Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

So, my wife is out running an errand or two on this particular evening. It is my job to successfully wind down the day of our active four year old little, Harley.

After "just one more game" of Barbie and The Twelve Princesses, one final trip to go "potty", a piece of turkey (random), a drink of water, we settle into her little twin bed for book time and prayer time.

Prayer time seemed to go as usual, full of thanks, reminding ourselves just how good our God is, asking for "sweet dreams".

Book time took on a fun change, Harley wanted to read to me. She made her way to the bookshelf in her room, perused its contents and selected for us "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"

You see Harley cannot read. After a year of preschool she is well on her way, but for now she simply cannot read. Yet she has been "reading" this one book in particular for well over a year now. We all know she is reciting the words of this book. She has taken them to memory.

Or so we thought.

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? I see a red bird looking at me. (page 1)
Red Bird, Red Bird, What do you see? I see a yellow duck looking at me. (page 2)
Yellow Duck, Yellow Duck, What do you see? I see a blue horse looking at me. (page 3)
Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see? I see a green frog looking at me. (page 4)
Green Frog, Green Frog, What do you see? I see a purple cat looking at me. (page 5)
Purple Cat, Purple Cat, What do you see? I see a white dog looking at me. (page 6)
White Dog, White Dog, What do you see? I see a black sheep looking at me. (page 7)
Black Sheep, Black Sheep, What do you see? I see a goldfish looking at me. (page 8)
Goldfish, Goldfish, What do you see? I see a teacher looking at me. (page 9)
Teacher, Teacher, What do you see? I see children looking at me." (page 10)

Harley had realized that if she looked ahead to the picture on the next page, she would receive a queue, a prompt as to what the current page said. It was a series of prompt and queues, hints and clues. It wasn't until midway through the first of two readings that I noticed she would sneak a peak at the next page to receive her queue.

I laughed. Then I understood.

We must look into the future to understand the present.

We must look there to understand here.

We must contemplate then to understand now.

Life is a journey. Not to be achieved, but to be received. Not to be advanced, but to be embraced. And along this journey, we ask questions. I've quit looking for answers all the time.
I've started asking better questions.

As I realize I don't have it all pegged, nailed down, neat and tidy, that when I look to the next page, to the future for a prompt and a queue that the present becomes increasingly clear.

There is not a specific point or place of destination, but rather a horizon. I'm learning to move toward a horizon. I'm learning to quit asking, "Where are we headed?" AND started asking of myself, "What am I hoping for?"

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

Friends, Friends, What do you see?

Church, Church, What do you see?

Sundaes On Sunday.

Hey.

This past Sunday, Mars Hill moved our Kamp's Gathering to the south and west just a bit to the neighborhood in and around NW 9th & McKinley for SUNDAES ON SUNDAY. This neighborhood contains individuals and families that have been largely marginalized by society and forgotten by the church.

Ice-cream sundaes were built in 32oz cups. Kids were eating sundaes that were larger than their faces. It was wonderful to see families coming out in droves for an opportunity to share life, laughs and brain freezes together. You can read more about Sundaes on Sunday at
http://5and2fish.com/2007/05/29/can-you-have-church-if-there-was-no-service/ and http://ronstale.blogspot.com/2007/05/sweet-success.html.

The church swallowed a big fat dose of "white flight" a couple of decades ago. It's amazing to watch college age students and twenty-someones (they're not somethings) move back to the center of our cities to live among the poor and in many cases sell everything and follow Him. There is a young man at Mars Hill who will most likely quit his job, sell his stuff in order to follow the person of Jesus into the most church-forsaken places in our city. It's amazing to watch young families even in our community consider what it looks to move into more urban areas of OKC.

On a somewhat random note, everybody should check out Shane Claiborne's book, "Irresistible Revolution". http://www.amazon.com/Irresistible-Revolution-Living-Ordinary-Radical/dp/0310266300. I'll be trying to throw out good resources like this for you to consider.

Jesus reminds us in Luke 14… "The next time you put on a dinner (or throw an ice-cream sundae party); don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors (church-members), the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out (our neighbors at 9th & McKinley), the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks (impoverished, homeless, drug addicted). You'll BE—and experience—a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!”

The favor was returned because it is always better to give than receive.
We gave away ice-cream sundaes to kids and families for one evening.
And in return, we were given a piece of our heart back.

Jesus seemed to always be inviting the “wrong” people to the party.

I am hopeful that the Church of OKC will continue to reach beyond our traditional target audiences and demographic studies to care for people in need. There are segments of our society that the current church either cannot or will not reach. I am not sure which.

Mars Hill partnered with Cross & Crown Mission (www.CrossAndCrownMission.com) and some friends from North Church (www.NorthChurch.tv) for Sundaes on Sunday. I hope that you and your church a making Kingdom friends. We are always better together. I believe it was Teddy Roosevelt who said, "We can accomplish anything, so long as we don't mind who gets the credit."

Please jump in.
Let's get this new blog going.

Ben.

Mars Hill Journey.

Friends of Mars Hill.

I want to be the first to welcome you to the Mars Hill Journey blog.
I am very excited and hopeful for the dialogue this will foster.

This will be a daily blog beginning June 1st.
This blog will positive, hopeful, thoughtful and provoking.

We will begin by discussing: change in the church, kingdom values, community environments, organic growth, urban context, holistic gospel, multiplied impact, missional living, future culture, and stories.

I invite you to participate with me.
You are the church.
So be.

Ben Nockels.