PARKING THE CARS: Most of us met at The Refuge parking lot at 10pm. The Refuge is on the west side of downtown near Reno & Western. We did a round of brief introductions and prayed. A group of students from UCO had us cracking up as they were inadvertently painting a very dramatic image of heartbreaking love triangles that have defined their life growing up together in Piedmont OK...my home town. We prayed that God would miraculously use us this night as we would set out on our aimless hike through the city. From there about twenty of us left The Refuge parking lot. UCO students, OUHSC students, a youth pastor, myself, and my 9 year old daughter Abbigail.
I DARE YOU: The night was marked by a series of dares that didn't scare anybody. The first dare was to clean the bathroom at the gas station on Sheridan & Western. It seems like about four folks went to task cleaning table tops, taking out trash, and other helpful chores around the place. The rest of us just acted like anglo gangsters in the parking lot. I remember a guy coming out of the store with a case of beer looking a little confused why we were all chillin' in a parking lot like that. He was even more scared when I explained what we were doing. I invited him to tag along. He got in his truck and left. I got angry and kicked his door in...just kidding, just kidding.
POTTY BREAK: When you have twenty people in a group that is hiking around in a city, a potty break is no small ordeal. Even deciding on a place to go takes some deep and meaningful reflection. We decided on a real nice hotel by the Cox Convention Center. While we are waiting, we attempt to unravel the love triangles woven around the hearts of the UCO students. It is taking forever for this potty break! I look across the street and see a 55 year old man. I'm just guessing 55 because he looked more like 65. He had a bag and a bed roll, it was obvious that he was a camper! I invited him to join us for the night. His name is Paul. We're still friends. In fact I just saw him again the other morning at a coffee shop. He seemed so excited that we invited him to run around with us. We keep moving east toward bricktown and are being entertained by stories and urban athletic feats of bravery. Climbing walls, leap frogging parking meters, distance jumping etc. This is getting to be fun. Paul is just grinning and getting to know the gang.
DOUBLE DOG DARE: We roll into bricktown like we own the place. The new crosswalk signs present a perfect opportunity for us to outperform the drunkest of drunks on the street. We are sober of course, but we all start yelling out the crosswalks new digital count down on the corner. We, like a herd of wild buffalo without a leader start running and yelling as we cross the street...10,9,8... Dare number two emerges...who is going to bus the tables in the Bricktown Brewery? We have two volunteers. We leave them there and find out later that the waitresses and manager were not a little impressed that they would want to serve them like that.
SOME TIME WITH PAUL: Three of the OUHSC students and Scott the pilot take Paul into Makers so that they can sit down and talk. The OUHSC students are refreshingly crazy. Abbigail must have been sad at this point because Aimee was leaving her to go into Makers. Scott had a good time of connection with Paul while the OUHSC students got a chance to share with the manager of Makers. I went back to get the gang and about died because of all of the cigar smoke in this place! If you are a cigar lover you can save your money by hanging out in Makers...the sophisticatedly nasty cigar club.
COME ON DAVE!: As we are continuing to make our way through bricktown we see another camper. His name is Dave. He is probably about the same age as Paul. We invite him too, to come hang out with us. He looks confused and interested all at the same time and jumps on board. The majority of the group migrates to Sonic and grabs a bite for Dave. I go back to Bricktown Brewery and Makers to gather up the crew that was left at these places. While at Sonic, Curt connects with Dave for a long encouraging talk about Jesus. Dave was loaded with questions and worries.
ROCK OUT FRANZ: Anybody who has spent any time in Bricktown since Spaghetti Warehouse first opened knows who Franz is. Franz loves to rock out on the corner there and will talk the ear off of any willing listener. Franz fits the image of a pure Gypsie. He's Italian by birth but Gypsie by sheer proxy. The OUHSC students will spend the next few hours of their evening doing a lot of listning. Franz has taken on life like a living blender. He has emersed himself in many religions, philosophies, and identities. Franz is on a quest and is very welcoming of others to talk about their journey and listen to his, listen to his (not a type-o).
