Meandering Moose

Christ is Enough. Really?

The leadership team and board at MBC have been working at refining our vision, mission and core values these past few years. One of the results of this effort has been a reinforcement of the core values that will drive our ministry. These core values are also the basic principles that will guide our content for our mission of growing resilient, biblically rooted families. The first such principle of resilience is expressed in the term: ‘Christ-centred’.

This COVID-19 Pandemic has created the perfect opportunity for each one of us to test this principle on a personal level. There is much to say about what it means to be centred on Christ. However, today I’d like to start with asking a key question – ‘If all else abandoned me, would I to Christ faithful be?’

Currently we are in a lock-down situation that limits all group gatherings to no more than 5 people and those 5 must maintain a physical distance protocol of 2 metres (families living together excepted of course). As expected, this has put severe restrictions on any church gatherings. Most churches are now meeting ‘online’ through video conferencing and teaching is delivered via live webcasts. The sense of community and togetherness is a mainstay value of church. Now that has been ripped away from us in just a few short weeks. Add to this the uncertainty of how long this lock-down will last and we are left with a sense of loss and grief.

The Church is meant to gather together! How often have we cited Hebrews 10:25 – ‘not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.’

While I don’t at all dismiss the importance of meeting together, I do think that this lock-down is providing an opportunity to evaluate our relationship with Jesus Christ. I’ve long had the concern that many who frequent our church gatherings do so out of a desire for community, and their relationship with Christ is at best a distant secondary pursuit. Dare I say that church can often become our manifestation of a ‘social club’.

Now we have a situation where the ‘community’ has been pulled out from beneath us and all I have left is Jesus and me. Alone. Together.

Pastors and other ministry leaders also are struggling. They miss connecting in person with their people. And this is good and right. But some are struggling for different reasons. They need the accolade and affirmation of the audience. Now the audience is virtual and the feedback is much more ambiguous, less tangible. Ugh.

I think of how alone Paul must have felt as he penned these words found in 2 Timothy 4:16-17.

‘At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.’

He was alone, save Christ stood by him. Christ was enough for him.

We are now living in a season where our claim to sing or preach or serve before an audience of One is being tested. We are being held accountable to the lyrics we have sung so many times – ‘Christ is Enough for Me’.

Will Christ be enough for you during this COVID-19 Pandemic? Will you heed the call and take the opportunity to seek His face during this season?

You have said, “Seek my face.”

My heart says to you,

“Your face, Lord, do I seek.” (Psalms 27:8)

I know many, even in the midst of grieving the loss of corporate group gatherings, will seek the face of their Saviour and LORD during this time and enjoy rich and personal fellowship with the One whom we call our Redeemer. I know that when we meet again the meeting will be that much the sweeter for it.

Others will flounder. They will lament the community they have lost and seek to find solace in other experiences. They will drift from any sense of fellowship with Christ and their loss will be great as a result.

May I encourage you these days to earnestly seek to invest in your personal relationship with Jesus. I know that He rewards those who seek Him. Don’t lose heart, press on.

One of the things that has helped me regain a focus on this relationship has been some of the music presented by Fernando Ortega. God has gifted him with a sense of adoration of Christ and his music is an amazing blessing in drawing my mind to comforting thoughts and reminders of who Christ is. I highly recommend his song – ‘Give me Jesus’ if you need a kick-start.

I also recommend just taking time to read through the Psalms and then the epistle of Colossians. Don’t pressure yourself to engage in an in-depth study but rather let His Spirit give you a sense of Christ as you read.

For pastors and ministry leaders – I encourage you also to take this time, not to try to live up to the pressure of being the ‘crisis leader’ but rather to invest in your personal journey with Christ.

One of the reasons I value the devotional ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ is that Oswald Chambers consistently reminds his students of the need to press into their relationship with God above all else.

A quote from the January 6 entry gives an example of this:

“The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him.”

And another from April 13:

“Many servants set out to serve God with great courage and with the right motives. But with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, they are soon defeated. They do not know what to do with their burden, and it produces weariness in their lives.“

Much more could be said about ‘Christ-centredness’. Let it suffice that the start of living out this principle is the pursuit of an intimate walk with Him.

So – press hard into your walk with Christ and your weariness will turn to the love, joy and peace that is befitting a servant of the King.

