Several years ago, I had a camping experience that
changed my life. It was sponsored by a
group called CFO, which stands for Camps Farthest Out. It is a nondenominational organization where
people go deeper in their walk with the Lord…literally, farther out than they
have been before. This blog gives you a
taste of what it’s all about.
The other day I thought about my first CFO camp
experience. Friends invited me for three
years, but I always said no. It was 1999
and money was tight in Davenport. I was
trying to hang onto my ‘togetherness’ when it was falling apart. A vacation sounded wonderful, even if it
meant visiting Cedar Falls, Iowa. That’s
how I said yes to CFO. Thank God for
scholarships!
All hell broke loose the week before. The transmission went on the car. A friend tried to commit suicide, so I spent
time in the hospital with her. Someone
loaned me a car so my son, Sean, and I could go. Forget the Martha Stewart approach. I threw clothes in a suitcase, grabbed the
sleeping bags, and we hit the road!
My picture of Christianity focused on Bible knowledge and
faithfulness in duty. It was important
to know the right answers for any situation.
Doing instead of being.
CFO didn’t fit that mold.
My mind worked overtime trying to figure this place out. In the midst of that struggle, people were
accepting not only me, but each other.
My spirit was soaking in the love, but my brain wanted to nail down
every jot and tittle. Intrigued, I kept
coming back.
Every time I found the same mix of ingredients: All kinds of people, an emphasis on prayer
and kingdom living, and unconditional love from Spirit led folks. And every time I went, I found myself
changing.
For several years, I struggled to explain this
experience. Finally God gave me the
right words in a letter to my brother.
“People from all different backgrounds come to CFO, but that’s not
really important. What is
important is being the Body of Christ together.
I had to drop my title as Bible expert and realize it’s not my job to
change everyone. Instead, we all focus
on Jesus and let the Holy Spirit be our teacher. For me, it’s like stepping into Jesus’ world
instead of trying to squeeze Him into a small corner of my existence. I learn to actively practice His presence all
day long.
As we focus on the Holy Spirit, the place comes alive! In prayer groups, we adore the Lord in His
beauty. We are the Body that washes His
feet with our praise and admiration for who He is. When needs come up, we find the basis of our
unity is a love He has poured into us.
We in turn pour that over the person in need.”
Are we perfect? No,
not by any means. Sometimes the needs
are great, but as we humble ourselves before God, He fills us with healing
love. We learn with others through a
practical show-and-tell way what it’s like to be children in the Kingdom. You get simple. You drop pretenses. You laugh a lot. We share intensely what God is doing in our
lives. There is no TV or radio to break
the rhythm, so we can focus on ‘Emmanuel’ – God with us – and practice what is
to be the daily tenor of our lives.
CFO is a recipe for healthy Body Life in God’s Kingdom. At a Winter Retreat, I wrote: “I feel at home
in Your Body, Lord. I haven’t always
felt at ease in my physical body, but that’s changing. Now I marvel as I watch each person ‘be’ who
You made them to be in Your presence.
It’s so rich. Thank You that in
CFO, there
really is no place like home.
(For more information
about Iowa CFO, contact me and I’ll send you a brochure. My phone number is 563-381-3980. You can also go to www.acfona.org for a list of 2012
camps and retreats in the U.S.
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