THE CLUBS ARE CLOSING: As 1:30 comes around we know that the clubs will be closing. We move to a corner where there are a few clubs. It's amazing how much sweat comes pouring out of a club! I think most everybody was a bit nervous as to how to connect with this group. A large huddle of folks gathered on the corner to observe. I see a group of guys chillin' together and checkin' out the ladies! This was classic...they had secret hand signals, call outs, the whole nine yards. I make a move and ask one of the guys which club was kickin' it that night. We start to talk and before long I start sharing my heart about the needs that I see in peoples lives. His eyes light up and he starts talking about how he has been running away from God for years and how it's really starting to hurt. He acknowledged that he's not in a good place, is wasting years of his life, and needs to come home to Jesus! The other kids hanging out on the sidewalk were keeping our conversation interesting. Two guys start arguing until one of them decided to cold pop the other in the face! Not much of a fight transpired. The guy that hit was..."Let me at him!", while he made sure that his friends were holding him back. Ohhhh my.
I'LL BE BACK!: I abandon the troops at about 1:45 because a good friend of mine calls me. To protect the highly sensitive identity of this global iconic figure, I will call him Ruthless. Don't worry Ruthless knows I'm going to trash talk him here! Ruthless is doing some wilderness wandering right now and looking for answers to lots of questions. That's why we're such good friends. I have all the right answers to all of life's questions...well, I act like I do. Anyway...Ruthless was supposed to hook up with me at the Good Friday worship service downtown, but I never saw him. He texted me during the sevice and said that the service was too intence...so he had to leave. He calls me at about 1:45 totally wasted and asked me if I could pick him up at the bar. I said "no...you shouldn't have been so stupid. You made your own bed and now you have to lie down in it!" I am soooo kidding. I told him sure thing and he went on to apologize for dissin' me at the worship service. He said "What ever was going on in there was powerful. I know that I have some powerful things going on in my life, but whatever was going in there is more powerful, I'm sure." He went on to say, "I know that this doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I just had to leave and go get drunk." I told him that I understood and that I was on my way. Ruthless was not a little drunk! Ruthless is hosed and he knows it.
OFF TO IHOP: When I get back to Bricktown after picking up Ruthless, I find the gang bustin' out some more Urban Athletics in the Bricktown playground. We are all chillin' out...well everybody except Ruthless and the UCO students who are trying to answer all of the relevant but obnoxious questions that Ruthless is asking them. The guys were not a little challenged to try to figure out what to do at this point. I just layed down down on the ground listening to them. That's how most fearless leaders respond to such circumstances. We finish the night at IHOP were we all eat hang out and continue to see more opportunities emerge. Some of these opportunities emerge by the initiation of Ruthless. He sees a table with some Punx sitting near us, for example, and says "Come on Kenny, you need to talk to these guys!" He and I get up and walks over to their table and in as threatening a manner as possible says "Scoot over!" The punk kid looks up, calmly shruggs his shoulders and says "Sure thing, sit down." I pull up a chair and quickly apologize on behalf of Ruthless and explain that I am here to change his diapers and to apologize for anything else that might happen at this table. We talked for a bit and Ruthless runs off to smoke, like his fifth cigarette in the 15 minutes since we had been there. I chill out with them for a while and talk but eventually go back to the table. Ruthless comes back in but quickly goes outside again for cigarette #6. He comes running back in hurridly and says to everyone, "There's somebody outside who needs prayer!" About ten people jump up and go outside to pray for another camper who lives on the streets. They invite him in and buy him breakfast. Lots of the gang is giving his guy full attention even though this guy is very high on what seemed to be crack and alcohol. I'm surprised he could eat.
A FUN NIGHT: I really did have a blast as I'm sure a lot of us did. It's just good to get out of your living room, dorm, or whatever and do some life with people who you either don't know or try to avoid otherwise...Like you Ruthless...Just kidding, I love you Ruthless and am certain that the surprising work of God is going to rock your face. Like a hurricane!
QUIT JUDGING ME: Hey I could hear all of your complaining from here before I even posted this. You're saying, "This guy can't spell for nothing!" If the truth be known, I do not always fly south for the winter or march to the drum beat of everyone. Most people would have written this blog post from their computer with all of the spell checks, formating options etc. Well I will have you know I did this from my phone and did not proof read it. Soooo you can take your criticism south for the winter for all I care. : )
