Elgin Portland United Church Council
Announcements
Happy Birthday to Brian Blowes, Rev. Takouhi, Wayne Kerr and Georgina Campbell. May they each enjoy their special day in their own special way.
Henry Reinders, the Ontario Regional Director of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, is speaking at Elgin United at 11 AM, November 23rd. We invite you to join us to hear about the important issue of food security and hunger in our world, and what we can do to help. Please share this invitation with others that you feel might be interested. Light refreshments will be available.
Get a head start on your Christmas shopping or just pamper yourself (you’re worth it!). The Elgin United Church 6th annual on-line auction is gearing up. The auction runs on the Elgin United Church Facebook channel from November 26th to December 3rd, and pickup will be Saturday December 6th. Details of pick up will be given to the successful bidders. Proceeds are being shared with the Elgin Food Bank. Donations of NEW items will be received until Sunday November 22nd.
The Young @ Heart Breakfast Club meets next week on Thursday, the 20th of November, at 9 am at the Junction Restaurant. If you are coming, and I hope you do, let Clint or Ted know by whatever means you are comfortable with by Wednesday noon, the 19th, so we can reserve a spot for us. ….Ted
Bible Discussion Groups- Monday evening at Portland UC at 6:30 – 7:45 and Tuesday mornings at Guthrie House in Elgin (10 Perth St.) at 10:00-11:30. All are welcome to join in the friendly discussions and fellowship. For more information, contact Jim Barton at ccjimbarton@gmail.com or 613-329-4089.
Mill Bay Court crafters are having a Craft & Bake Sale on Saturday, November 22nd, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Portland Community Hall, 24 Water Street
Elgin Build a Mountain of Food will take place on Saturday, November 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. So many are struggling to put food on the table this year, and this annual event is essential for collecting supplies for the Christmas hampers and filling the shelves at the Foodbank. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!! If you can help out for a shift, please contact Sue Crump at church@bethelelgin.com
Portland Build a Mountain of Food will take place on Saturday, December 6th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Portland LCBO and RBC.
Free Art Classes in the Portland Village – 6-12 yrs. Monday 4:30-6:15 at the Portland Restaurant & Pizzeria.
Visual Art Teacher – Darlene, call to book your spot 905-801-5060.
| YOU ARE INVITED |
Thought Post Remembrance Day
The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Where were you Tuesday? Did you attend a special service at church, gather at a cenotaph service, watch the national broadcast from Parliament Hill, or respectfully pause from your activities for a moment of silence? I was blessed to be leading a Service, very humbling.
Remembrance Day is not just a ceremonial nod to history—its relevance today is profound. In a world still grappling with conflict, injustice, and division, Remembrance Day serves as a moral anchor. It reminds us of the cost of peace, the fragility of freedom, and the courage it takes to defend both. It is a living testament to the values we hold dear and the future we aspire to build. It is a day of looking back and a day of shaping the moral compass of tomorrow. Remembrance Day is a call to vigilance, to ensure that the freedoms we enjoy are never taken for granted and are never left undefended. The Canadian Forces is not the Department of War!
Our soldiers fought, not for personal gain, but for the preservation of innocence, for the defense of those who could not defend themselves and for the protection of the innocent, the vulnerable, and the honorable.
Remembrance Day invites us to confront uncomfortable truths. It challenges us to examine not only the external causes of war but also the internal struggles—the pride, greed, and hatred—that reside within each of us. Remembrance Day asks us to reflect on the human condition, on the capacity for both good and evil that exists in every heart. It is a moment to recommit ourselves to peace—not just as a geopolitical goal but as a personal discipline.
Viewing the world through a spiritual lens, the sacrifices made on the battlefield echo the ultimate sacrifice made on the cross. Just as soldiers lay down their lives for others, so too did Christ lay down His life for humanity. Our efforts at justice and compassion, however noble, are but reflections of this divine act. They are imperfect glimpses of a greater truth—that real innocence and worth are not earned through battle but bestowed through grace. Remembrance Day, then, is not only a civic observance but a sacred reminder of the cost of redemption and the power of sacrificial love.
There is nothing glorious about war. It is brutal, chaotic, and dehumanizing. On Remembrance Day, we remember those who faced these horrors with courage. Their legacy is not found in medals or monuments but in the freedoms we enjoy, the rights we exercise, and the lives we lead. Remembrance Day is not passive. It challenges us to live lives worthy of the sacrifices made. It also calls us to support our veterans, honour the fallen, and care for the living.
In a world often divided by politics, ideology, and identity, Remembrance Day offers a rare moment of unity, bringing together people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and generations in shared reflection and reminding us that the values we hold in common—freedom, dignity, peace—are worth defending together. We remember the cost of peace and the price of freedom, and we commit to living lives of purpose, to building a nation of compassion, and to ensuring that the sacrifices of the past are never in vain.
Let us remember. Let us never forget. We Shall Remember Them.
With God’s Grace may it be so.
Devotional Reflection
November 8, 2025
Every year at about this time, there is a peculiar odor in the air. And it always takes me a minute to recognize it. This year, it came as a surprise to me since I did nothing to bring it on.
It was my son’s doing. With the changing of the weather, the apartment cooled down to an uncomfortable level. I would not normally notice that, since I rarely wear winter clothing of any type!
As I emerged from the bathroom, there it was. That unusual smell. And for just a moment, I thought I might hear the fire alarm. But then I got it. My son had turned on the heat! And the dust bunnies were trying to scurry out of the floor registers!
Yes, folks, there was dust accumulated in my heating registers!
Of course, the smell dissipated pretty quickly. But it was just one more reminder that winter is coming. And a bigger reminder that I need to do some house cleaning!! I wonder what other areas need a good sweeping and more than a ‘lick and a promise’, guaranteed.
With housecleaning further ahead than expected, I can finally relax and enjoy the upcoming cooler weather (in the coziness of my apartment).
Needless to say, there are many spiritual lessons learned from this tiny experience. My thoughts focus on the accumulated dust. How did it accumulate so fast? And I remind myself – it has been months since I vacuumed those heating vents. And the correlation becomes obvious. How quickly our spiritual lives can get out of sync. We skip a day of praise because we said our prayers yesterday. We fail to read God’s Word because we attended church this week and got some good thoughts from those spiritual lessons.
A day goes by, and then another, and another. Before long, a whole week has passed and we did not even pick up our devotional book. It’s on the bedside table, ready for nighttime.
And then I start to consider and wonder if there are other corners of ‘my house’, me personally, that have been neglected.
Time is such a precious commodity and a day can pass so quickly. Have I forgotten to call someone and let them know I thought about them and prayed for them. Was there an opportunity to care?
But here is another thought for you – while I am contemplating all these things, I am sorting through the accumulation of dust – sweeping clean the corners, brushing away the cobwebs. The strong pungent odors of cleaning are dissipating and I am ready to add that sweet fragrance of God’s love.
And I tell you folks, before another day has passed, there will be another cobweb to swipe at and more grime to clean up. But keep up the great work! You are a shining light! And as the old saying goes: Pick up, spruce up, it’s all up to you! (And God!)
You are blessed and loved!
Liz Church, Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge