Weekly Announcements
Bible Discussions Groups
We are taking a break for the summer.
For more information contact Jim Barton at ccjimbarton@gmail.com or 613-328-4089
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MARY’S MERRY MINSTRELS
Celebrate
Music that brings us together
Fiddles, Friends, Tunes and Songs
Saturday, July 25, 7.00 p.m.
Portland United Church
10 Colborne St, Portland
Air Conditioned
Refreshments Served
Admission by Freewill Offering
Offerings to Country Roads Community Health Centre Flex fund
The Portland and Area CEC Invite you to a “Summer Community Picnic” August 3rd, at 12:00 PM. Catered by The Galley. Music by the Beverley Boys, Town Crier competition @ 11 AM. Hanna Memorial Park, 27 Water Street, Portland. Donations appreciated for “The New Playground”
Devotional Reflection July 24, 2026
With the recent forest fires across our country, I began a search of some of the trees that are being destroyed. This devotional will contain a bit of a geography lesson. But most crucial, we will see the handiwork of God that has been in place from the beginning of time, not only for nature, but for us.
Our forests, all across Canada, contain the Jack Pine. The ash from the devastating forest fires leads us to believe this will be like a graveyard landscape – charred wood and soot everywhere. The soil looks dead. But here is the amazing truth – there is a universe of microscopic resilience.
The pinecones of the Jack Pine have a secret – the seeds are sealed in resin that only the agony of flame and intense heat 
can melt the seal and release these life-giving seeds. Should you put these seeds under a microscope you would see revealed a flawless, intricate architecture. These seeds are perfectly weighted and have tiny wings to catch the wind and restart the forest.
And another significant truth. Under the ash lies the beginning of new life. Microscopic fungi and bacteria instantly begin weaving the ash to create nutrient-rich soil and bring life back into the forest. These cannot be seen by the naked eye, but the whole forest depends on them to live again.
As I was reading these facts, I was drawn to a spiritual lesson. How many times have you faced a trial in your life, and at the moment when you felt all was lost, you realize you have not been destroyed. When your life felt completely burned down, God worked in the unseen, microscopic details of your heart. He used invisible graces to stabilize your foundation, before you even knew how close He was.
This is the amazing truth – God is the Architect of our lives. When the trials of life have devastated us, God is there – activating the hidden, intricate parts of us that we did not even know existed – giving our very souls those wings we needed to fly above the circumstances, to pick up and continue. Those devasting times when you believed you could not go another step, God’s breath carried you.
There is a stunning verse of Scripture that comes to mind: Isaiah 43:2 – “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
What an astounding truth – God pre-programs our souls with gifts that remain dormant during seasons of ease. But when we need them, when the ‘fire of life’ strikes, the catalyst that lies within us, God’s Provision, comes to life. Hidden deep within us, the seeds of God’s Love begin to germinate afresh. When our lives feel completely destroyed, those microscopic details come to life – our thoughts and prayers of renewal hold together to guide us to continue the journey.
This lesson is one of joy. My Creator walks with me. And in the midst of all things, this life I have been given, has more possibilities than I can even imagine. My Spirit is rejoicing as I wonder: “What is the next surprise waiting for me?
You are blessed.
Liz Church, Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge
lizchurch1@hotmail.com