Your fellow sojourner,

John Friesen

CEO, Muskoka Bible Centre / Muskoka Bible Foundation

We Are Sailing Without a Map

As you know, this is a difficult time in Canada and the world. How many times have you heard the term “unprecented“? It’s a new normal for sure. Hard decisions must be made in the face of the greatest challenge that our world has faced in our lifetimes in dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The path forward is full of unknowns. The path forward is not even a trail that we can see. Robert Frost’s poem says:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

We are now traveling on the third road, the one that does not exist and there is no map to help us navigate. It is times like this that will define us as a board, staff, and camp community. How we respond to this challenge will be remembered. YoYoJoe

These are uncharted waters and we are all sailing without a map. Now is not the time for an authoritative pronouncement from the keyboard warrior class. Now is not the time to judge and condemn our neighbours. Now is the time for study, reflection, dialogue, decision and mercy. Paul Carter

In times like these we need to draw back close to God and rely on him. We ask that you would pray with us that we would have wisdom in our decision making as we look ahead to the summer. If we can, we do plan to run camp this summer. We’re not yet sure what restrictions may be placed on us. It looks like Ontario is beginning to get to the top of the peak, so pray too that we would be able to be open this summer. Pray for our MBC leadership team and the MBC board as some hard decisions need to be made.

Please with and for us and let us know if we can pray for you.

Happy Siblings’ Day

Last Friday, April 10, 2020 was Good Friday. It was also National Siblings Day. I missed many of the posts, as I hit social media later in the day and didn’t get a post done. It also caused me to ponder, what do I publish for siblings day. Hence you’re getting a blog about it.

This first picture is with my three brothers. (Who says you have to be normal at a wedding. Maybe this IS our normal.) We tend to ham it up when we’re together, often because it drives our mom crazy. Plus it’s a lot of fun. I grew up with these men. We lived in Mississauga and north Burlington. Went to cubs, scouts and venturers. Family trailer camping across the country, playing cowboys and Indians in the hydro field. Skied at Glen Eden, explored caves, climbed cliffs and so many other activities. I love you guys!

The second picture is of Jill Gardener, Sam Efford and my birth mom Elizabeth from my Osmond family. You see, I’m adopted. These are my birth siblings! At Christmas this year I gained two more siblings and now have more than Elaine does. It’s a longer story, but Nicole reached out to Sam and in her typical fashion, simply said, “I think my dad is your brother.” It has been quite a surreal journey these past few months. Our mom was Elizabeth Madge Osmond. While we have yet to meet in person, we have emailed, shared calls, and of course DNA! There is a serious resemblance with me and the Osmond family for me. I have never looked like anyone else before this. And, SO many of the Osmond men have beards. Huh.

Then there are friends who have become family. Elaine and I hang out regularly with four other couples (Paynes, Callejas, Potts and Greenleafs). For a long time, all of us had only girls and we have father daughter fishing and camping trips. Imagine 14 girls and four dads… Our group still does do a yearly camping trip to Mikisew Provincial Park.

One friend, Shea, is like my brother from another mother. Elaine and Ruth (Shea’s wife) say we are so much alike it’s scary. He is also adopted, so you never know. I could call any of these friends and they would come. Just like family!!

Let your family know you love them. Don’t wait for the next siblings day, or Mother’s day or Father’s day or Grandparents day or even their birthday. Do it today. Do it often.

Good Friday 2020

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to death.

At the time crucifixion was the “worst” death of all. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful and horrifying for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.

Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrists. Not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There’s a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could even breathe.

Both of His feet were nailed together. Meaning He was forced to support his entire body weight on that single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the intense excruciating pain, forcing him to alternate between arching His back and then using his legs just to be able to breathe deeply painful breaths. Imagine the struggle, the immense pain, the total suffering, and the courage and love.

Jesus endured this hellish nightmare for over 3 hours.

Yes, 3 long hours. Can you even imagine that kind of suffering? A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding. Only water was pouring from His wounds.

From common images we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His side. But do we realize His wounds were actually made in his body. A hammer driving large spikes through the wrists, the feet overlapped and an even larger spike hammered through the arches. A Roman guard piercing right through His side with a spear. But even before the nails and the spear Jesus was whipped and beaten and tortured. The whipping was so severe that it tore chunks of flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that his face was a bloody pulp and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns pushed deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have even survived this extreme torture.

But He wasn’t most men.

He had no more blood to even bleed, only water poured from His wounds. The human adult body contains about 5.5 liters (about 1.5 gallons) of blood.

Jesus poured out all 5.5 liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered into His body; a crown of thorns digging deep in His head, and the spear driven into his side and then his chest.

All this without even mentioning the utter humiliation and torture He suffered after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd slapped and spat in his face and threw stones at him, (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight (70 pounds) only on its higher part where His hands were to be nailed).

