100th Anniversary Service on June 15th. The service starts at 11 so anyone wanting to watch the entire service should be at the church by then.
The Young @ Heart Breakfast Club will meet again on the 19th of June at 9 am at the Junction Restaurant. All are welcome, and if you would like to join us, let Clint or Ted know by noon on the 18th so reservations can be made………..Ted
Eastern Ontario Outaouais Region UCW – 83rd Summer Event July 25, 26, 27, 2025, is being held at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre, Cornwall, Ontario. If you want more information, please see the bulletin board.
Portland United Church will have a Baptism service for Lilyana Mustard and Ellsy Mustard (Cucheran Family) on June 15th @ 9:15, Rev. Sean Seaman. All are welcome.
June 15, 2025 – 11:00 am
The whole of our Region is invited to attend the mass celebration at the EY Centre on Ottawa. Please plan to attend this event with more than 1,500 fellow believers planning to be there.
You can participate in various ways such as joining the choir, ushering, first aid responders.
Further information can be found on the EOORC Website eoorc.anniversaryinformation@gmail.com
See you there!
Devotional Reflection
June 14, 2025
Some weeks race by. And there are moments when I must slow down, breathe deeply, and plan my next step.
But other times, I must…. Well, let me give you an example. This morning as I was about to step into the shower I saw with fresh eyes, objects that have always been there but that I took for granted. If you can picture a shower stall in most homes, you step in, pull across the shower curtain, or the glass door, turn on the water and enjoy the refreshing water cascading all around you.
Now, in my apartment, my shower is enclosed within my bathtub. And I am fortunate enough to have a cut-out portion in the tub that allows for easy in and out – a great invention.
But it is none of these things that catch my attention – it is the grab bars! As I step over the threshold, into the tub, my hand reaches out to grasp one of them. And then I turn to pull the curtain across, and there is another one. And at the end of the tub is another. It would seem that would be enough. But I have added another one, for bath time!
Here is what I want to say! These are all extremely vital for my safety. And I have a choice – to use them or not! If I am to use them, I must do so with care – making sure I have a good grip.
I noticed something else. The installer of these bars used screws that were not waterproof. So, there are trickles of rust showing through. The need to find a cleanser that removes rust might be the answer. Replacing the screws is not so simple because that affects the tiles. They may break if I remove them. I’m sure there is a solution. Just need to find it!
There are so many ways to look at this. Think about yourself and your relationship with God. You believe you have a firm hold. You glance into your life and see so many times you needed more than one ‘grab bar’. You can visualize reaching out, still having to pivot to a safer footing. And God is there – offering emotional support, healing, comfort, guidance, love, correction. The list is long. Many grab bars later, you feel safe to stand on your own for a moment, never venturing far, until you take that step on to solid ground.
But you come back to those rusty screws. How can you remedy all the missteps in your life? Is it necessary to dwell on these?
I don’t have all the solutions. But here is what I can shout about. Those ‘grab bars’ – those helping hands, those caring people, those loving individuals in my life, have given me reason to believe, to trust, to continue on. The ‘MAIN GRAB BAR’, my most integral Support, is Christ. As I step into the fray of life I must first know I am grounded. Those rusty screws in this case, are only cosmetic. Sometimes I want the world to see me as INVINCIBLE – with no cracks, or rust. That is not possible.
I live in this imperfect world, a world corrupted by sin. But in the midst of this, I can walk into the safe space of God’s love and be showered with blessings from above. Nowhere else will I be able to feel so loved, so cared for. I thank God for all this.
You are blessed and loved.
Liz Church,
Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge
From where does your support come?