Coming Home from Celebrate Recovery Summit in California

Last week I attended the Celebrate Recovery Summit in Orange County, CA.

All together 3,000 people gathered to find out more about CR or to become equipped and inspired to continue to meet weekly to offer those with hurts, habits and hang ups to heal so that we can become the people God created us to become.

It was interesting. My first impression of the crowd seemed to be one of very conservative people, most looked very Christian. But, my first impression wasn't right on. As I listened to story after story from the ordinary people I met, I was blown away by the depth of pain in their lives and in the amazing transformation that had taken place as they courageously looked to Jesus and lived out Christian 12 steps.

I met one woman who had just gotten out of prison for battery against her husband. She was sent to state ordered alcohol rehab. While she was gone, her husband cleaned out their entire house, bank accounts and cars and she came home literally to nothing.

I met another woman who used to be a drug dealer that sold heroin but now leads Celebrate Recovery in Oakland, CA, one of the most dangerous places in the US.

I met one man who was two years clean from alcohol and drugs and is following Jesus for the first time. He spoke of how dramatically different his life had become when he turned around and started to follow Jesus. He made more money than he'd ever made before, he is sleeping and exercising, and feeling great.

And, so it went story after story. We heard unbelievable stories during the sessions, the kind that you just can't believe because the pain is so deep but the healing is so complete.

I am glad that Missio Lux is encouraging everyone to live a 12 step lifestyle as we follow Jesus.

The twelve steps are really much more about becoming like Jesus than doing AA or OA or NA, or one of the other A's! It's about acknowledging that our life is unmanagble and looking to Jesus to be our higher power, it's about forgiveness and taking responsibility for our decisions and then it's about giving back. It's about reaching out beyond ourselves and serving.....

Sounds like a great idea to me. When do you want to get started?