And after all this he still yelled out.. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Jesus had to endure all of this to open the gates of Heaven, so that you could be forgiven and set free.

Your sins literally “washed” away. All of them, with no exception! Don’t ignore this free gift.

JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU because you are someone worth dying for.

He died for you! So you could be free from sin and addiction and hell. He has a purpose and a plan for your life.
All you need to do is simply believe in Him and ask him to come into your heart and save you, and set you free from sin and give you a brand new life. He will give you a peace and joy that the world cannot give. Do it now and be set free in Jesus name.

He said in (Matthew 10:32-33): “Therefore, whoever recognizes me before others, I will recognize him before my father in heaven; but the one who denies me before others, I will deny before my father in heaven.”

The People Who Have Loved Us Into Being

Last weekend Elaine and I watched, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood“. A story about Mr. Rogers. After watching the movie, I found myself thinking of him with a very different perspective. He is a deep and thoughtful man, gentle and empathetic. The movie covered forgiveness, kindness, love, making an impact on the world, and even death.

In the movie, Mister Rogers, played by Tom Hanks, asks his lunch companion to join him in a minute of silence to think about the people “who have loved us into being.” The conversation in the whole Chinese restaurant dies down, silverware ceases to clink, people stop and focus. And, I believe take their own minute of silence.

From Mr. Rogers’ 2002 Commencement Address at Dartmouth College.

I’d like to give you all an invisible gift. A gift of a silent minute to think about those who have helped you become who you are today. Some of them may be here right now. Some may be far away. Some, like my astronomy professor, may even be in heaven. But wherever they are, if they’ve loved you, and encouraged you, and wanted what was best in life for you, they’re right inside your self. And I feel that you deserve quiet time, on this special occasion, to devote some thought to them. So, let’s just take a minute, in honor of those that have cared about us all along the way. One silent minute…

Whomever you’ve been thinking about, imagine how grateful they must be, that during your silent times, you remember how important they are to you. It’s not the honors and the prizes, and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It’s the knowing that we can be trusted. That we never have to fear the truth. That the bedrock of our lives, from which we make our choices, is very good stuff.

Here are some great quotes from the movie:

“Do you know what forgiveness means? It’s a decision we make to release a person from the feelings of anger we have against them.”
“It’s funny. Sometimes it’s hardest to forgive the ones we love.”
“Sometimes we get to change a broken world with our words.”
“Just take a minute and think about all the people who loved us into being.”
“There’s always something you can do with the mad you feel.”
“Children need to know that even when adults make plans, sometimes they don’t turn out as they hoped.”
[When talking about his show] “We are trying to give children positive ways to deal with their feelings.”
[About death] “To die is to be human and anything human is mentionable. Anything mentionable is manageable.”
“Sometimes we have to ask for help, and that’s okay.”
“I like you just the way you are.”

Rogers was a Presbyterian minister whose ministry knew no bounds. He lived out his beliefs in front of the world and worked very hard to be the man he was that we saw on TV.

We can all try to be a little bit more like Fred Rogers!

Is Prayer Your Steering Wheel or Your Spare Tire?

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?

This quote from Corrie Ten Boom was the opening question at one of our small group meetings (thanks Lisa). We all paused! And in the quiet we had time to think and reflect.

My hesitant answer was yes?!. It sounded a little uncertain, even to me. For me, I think it depends on the situation. Is prayer your first attempt (steering wheel) or your last-ditched effort (spare tire)?

As a spare tire, prayer is saved for crisis situations or when you think you have something REALLY BIG you need God for; those crises can be health, relationship, work, and family, financial, spiritual or emotional issues. You’re not even sure how to pray and find yourself struggling when you need prayer. There are times when we treat prayer as a last resort. Nothing else has worked, so I guess we should pray!!

The steering wheel is needed every moment that you’re in the car. It’s what drives our life. In this case prayer is central to opening ourselves to receive God’s help and direction. Does your prayer life guide you in every facet of your life? Is it something you have your hands on every waking moment of the day?

How do you answer that question?

Why did you choose your answer?
When do you pray, morning or evening? Why? For how long?
Do you pray just before meals?
How about praying without ceasing? 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Prayer should not be your spare tire, but it must be your steering wheel. Because…

Prayer protects us.
Prayer changes things, including us.
Prayer keeps you in the will of God.
Prayer draws you closer to God.
Prayer makes you happy.
Prayer gives hope.
Prayer makes you less selfish.
Prayer heals you from all pain.
Prayer makes you stronger spiritually.

F.B. Meyer said, “The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.”

What are we doing about COVID-19?

