Saturday, June 23, 2012

THE FLOOD W/O AN ARK

For those of you who were around to recall the "Jesus Movement"  in the 70's, I'm sure you remember those "SAVED" lawn signs, MY FATHER IS A CARPENTER bumper stickers, and yes....that piggy bank where Jesus has his arms opened wide, palms-empty facing upward towards heaven, and the words scripted below that said.......

"JESUS SAVES!"

LOL, some peeps thought a Jesus Saves piggy bank was sacrilegous, but I'm sure he gets more hacked off by intent more than content.....just my thought anyways.

But in the Church of the Warsaw Saints, we do stuff a little different. We worship the Polish Christ.

Unlike much of the world, Polish Jesus understands the value of money, but he never asks people for it.

Polish Jesus realizes he is a master of resources, and since his blood was shed at the cross, why bleed hard working people for their cash.

Some days when I drive my little bread truck across the Twin Cities, I hang my head in bewilderment as I notice that every corner across my hometown has a church on it.

Sure, Father Klecko is tickled pink to see his community making attempts to reach out to God, but spiritual people can be so-so wasteful.

I don't know if you guys believe in the Devil, but if he/she does exsist, I think the best thing they have going for them is how divided they have kept a demographic who pretty much are claiming to strive for the same thing.

But in my illistration, I'll stick with Christianity, just because I am more familiar with it.

How different would a cities quality of life be if they just designated 4 or 5 different locations across the metro where people could sit outside and have some inspiring person issue a motivational message?

How different would it be if that person passing on "The Word of God" didn't take a salary?

You can say whatever you want, but in the quiet moments at night, when you place your head down on the pillow, you know that taking money for fueling your herd with the Holy Ghost is blasphemy.

Well, in the Church of the Warsaw Saints it is.

Then theres the weather issues, I get it...what if it rains or snows?

How about a tarp or a parka?

Just saying.

But just think if we pocketed all the cash and resources and work hours that get dumped in buildings and paid staff. Your city would change radically.

This whole topic came to mind because I have a dear friend who is an author.

During the last couple of months she has been touring our state to pimp her most recent cookbook.

Today she is slated to appear at a church fundraiser 164 miles away from her house, but the catch is.....

This fundraiser is taking place in a city that just experienced horrific flooding.

Reports have indacated that the damage in estimated in the hundreds of millions, so my friend called to check the status of the event she had commited to.

Well, the church is on the main drag, and somehow was unaffected by the flooding, so they are encouraging the people who previously signed up to trek across the state so they can continue to attempt to raise cash for their church.

I get it, they have budgets, but sometimes you have to deal with reality, and your communities sensitivity level.

My friend will end up spending close to 6 hours today (round trip) just commuting to a fund raiser where I'm sure few will attend.

As a church, how can you even dare to hold out your hands and ask for money on the same day when a large portion of your congregation have had everything they own swept away?

As long as the church is accountable to monitary systems, the purpose of any religion will suffer.

In case you didn't know this, humans are a flawed species, and many times the people in position of power will make choices that serve themselves.

Polish Jesus hear our prayers..........

"We pray for the victims of the recent flooding and all other tragedies across the globe. Help us to find balance between money-worship and service."

Father Klecko








Friday, June 22, 2012

Cocktails With A Priest

To be a Pollack in a town full of Mick's can be challenging at times.....but our Father lends me strength.

Earlier this week I went to The University Club in Saint Paul.

Basically the place is a mansion on top of Summit Hill, and was built for the "Blue Bloods" of Capitol City.

Sure, there's still "Old Money" that hangs out there, but at the same time it isn't all that uncommon to find people making cab drivers wages attending there as well.

In today's economic environment, decadence needs to diversify to pay the bills.

So much of what was important to the moral fiber of my parents, and theirs too, seem to be slipping into the mists of Avalon.

A city once comprised of ruddy complected Irish folks, now has additional color in it's bouquet now that the Hmong's, Hispanics and Russians have staked out credible chunks of turf in the (651).

I think the change is great, but a part of me understands that people dislike change, just because change demands patience and understanding.

At the upstairs bar of the University Club you can stare out the windows and at a skyline that is impressive and quaint all in one breath.

The lights don't stack high like the skyscrapers in NYC or Chi-Town, but they do bounce off the Mississippi River dropping an Urban / Northern Lights kinda vibe.

The bartender slides me a Rusty Nail while Father Gillespie appears to have ordered a Rum on the rocks.

And for just a split second I found myself savoring this moment knowing that soon, cocktailing with a Mick Priest will be as likely as calling my girlfriends on a rotary phone, or crossing the territory in a covered wagon.

Even though this city was built on the blood-sweat and tears of the Irish, there time of dominance is drawing near it's ends.

As I take a belt, my bar mates are quiet and my mind began to drift to thoughts of what it must have been like to witness the Roman Empire as it segued into Byzantine occupation, or what was Moscow like as the Germans gained a stronghold during the big one?

So although I was drinking a cocktail that had the kick of a donkey aerobic instructor...my mood was sober.

Leave it to a Mick priest to disrupt the mood......

Father Gillespie says.......

"Well I have some bad news to report. A Father friend of my has passed on some evidence that all but assures me that the Christ must have actually been a Lutheran."

Everybody at the bar wrinkled their brow and went drop jaw in unison.

The Priest continued.

"This Priest friend of mine, he was in charge of a church in Norway for visiting Catholics, and was asked by a local Lutheran Pontiff or such, if he knew how Christ could feed thousands of people with just a couple of fish? The Catholic Priest confessed he had no idea, and with great delight, the Lutheran explained how the Christ served Lutefisk, knowing no one would dare touch it, and therefore Jesus had to be a Norse!"

Everybody at the bar raised their drink in the air to toast Father Gillespie's yarn, knowing this may have been the only time the Lutheran's had brought them joy.

Dear Polish Jesus, a word of wisdom to us all......

Father Klecko

The Last Temptation of Klecko

Dear Brethren,

It is with joy in my heart that I announce the completion of my Blog trilogy.

In the begining it was put upon me to reach out to the world's baking community with my "The Last American Baker" Blog.

As time passed, I decided it was not enough for this servant to just focus on the herds palate, but it was important to deal with their heart as well. I feel that is being addressed with "Poets Are Lame" (and other things Mike Finley taught me).

But humans cannot live on bread (and whimzy) alone, they must also find comfort for the soul.

For those of you who know Father Klecko, you know how important mercy and the love of Polish Jesus are to him.

Today marks the genesis of not just a pursuit to bring a congregation closer to the God of Faustina, John Paul 2 and a man who has fed a city full of Irish people for 30 years.

But if you choose to enter this temple....it is certain that your life will become blessed with a glow that words are incapable of describing.

Leave your money and pride outside the threshold, they simply will not be worth anything.

For those of you who are on the fence as to whether you should subscribe to this Blog or not, my job is not to persaude you, but to inform of what the Angels of Warsaw have whispered into my ear........

"Father Klecko, the Polish Trinity is commisioning you to do for the Heavenly Kingdom, what you have done for the Hearth, and the Heart.

Thy will be done.

With dedication to the lonely - Your humble servant
Father Klecko