Elgin Portland United Church Council
Happy Birthday Karen Pyne. Sending you wishes for a totally awesome, special day.
County Road 44, Saturday, August 23rd, 2025 @ 7:30 p.m., Portland United Church. This is a Fundraiser for the Portland Foodbank. A free-will offering will be received. Refreshments will be served.
Mary’s Merry Minstrels, Saturday, September 27th, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m., Portland United Church. This is a Fundraiser for the Portland Foodbank. A free-will offering will be received. Refreshments will be served.
PUC: Your 100th Anniversary Books are in. Please see Duncan or Annette. $10.00 per book.
Devotional Reflection
August 2, 2025
As you heard me mention many times, this summer is a busy one. Working at the restaurant, I have come to realize so much about myself.
I have little patience for sloppy work. As my mother always said: ‘If you are going to do it, it is worth doing right!’ And I can add her final words to that saying: ‘The first time!’
Another thing I’ve learned – I can accomplish a lot more when it is quiet. The hustle and bustle of the workplace during regular business hours causes my adrenaline to explode and I become anxious, wanting everything to flow smoothly.
In the moments of work, I have also discovered something much more vital – I hear God in many places.
As I wash the many heads of romaine lettuce each day, I think about the cleansing of my spirit. Impurities that may be lingering around me, clinging to me, are washed away as I pray for renewal and guidance. The spray from the water bounces on my face and a smile breaks forth. I giggle as water drops on my cheeks bring the coolness and I am refreshed.
As I cut into a medley of varying colours of sweet peppers, I look at them and recognize how our differences make us stronger. Our colour, our speech, our thoughts, our age differences – just as different colour peppers add to a salad, so our subtle differences give us a better taste of the life we have before us – not always recognizable, but still there, lingering close to us as we walk our path in life.
There are times when the heat of the day and the ovens in the kitchen may cause our irritability to be close to the surface. The quick sizzle of fries as they are plunged into the hot oil reminds me of how quickly God hears my prayers. There is no waiting – He is just there, ready! No need to explode, no need to lose my cool. Just remember that we are all working together to keep a well-run kitchen.
I have always thought of myself as pretty ‘cool’ – not much flusters me! I now realize that this simply is not true. Just below the surface can be irritation and displeasure. Many of my workmates are unaware as they push through their list of chores. And I long for a moment of God’s sprinkling water to calm me.
And when I feel the calm, it is because I allow God to be my guide – making sure there is just enough spice to make my day the best.
Our spiritual lives are sprinkled with blessings, and they are easy to count.
But our spiritual lives have moments when things go awry. Too much pepper on our tongues can cause our words to be harsh. And our attitude may leave a sour taste in another person’s mouth – hard to swallow when they understand that I am God’s representative and yet my actions say otherwise.
O that every day, as I live out my life in the face of others, may I constantly come back to these thoughts of being cleansed, of being part of a team, of having just enough spice, but no burning words, knowing the springs of clear, refreshing water are within me.
You are blessed and loved.
Liz Church, Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge
