Platinum Tuba

When I was in High School I went through an equipment phase. No matter what I did whether it was playing the guitar, pole vaulting, or brushing my teeth, I needed to have the best, most expensive equipment. At the time I didn't understand why, and I didn't care to know why, I just wanted to have the best. Keeping in mind that I grew up in a middle class family and had parents that were pretty much minimalists, the whole expensive and best quality thing didn't sit well with them. In fact, it used to really tick off my dad.

After crying to my father time after time in an attempt to get him to purchase a $700 guitar for me because it's what I really needed to play well, he went through the litany of all the things I had purchased or begged for and how they sat and collected dust, which really didn't phase me. I remember this one sentence that he actually screamed at me, "RICHARD, IF YOU PLAYED THE DAMN TUBA, YOU'D WANT ONE MADE OUT OF PLATINUM!"

I think this was meant to shame me. But at 17 years old, I thought to myself, "a platinum tuba? cool!"

Now, at 41 years old, I understand why I wanted the best equipment. It was because of my own shortcomings, or how I perceived my own shortcomings. I didn't put a lot of weight in my own skill or ability, and in my heart never thought I'd be much of a guitar player or a very good pole vaulter, but I persuaded myself that if I had a Gibson Les Paul that cost $700, or if I had the brand new, laboratory made pole vaulting shoes, these would elevate me to a level that I couldn't get to by myself.

Now I find myself serving a parish that meets in the chapel of an old mortuary (no longer functioning as a mortuary). We meagerly get by financially but God is rocking and blessing our church. If we were to have a $3 million building, state of the art music equipment, and thousands of dollars of church wares like chasubles and expensive chalices and things, God's blessing wouldn't be much different. In fact, I don't believe it would be different at all. We have the most essential thing: we have faith in the God that we worship, and he is blessing us. Eventually we will have all those things.

I no longer want a platinum tuba. I am very content playing the one that is a little tarnished and well dented.

This was actually a blog challenge from Cody and Carsten. As soon as I heard they were challenging me to write on platinum tuba, I smiled. I thank God for having a father that has said some of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life. Who would have ever thought his platinum tuba analogy would come in handy?

I wish I would have known as a teenager that it's God that equips and that more emphasis on diligence and practice would help a lot more than a closet full of equipment.

GO BIG OR GO HOME!!

The Ministerial Odd Couple

God does indeed have a sense of humor . Look at these two characters. On the left Charles"Rafiki" Miller and right Rich "Fr. Bonzo" Maciejewski.Who would ever believe that God would allow two absolutely different men to be such good friends for the last 10 years. Charley likes coffee. I don't like coffee and just recently got over my phobia of drinking any kind of brown liquid. Charley 's personal eating menu is comprised of about 14 things. I on the other hand eat anything that doesn't eat me first.Charley is very selective about hugging and touch in general. I have not yet met the man that I can not hug. Charley is thoughtful and reserved. I am neither thoughtful or reserved. Charley said that I'm the type of person that never had a feeling that I didn't express and he on the other hand is still working on stuff from the second grade.
We differ any flavor of Christianity as well. Charley believes that all the standing, sitting and kneeling us catholic types do is OK for us but pretty he much prefers one posture for worship. Charley likes a Church that looks and acts in manner that regular people today can find nonintimidating. I'm thinkin' "what's so intimidating about a guy wearing a dress in worship service?" And we kind dress differently in general (the pics shown above are examples of typical day wear for each of us).
We don't agree on a lot stuff but what we agree on is what makes us good together. Jesus is the foundation of our relationship. He's the major reason we ever built such a friendship. Read the above and you'll find that on the surface we don't have that much in common . Through the years we've traded roles in our friendship . Brother, jokester, counselor, confidant and soundboard are just a few of those movable roles. That's why our friendship works.
I pray that all who read this will have one friendship in their lives as healthy and good as the one I have with Pastor Rafiki (Charley).
You'll have to ask Charley about the evolution of our nicknames.

The Color Pink

Pink is a favorite color of mine. And I'm not the least bit intimidated by it whether it inhabits a piece of clothing or is the ingredient of a blog challenge as it is today.
The color pink was actually the topic of a lengthy study in the late 70's and early 80's. It was found to lessen aggressive tendencies in individuals who were prone to violent outbursts. Pink has been considered by most people to be a feminine color. I don't understand that. I think it's wrong. By the laws of nature that God has set forth Pink should be masculine. In the animal kingdom the male of the species is almost always the most beautifully arrayed.
It's high time that men take back this beautiful color. In fact, I will lead by example. Starting this Sunday some of the servers namely the W/o.R.M.s will darn PINK surplices. Pink and black, that's a nice combo. I will wear my standard drab Liturgical colors to morn the fact the pink is not yet fully socially acceptable. But within a few years I am sure that the W/o.R.M.s will have had some impact on the world's perception of the color pink and at that time they will where PINK cassocks as well.
This non violent revolution shall start promptly. These brave men may be martyred for their cause. Pray for them. This may elevate some to Sainthood. The PINK MARTYRS.
Did I say I would lead by example or make example of...? HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Next challenge PLEASE!
Go Big and Go PINK

Hairy

This is a blog challenge from my wife. She has chosen the title "Hairy". I think she's being a bit vindictive about my initial challenge. Whatever.
Soon as "Hairy" flowed from her lips I was transported back to 1970. My Dad used to sing this song to me and my brothers.

Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear - Fuzzy wuzzy had no hair - Fuzzy wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy,was he ?

At 41 I don't have the hair that I used to but that really doesn't bug me. I was once asked by a young lady in my youth group if it bothered me to lose my hair. She had some issues with me losing my hair for some odd reason. I replied that I was more concerned about losing my mind than my hair. She laughed. But I was serious. Losing my hair is the least of my problems .

But now I have a hair issue that does concern me .And I think there may be a demonic component to it. So I don't care about losing my hair . This scores one for the good guys against the vanity team. But can Evil take a loss like a good sport . Nooooooooo. Satan and his minions aren't satisfied when eminent baldness does not pre-occupy the pursued victim. Guess what they do now . Ironic consequence! They make it so hair grows in every place that it is not supposed to .
OK , baldness didn't get to me but this does . I am using depillitation (dehairifying) techniques that are unspeakable. You don't even want to know where. My eyebrows, if left to their own devices for more than a few days will take over my whole forehead. The ears make me emotional if I try to describe them so I won't.

Good thing I'm a Christian and see myself through the eyes of a Loving father and not my own .If I was to weigh God's love for me by having the correct amount of hair in the correct places I wouldn't think God loved me very much right now.

But my perception of myself is too easily twisted by vanity . That's what's great about Jesus . He doesn't care about that stuff . Stinky, hairy, chubby, stuttering, short, whatever--JESUS LOVES ME. HE JUST PLAIN LOVES ME .

It makes turning into a werewolf a whole lot easier.

Go big (and could you please buy me some Nair tm while you're out)

ADD ( LIFE IN APOLOGY )

"I'm sorry" I think those were the first words that I ever spoke. Being born with with a porous memory and the inability to linearly arrange thought in ones mind makes for having to say sorry more than the average toy on the shelf. Dyslexia didn't help. I couldn't remember the order of simple procedures so I did things wrong all the time. I got in trouble a lot because of breaking rules or objects or forgetting something. I'm not writing this so I can be pitied for my sad and meager childhood. My childhood was fine. Everyone has there portion of suffering one way or another.
The reason I write this at all is that there is this little boy I know who reminds me of myself alot. I see him quite often. I see that he also lives the apologetic life. But I don't feel sorry him. He has good parents that are turning his disability into an asset. I see them praising his strengths and working with him on his deficits. And he can be a trial sometimes. But I see a tenderness that you don't see in all kids. He seems to accept other peoples flaws without a thought. And I know why. Kids know when there just a bit different. I knew. With ADD, a kid looks totally normal but inside there is utter chaos. After a while you know that the world inside you and the world outside of you aren't that compatible. You don't look like the rest of the broken eggs but you know you are one. So when you see a another kids that's flawed you have compassion. As a kid I couldn't understand if a person could see that someone needed a friend why you wouldn't want to be that friend. While other kids made fun I made friends. I never told anyone that I felt just like the retarded kid or club foot guy. I just made friends.
I pray that his (the little boy I spoke of ) compassion will always stay with him. He will have to say sorry for a lot of things in his life but when he sees God face to face he won't have to say "I'm sorry I didn't love your people". That little boy is gonna love a bunch of people to Jesus. I wish we all would.
Go Big and love some people today.

Hunting with dogs

I now have two hunting dogs. Kimo has been around since he was 4 mos and Chick who has been with us a couple of weeks. Kimo is hyper and clumsy. He is constantly breaking things and hurting people. Chic is a delight and everyone loves her. I love her at home but not in the field. She has behavior issues. The basic partnership between hunter and dog is simple. It's a symbiotic relationship. The dog and hunter work together for the common goal of bagging game. Chic never received that memo. She gets lost, won't come when called, eats the bird and just generally a pain. Kimo on the other is beautiful to watch. He is athletic and has rippling muscles. He pays attention me for the most of the time. He has the occasional mishap but there has been many a time when Kimo does his job perfectly and I fail to put the bird down. I once missed the same bird after Kimo had pointed three different occasions. The last time he very slowly sat down and looked at me as if to say "I'm done - you need to get the magic boom boom stick fixed - it's broken" But none the less Kimo hunts with me. Chic hunts for herself. There is no partnership there.
I have similar relationships with people. There are those whom I love and love me but we really don't work well together. It's not all their fault either. We unfortunately don't share a common goal. Sometimes we say our goal is common but the truth is that very often the goal is to things the way we find most comfortable for ourselves personally and the stated goal is secondary. Not a good thing when the stated goal is Serving Jesus Christ and spreading His gospel .
As I was working with the dogs I was embarrassed to find similarities in myself and Chic. But I am aware of it and that is the first step toward change. In truth is I work with people pretty well but I tend to get nuts when people have to do things a certain way and are immovable. Guess what? Then I become the BIGGEST rock they have ever seen or dealt with. At that point I'm no better than them, even worse I think.
We need to conform to each other in the body of Christ. Truly working together for the goal of spreading the Gospel. Not easy but very possible. Everyone has to die to self. As long as one person has some personal or emotional stake in what ever is being done then you have a "Chic" situation. I never thought I'd ever say this but "let's all be like Kimo and not Chic"
So much for dog analogies.
GO BIG

