Cheese carries a lot of value in a compact package. It’s small, easy to slip into a pocket, and it’s not traceable. Just peel off the cheesemonger’s sticker and you’re in business.

The Most Shoplifted Food In The World? That’s Right, “Cheese.” – The Consumerist.

I’ve never shoplifted cheese, but it is *definitely* something that I miss while living in Taiwan. I probably splurge on some gouda or cheddar about once a year and I’ve never had Swiss cheese here.

We’re headed back to the USA on May 24. I might shoplift some cheese from my parents’ refrigerator.

http://earth.imagico.de

This image of Taiwan turned up in a google image search. (click to go to the site in a new window, they deserve the traffic)

In this image, the north tip of Taiwan is in the bottom left corner.

And this one is also on the site. (again, click to go to the site)

This is from off the east coast of Taiwan facing towards the northeast.

I’m increasingly of the opinion that the most effective means of communicating the gospel is through modeling an obedience to Christ’s teachings and commands.

Obviously, the following account is not about the Christian gospel, but it (and especially the closing sentence) can give us great insight into Buddhist thought and how we might best spend our limited time and resources.

Tetsugen, a devotee of Zen in Japan, decided to publish the sutras, which at that time were available only in Chinese. The books were to be printed with wood blocks in an edition of seven thousand copies, a tremendous undertaking.

Tetsugen began by traveling and collecting donations for this purpose. A few sympathizers would give him a hundred pieces of gold, but most of the time he received only small coins. He thanked each donor with equal gratitude. After ten years Tetsugen had enough money to begin his task.

It happened that at that time the Uji Rive overflowed. Famine followed. Tetsugen took the funds he had collected for the books and spent them to save others from starvation. Then he began again his work of collecting.

Several years afterwards an epidemic spread over the country. Tetsugen again gave away what he had collected, to help his people. For a third time he started his work, and after twenty years his wish was fulfilled. The printing blocks which produced the first edition of sutras can be seen today in the Obaku monastery in Kyoto.

The Japanese tell their children that Tetsugen made three sets of sutras, and that the first two invisible sets surpass even the last.

from: http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/37publishingthesutras.html

From the National Zoo Website

This report also suggests more evidence that there appears to be no hope for the giant pandas as a species.

The journey from legacy church to simple/organic/house church

There is a “Death Valley” that people often must pass through on the journey. In this part of the journey, some long held beliefs and habits must be left behind to die.

Some of the things that will need to die? Felicity Dale lists these 4, but each person making the journey will need to discover which of their own sacred cows must be butchered on the trip through Death Valley.

• Professionally led worship–in simple church you are lucky to have an out-of-tune guitar.
• Well prepared talks–there’s no pastor who can spend hours preparing a stimulating sermon. Everyone takes part in an interactive discussion.
• Children and teens ministry–you can’t just drop your kids off at Sunday School to have an hour free from distractions.
• Someone else to make all the decisions–in simple/organic church, everyone is involved.

I think that another thing to add would be something having to do with “identity”. I can’t quite find the words for it right now… but it would deal with the way that we take some measure of comfort by carrying out our faith in conventional ways according to our culture. We know that if we tell someone that we go to Community Church on 1st and Main that it answers any further questions about our faith. But if we meet in homes or in a coffee shop or on a day other than Sunday… well… now we’ll have to explain how we aren’t a cult, don’t hate the church, read the Bible, listen to Chris Tomlin, etc.

If I’m reading it correctly (and in light of other things I’ve read by her) the point Felicity makes by way of Wolf Simson’s “Death Valley” analogy is that this journey isn’t by teleporter or even an airplane… but it is through a desert and it is best to travel light, with only basic necessities. I’d suggest that you never make this journey alone… get with some friends and travel together!

H/T Jon R and Casey B for the original Google+ post and comment leading to this post

After a week of camp with mostly non-Christian students… I’m more aware than usual of the fact that modern evangelical speech is for “insiders”.

My neighbor Andy always asks great questions… he’s a true learner. After his first week of camp a few years ago, he says to me:

What does it mean to believe in Jesus? Just believe he existed or is it something else?

He paid attention during the whole week and came away from it still unclear on what it meant to believe in Jesus. That isn’t his fault.

We talk funny if we aren’t careful and some of us are so used to certain phrases that it will take great effort to create new habits and ways of speaking. The challenge is compounded by the fact that evangelical-ese usually doesn’t make much sense in English… and then we bring a literal word-for-word rendering into Mandarin. ugh.