People are concerned about Coronavirus, (COVID-19), and so are we. We take the safety and health of our campers and staff into account as we plan the summer season and beyond, knowing that campers are entrusted to us for a short time.

By now you will be aware that the COVID-19 situation has been given global pandemic status by the World Health Organization. And that on Tuesday, March 17th, the Ontario government called for a state of emergency limiting groups gathering to less than 50 people.

MBC/Widji have implemented a facility shut down (other than essential services) effective immediately and running until April 24th. Many full time staff [including Moose & Heyoo (at right)] are working from home in isolation as requested by our government. In the midst of all that, we continue to hire staff for spring and summer. We continue to make plans for the summer. We are excited for the ministry opportunities we will have this summer.

We anticipate that we will be able to move ahead with spring and summer plans after the end of April. Our goal is to normalize at Widji as soon as possible. During this time we will be constantly monitoring the situation and provide any updates as needed.

You can read our full public statement on the MBC website at www.muskokabible.com/files/6215/8446/0564/MBC_Public_Notice_Update_March_16.pdf.

We are carefully monitoring the progress of this outbreak with Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). That said we want to be prepared, and have policies that apply to cases such as these. More info is available from the PHAC here. We know you understand these are unprecedented times. We will keep you updated as we know more about our plans to reopen. Watch the Widji website and social media for updates.

Prevention when summer comes

As general practice, we have procedures for prevention and cleanliness at camp. Some practices include:

Opening day screening – we are asking questions about travel and symptoms to help better care for our campers and staff. If your camper is feeling unwell, please consider shifting to another week at camp, when they’re feeling better.
Daily Cabin Cleaning – rewards are involved and we incentivize cleanliness around camp
Hand Washing is part of our routine. Before and after meals, activities and other times of the day
This summer we plan to make hand sanitizer readily available for every cabin and gathering places
Cabins are sanitized at the end of every week including bunks and contact surfaces

We can all do our part to stop, contain, and avoid the spread of this virus. Every person has the capacity to
contribute by protecting ourselves and our community.

You Are Here for a Purpose!

What on earth am I here for?

Rick Warren inside the dust cover of The Purpose Driven Life says, “You are not an accident. Even before the universe was created , God had you in mind and he planned you for His purposes. These purposes will extend far beyond the few years you will spend on earth. You were made to last forever! Self-help books often suggest that you try to discover the meaning and purpose of you life by looking within yourself, but that is the wrong place. to start. You must begin with God, your Creator, and His reasons for creating you. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.”

“It’s message is that every person has dignity because they are made in the image of God means that every life has a purpose. God has a special calling for everyone. Yes, there have been many other books that make this same point. But Warren pressed home the point again and again in almost every chapter. In a world where so many feel their lives are filled with meaninglessness, insignificance, and uncertainly, his message that each person’s work and life has unique value struck a chord.” (Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington).

Consider the following verses:

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
John 17:4, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.“

What did God put us here on the earth to accomplish. Of course it has to be something for His Kingdom purposes. How amazing is it that God has a plan for your life? You can discover My Mission in my blog is to develop students to become the next generation of Christian leaders.

Interested in more? Listen to a great sermon, Purpose by Paul McIlwraith from North Park Church in London, Ontario from March 1, 2020.

Spiritual Fathers

If you grew up in a Christian family and your dad was a good spiritual father/mentor to you; please don’t take that for granted. Not all of us had that opportunity/privilege. Sometimes we have to reach, seek and find those men to be our spiritual fathers.

Before I move on, please understand that my dad is an amazing man, I love him very much and his wisdom and knowledge of SO many things has been a great benefit to me as a child, teen and adult.

Recently on my way home from a camp fair I stopped to see a man I consider to be one of my spiritual fathers. He showed me how to teach and live the out Gospel in front of people! He lived it and expected us top live it as well. Plus work hard, get up really early (the horses ate before we did), eat well, drive a team of horses and wagon, play well and much more. He had such an influence in the way I now lead at camp, including how I do devotions with my staff. Straight from the Word! To discover what the Bible says vs man’s opinion.

He has been a leader, coach, example and mentor to me and many others who came after me. He is generous with his time. I like that he took the time for everyone and was interested in what genuinely makes them tick. He shared his faith openly and his journey with God and it is an encouragement. I thank you for your steadfastness and humility. He has a demonstrated strength and love for God, His ministry and His people and a passion to serve.

His leadership, wisdom and practical strength have impacted countless campers and staff who have attended Rocky Ridge Ranch, friends and colleagues for many years. He entrusted me with great responsibility and I now lead the next generation of Christian leaders in a similar way.

