Chapel in the Woods

On Sunday, August 26 I was privileged to be the morning speaker at the Chapel in the Woods on Chandos Lake, Ontario. The chapel, just as the name suggests, is an outdoor place of worship nestled among the firs and pines beside beautiful Chandos Lake. Some sixty years ago the chapel was the vision of the late Dr. Jack Scott, former pastor of Forward Baptist Church in Toronto. It would be a gathering place for summer cottage dwellers—a place to worship God in the great outdoors. The vision has been kept alive as Bible-believing Christians, led by Dr. Scott’s son, Gil, and others, have met each summer Sunday at the site through the decades.

To worship God in such a lovely natural setting was a poignant reminder to me that there really is a fine line between the natural and the supernatural. Our God is the Creator of all, and that rang powerfully true as we observed the shimmering lake, the tall pines, the gentle breeze, the birds singing in the trees.  We joined with God’s marvelous creation as we lifted our voices too and sang, “Lord, you are more precious than silver . . . . and nothing I desire compares with you.”

A great way to wind up summer and inspire us to remain faithful to “declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3