Top ten out of control

There was a time in the mid 90's when my wife and I had a lot of fun composing top ten lists and sending via email to another couple that we are very close with. I believe the first list was "top ten reasons why Charlie Miller didn't get lunch at Promise Keepers". It was fun. THAT WAS THEN. There has been a recent resurrection of the top ten list that is just out of control. There has been a good 20 or so lists that have been crafted lately, one that was clearly plagiarized from biblical text. OK NOT THAT I'M JEALOUS that everyone is reading and writing top ten lists while I gruel over the next theological blessing I bestow upon the two readers of my blog. Come on folks lets get some original thought going here. Because I am in a position of leadership and I see the sheep drowning in there own copy catness. I will help. Be creative! Put more power in your Blog entries! Here, I will show you.

Eleven Reasons to Stop Making Top Ten Lists
11. David Letterman actually has a copy right on the top 10 and could sue all your butts.
10.The people at work miss you.
9. Your children need food.
8. They are not all funny (trust me on this one)
7. Time could be better spent writing about Seneca, the Platypus or being the ghost writer for a Cocker Spaniel.
6. There are some things that just should never be listed (like favorite skin diseases or pimple lancing methods)
5. To be really good of catholics all lists should be of 3 (trinitarian formula) note:all Christians are trinitarian although may not take the label "catholic" - I couldn't let Charlie escape from this one
4. Eleven has more power. ("but this one goes to eleven" from Spinal Tap the movie"
3. Please read my blog
2. Please read my blog(a subliminal message )


1. I need time with wife ----for some reason she's always at the computer. hmmmmmmmmmmmm
For those of you that never know when I'm kidding. I'M KIDDING!

More Platypus Theology

Is God playful ? hmmmm
Look to the left (forget about the little crown). Humans tend to be playful and humorous (sometimes not intentionally) so if we are made in God's image isn't God playful and humorous too?I would say yes. But I caution everyone not to think that just because humans do something that God is like that . Remember we are are made in His image and not He in ours. He gave us free will so as to love him without compulsion. Of course we do stupid things with it (free will). Okay back to the humor thing . God is funny but I don't think he is a jokester. I used to think that. Check this out. I flunked out of altar boy training class and now I'm like the king of the altar boys. I used to think that God was joking around. But the truth is that when start we to seek God's will in our live the irony between our old life and our life in Jesus is side splitting. Yes, God is funny.

Blog tantrum

Okay, okay. I wasn't liking the blog thing for a while. But I have seen the light and repented of my hate for blogging and I don't intend on taking any more long breaks .
That being said and out of the way. Let talk about Prayer. I find myself being draw in to pray more the more I prayer. There are times when I don't want to leave God's presence. Kind of like a smitten school boy doesn't want leave his first CRUSH. Having more prayer services in the church probably helps me more than anyone else in the church. I wasn't always one that prayed this much. In fact I didn't want to speak or hear from God at all. I was mad At Him. But now I'm just glad He's not mad at me. I'm excited about this new prayer life with God and I want others to have it too. It's easy to start. Just talk he'll listen. Then you listen and He'll talk. It really is a cool adventure. Try it !
GBGH

That's another reason I do not like Seneca

I mostly typed that title for the benefit of one reader. Seneca is Okay. His words are good. I know a little about Seneca. And he like most Philosophers (and humans in general) couldn't really keep up with the virtue they preach. He was a stoic meaning he lived a meager life or so he should have according to his discipline. The reason I speak of Seneca at all is not to beat up on him. Lord knows I am hardly an Eloquent Man and the Senecas word have awesome wisdom. What brings me to talk about him is that I understand the pressure and scrutiny (at least to some small degree) that people like Seneca that attempt to urge humans to better than they , to strive for integrity and love virtue. Seneca preached simplicity yet acquired great wealth. We are all Hypocrites. That's why we need a savior. As for Seneca. Greats words. He had lots of them. But I like Paul better. He admitted his frailty and gave Jesus the glory. I like that. In a way he did lead a stoic life perhaps just a bit better than Seneca.
(The above was written weeks ago but not published 'til now)

Rule of Life

Personal discipline is a much needed thing. As I sit here frustrated, wondering where my daily office book is (I've lost it again). I feel as I have lost my rhythm of life. I need more steady beats in my life as it gets more crazy everyday from the duties of being Rector at the church. I think I'm going to try to live a modern benedictine rule. Basically regimented prayer four times a day. I'll let you know how it goes.
GO BIG PRAY HARD !