Higher, higher… higher! Zacchaeus did what he had to do to get a glimpse of the Holy One. The wise man’s house is still standing up on that rock. When we set out to scale the heights, the Lord will lift us up when we let go, let God, and trust that all is well. At CFO, we go further out… and higher up in the love of God!
Marcia Brown, one of the first leaders in CFO, often shared a “chalk talk” during which she would talk about and draw her experience of going higher up in the Kingdom at Minnesota Koronis CFO. Many around the world heard this talk, and now others can read it here. This is the text of her talk as given in 1998 at the CFOI Annual Meeting in Pueblo, Colorado, USA.
CFO at Lake Koronis: A “Chalk Talk” by Marcia Brown
The very first Camp Farthest Out was held on the shore of Lake Koronis Assembly Grounds, Paynesville, Minnesota, USA, in 1930.
There is an interesting legend about Lake Koronis. There was an Indian princess named Koronis. Her lover went off to war and did not come back. She made her way down to the shore, crossed the lake to the island, climbed up to the top level and jumped into the lake relinquishing her life. If you rise early in the morning, you will see mist rising from the water. The legend says it is the soul of the princess mingling with the soul of her lover.
My family and I attended the Koronis CFO for many of the early years. One afternoon during the early years of the camp, we would climb into rowboats and go over to the island for three different experiences.
The island had three distinct levels; one near the water, another halfway to the top of the island, and the third on the very top of the island. Numbers sometimes have symbolic meaning to them. For example, number one can refer to things physical, number two to things mental, and number three to things spiritual.
On level number one, we would enjoy a delightful picnic. The food was delicious. The fellowship was so loving. It was a real feast!
Then we would climb up the rocky path to the mental level. The adults and children would sit down on the grass. We would be listeners. The older young people would be in charge of the session. They were participators. They shared what the camp experience was meaning to them. They also shared their joyful determination to live the life Jesus makes possible. What a feast for the minds and hearts of the listeners!
Then we would all climb up to the third level – the spiritual level. We would have a wonderful song period. Then Glenn Clark would give a talk leading up to a World Prayer Broadcast. By this time the sky would be full of sunset colors. It was a joy to pray for the world beyond the horizon. Another feast! A feast for the soul!
The island experience would close with a chorus of the song, Higher Ground.
Lord lift me up and let me stand,
By faith on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on Higher Ground.
We would then pick our way down the rocky paths in the dusk to the water, climb into the boats and head for camp – transformed people. Thank you, Lord!
“Here we climb a mountain and get still together and secure a true perspective of things. We adventure on a voyage of discovery to find the wholeness of the spiritual life.” – Glenn Clark