Lord… forgive us… and teach us…

H/T: FreeTyler

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Nicholas D. Kristoff’s Evangelicals Without Blowhards

I want to identify myself as an Evangelical, but people like Falwell and Robertson make it hard – almost impossible – for me to do so. I believe that there are more people who identify with Stott’s message and methods than with those of the “blowhards”. If true, it is good news and we may be able to redeem the use of the word Evangelical. If limiting the scope of my statement to America, I’m probably incorrect… but I’m speaking in bigger terms and of the world-wide Church. Keep in mind that the “average Christian” is not white, American, Western, or English speaking.

Although it is unfortunate that such streams of thought exist at all, I take comfort in knowing that they are both relatively recent (in history) and localized (primarily in the US). Sadly, this combination of time and location makes it possible for these people to speak through the biggest and loudest megaphones in history. But their self-created megaphones are not the only way their message is communicated. The mainstream media is all too eager to amplify their message by placing microphones in front of the megaphones. There is a vicious cycle where the media has elevated these blowhards and given their message a bigger stage and then the media criticizes the church for following the blowhards. Rinse. Repeat.

Kristoff’s piece is a welcome change where the negative influence of the blowhards is clearly seen. I’m saddened by the loss of John Stott, but am I wrong in thinking that his passing has made us all more aware of his quiet influence and consistent message of hope and love and peace? His methods withstand the scrutiny of the magnifying glass and his message transcends any megaphone.

From Christianity Today’s obituary:

From his conversion at Rugby secondary school in 1938 to his death in 2011 at 90 years old, Stott exemplified how extraordinary plain, ordinary Christianity can be. He was not known as an original thinker, nor did he seek to be. He always turned to the Bible for understanding, and his unforgettable gift was to penetrate and explain the Scriptures. As editor Kenneth Kantzer wrote in CT’s pages in 1981, “When I hear him expound a text, invariably I exclaim to myself, ‘That’s exactly what it means! Why didn’t I see it before?’”

and this on Stott’s introversion:

“Naturally, by temperament, he was an introvert,” says Chris Wright. “He was very happy to be in his own company. Yet he gave himself to so many people, remembering names, knowing their families, knowing their children, writing letters, praying for them. He was constantly praying for people. His prayer list was so long. Whenever he would meet them again, he would remember them because he was praying for them.”

It is… by far… my most dreaded week of the year. Just as church camp was when I was young. And almost any church activity actually… especially youth group.

I like that we have a camp like this, and as far as camps go, this is a good one! But it just isn’t how an introvert would choose to spend their time.

The camp lasts one week and it EASILY takes me 2 full weeks after camp before I want to talk to anyone.

On two occasions in the past, we have held the camp just before or after another week-long conference and on both occasions I have gotten shingles from the stress and suppressed immune system.

I usually help out quite a bit in the kitchen where I can be of great help to everyone (preparing their meals) and see everyone as they go through the line to get food where I can greet the campers and staff and pray for them. Sometimes these few seconds of contact can lead to deeper conversations later in the day. The kitchen is a really good place for me.

The food is all outsourced this year… so no kitchen help is needed…

I’m really not grumpy about this. My family loves it and so I love it just for that reason.

Clearly I need to find ways to continue to cope with this reality in my life, but I wouldn’t consider not going and helping out however I can for as long as I can with whatever strength I can find and all the extroversion I can muster.

I love a lot that comes out of camp. People hear about the love of Jesus and his teachings. I’m usually able to connect with a few students (usually other introverts) and keep in touch with them even outside of camp.

I’m just saying that camp is not made with introverts in mind.

But what if it were??

Aubry Smith has a post called Introvert Summer Camp in which she offers a “fairy-tale proposal for church camp geared toward introverts”.

I really enjoyed it. I think extroverts might gain some insight into what introverts prefer and might help people consider the real needs of introverts and not just call everything (thoughtfulness, quietness, etc) “shyness”.

Of course, Introvert Camp would be nearly as boring for extroverts as regular camp is a headache for introverts… so it will probably remain a fairy tale. However, her post highlights some of the issues that are most difficult for introverts at camp. She lists 7 things:

1. Actual Quiet Time
2. Low-key worship
3. Processing time after the message
4. Separate sleeping quarters
5. Group time
6. No guilt for introversion
7. Excitement and volume don’t equal devotion

Aubry treats the topic with humor and honesty. Well done!

H/T Adam S. McHugh at Introverted Church