I trust that he looks back and sees the amazing accomplishments and impact that he has had and the faithfulness of our God. Know that I for one am very grateful!

I wondered on my way home, was it more meaningful for him that I came, or for me that I went… I believe we both won for the visit!!

The Fun Doesn’t Stop after 5:00 pm!

Of course, the fun doesn’t stop after 5:00 pm! Dinner is at 5:30 and it is often a themed meal like Twin Night, funny dress up, one utensil, and Friday is NOPA! Then we have chapel, Tuck Shop and evening programs.

Let’s start with dinner. We are revamping the menu this year but past meal ideas have included Sub Sunday, taco Tuesday, pizza, pasta, BBQ night and roast chicken (as a sample of our dinner menus). Plus lots of fixings and desserts!!
Twins – campers and staff try to look like each other by dressing and accessorizing the same.
Monk – this meal starts out quiet as everyone tries not to make any noise or say anything. It’s really a challenge to make it work. It’s amazing how loud the juice machine sounds when there is very little other sound in the Longhouse. The first one to talk does the dishes for the table.
Theme – a dress up meal specific to the weekly theme. Campers and staff put on all they have to become a character relating to the theme.
Backwards – you dress with your clothes on backwards, walk into the Longhouse backwards, eat dessert first then your main meal. You can also give thanks at the end of the meal and walk out backwards of course. Campers still have to clean their table at the end of the meal time.
Mystery Utensil – using any old kitchen cooking utensil available. Campers draw out of a bus bin as they enter the Longhouse. You could end up with a spatula, egg beater, tongs or something stranger. A pasta meal is one of the funniest to watch for this one.
NOPA– each Friday night at dinner for Blast and Sizzle we dress up and have a nice dinner together. Almost everyone dresses up in something nice. We’ve even had a few tuxes.
Plus our meal time freeze game, mail call, and cheering for everything!!

Evening Programs

Chapel – Each week a different pastor is invited to teach at camp chapels. They are also available for the campers and staff to talk with and seek counsel from. Our camp pastors are quite involved at camp taking their meals here and being involved in program. Chapel times at Widjiitiwin are a long standing tradition. As a Christian summer camp, we feel it is important to teach campers about God and to have them experience a worship service. We have contemporary music and the songs vary depending on the age group at camp.

Field Games like dodge ball, Widjiitiwin basketball, cabin leader hunt, phobias, 4 corner soccer, slaughter, chaos, poco pack, circle dodge ball, mission impossible/Bible smugglers, huckle buckle, capture the flag and more…

Tuck Shop is open – campers (and staff) line up to get their evening snack at the Tuck Shop. They get to choose from a variety of items.

Evening Programs

Guys/Girls Nights – On Monday nights the camp is divided into guys and girls and the staff run a special night activity for them. There are lots of options for them to choose from or they can make up their own event. Some programs include a trip to Widji Island, Ninja night, bigger and better, dance party, floor hockey, campfire, tribal night, 007 night, relay races, “break into” the Tuck shop or kitchen adventure, sock wars or pageant night to crown Miss Widjiitiwin. I will leave it to you figure out which ones are the guy’s verses girl’s activities.
Battle of the Ends – where the boys and girls compete to show each other what they are worth. The night kicks off with cheers, (theme related usually) and the two ends have time to make up a cheer, they can also dress up accordingly and make up a dance (for extra points of course!).
Campfires are a big part of our program and we do two per week. On Wednesday night we do one for fun. This is the night that our day campers have the option to stay over. On Friday night we do a serious campfire with testimonies and worship. One of our favourite campfire traditions is an Elijah Fire.
Fruit Social – Each week we have a Fruit Social. After chapel the kitchen staff lays out large trays of fruit for Sunday night snack. While that happens the campers and staff go down to their cabins to get “ready”. The sound guys and program staff set up the lights and get the speakers humming because pretty soon there will be lots of music and plenty of fun for campers and staff. It’s a little like grade eight dances, at least when I was younger. You know when almost no one is out at the beginning and then they all dance. Usually there is a group of energetic staff that get it all going. Meanwhile “back porch” activities are setup for campers who want a quieter activity with games and artwork.
Mortal Combat – This event is for Sizzle only. It’s a rite of passage like the tubing and off-site trips that are just for Sizzle. Mortal Combat is a massive pillow fight competition that comes down to the last person to triumph over all comers. It happens late at night and is a long standing tradition at camp. Legends have been made by their standing or achievements in Mortal Combat. Everyone starts out at the beginning and are eliminated round by round until one champion emerges and is crowned the winner in a special location that varies each night.