LIP READING CHALLENGE (FEAT ARCHBISHOP MILLER)
When I was a kid, I thought I was going to be a professional ice hockey player.
Now I don’t just mean that in the way every 10-year-old boy idolizes his favorite players from his childhood. Don’t get me wrong, I was a total dork about it. I could draw every NHL club’s uniform, knew every player’s sweater number, mimicked Wayne Gretzky’s goal celebration and lived and died by Gordon Bombay and Disney’s “the Mighty Ducks” (why didn’t Gunnar shoot blocker side? We’ll never know…). But my head was in a different place. When I was 14 I picked up a Russian book because I was so enamored by surnames like Kovalenko, Konstantinov, Nabokov (the hockey player...my love of the author would emerge a decade later) and more. It was all “formation”. And while I never “made it”, I have been playing organized hockey all my life. And of all the people I met playing this exhilarating game, some of my favorites were Canadians.
Some things you may or may or know about the wonderful nation of Canada.
The city of Vancouver is sometimes known as “Hollywood North” for the prevalence of its cityscape in film and television.
The Canadian national anthem is possibly the coolest anthem in the world. Seriously, I love Austria and the United States. Those places are my home. But “O Canada”, your anthem legit makes me want to stand on guard fo-ohr theeeeeeeeeeeee.
The word “sorry” rhymes with “story”, and while I’m not sure what to do with that information, it’s definitely a thing.
Something something something Drake something.
Archbishop Michael Miller of Vancouver is absolutely hilarious.
Wait, what?
That’s right. Archbishop Michael Miller of Vancouver is an absolute riot, and it’s so refreshing. If you don’t believe me, watch this video of Vancouver-based speaker and blogger Clay Imoo facing off against Archbishop Miller in a “Lip Reading Challenge”.
I’m not sure which part of the video I laughed hardest at. Here are my top 3 moments:
Clay shouting “PUSH SALLY” while Archbishop Miller over-enunciates “prodigal son”.
Archbishop Miller shouting “WHO VESTMENTS” (Old Testament). Also, side note: the Archbishop is absolutely rocking those Beats by Dr Dre headphones. Just saying.
Archbishop Miller miming a cannon as he attempts to get Clay to say “canonization”.
There is just so much to love about this. We saw this video and simply had to know more about what inspired it.
The genius behind this is Clay, who...well...I’m not sure how you describe someone with the presence Clay possesses.
He’s a family man.
He’s a blogger.
He has absolutely bossed the youth ministry circuit around Vancouver for the better part of the last two decades.
He works passionately to share his Catholic faith and speaks at Christian events across North America.
He won the “Best Video Marketing Creator Award” from Vancouver’s first annual Canadian Video Marketing Awards in November 2018.
And...oh yeah, he is a Vancouver Canucks superfan who has 4.5k subscribers on his YouTube channel, where he shares daily commentary about his favorite team, with the occasional Canucks-themed parody music video sprinkled in. I highly recommend their “2015 Canucks Christmas Rap” (pictured right), which features collaborators AJ and Marie alongside then-Canuck players Ben Hutton and Jake Vrtanen. It’s ridiculously over-the-top, and it’s absolutely perfect.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed chatting with Clay. The love he has for everything he does is so present in his work, and the video with Archbishop Miller puts that on full display. Clay says it best:
We all know [Archbishop Michael] is an amazing leader and shepherd, and very intelligent. But he’s very fun as well. Archbishop Michael and I are quite close, and I really wanted more people to see his humor and wit.
Clay Imoo
Hey Roman Catholic Church, more of this, please.
This video takes that argument we’ve all probably heard about the Church being “a bunch of old, white men telling me how to live my life” and turns that completely on its head. Clay shows us that Archbishop Miller is a down-to-earth human being who is not only willing and able, but eager to see the beauty and grace in laughter, even sometimes at his own expense. He’s not stuffy. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s genuine. And he’s willing to have that broadcast to a stream of 4.5 thousand people that bleed Canuck blue and green.
And this video is not a one-and-off thing. It is actually a highly demanded follow-up to a hit 2017 video, in which he challenged Archbishop Miller to a bad joke contest: you laugh, you lose. (I lost pretty much right away, because it’s hilarious.)
Clay’s attitude is infectious. For all of us, as creative minds and hearts within the Church, Clay can serve as a brilliant example of the many ways in which we can use the unique and diverse passions God has placed on our hearts to share joy, to share Christ’s love with others, and to build the Kingdom in our own circles.
Despite the nature of social media and creative work, I deeply desire to build genuine relationships with people and to have a lasting impact on people. I don’t take my influence for granted, and I strive to be a witness of Christ’s love and mercy in all of my projects, whether it’s through my work and ministry, my family vlogs, or my favorite hockey team.
Clay Imoo
Yes, brother.
What I love most (and to be honest, what kicks my butt the most) about Clay’s work is the way in which his various passions are so seamlessly interwoven in the content he creates. One day he’ll be breaking down the Canucks’ 2-1 overtime loss to the St Louis Blues as a tiny violin plays Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” ever so softly in the background, and the next day he’ll be having a “car chat” and sharing about his faith and family life. It’s real. It’s a unique and special collision. It’s being in the world but not of the world. And it’s something we all can appreciate and learn from.
We love what Clay is doing over in Vancouver. What Catholic creatives are inspiring you in this way? Whom do you see showing off the fun-loving, engaging aspect of the Church? Leave us a comment below to share your response and show Clay and the Archbishop some love.
Eh?
by Benjamin Jude
Worship Leader / Recording Artist
CC Admin