This Do In Remembrance of Me

One of the best things I learnt from the very well thought-out OMF missionaries in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is to consider the practical human aspect of evangelism: that is to say, when one does evangelism, one is also modelling to others how evangelism should take place. (That the gospel should be preached faithfully (with adequate helpings of judgement and hell) is a given.) Teaching English and conducting medical missions have been traditional ways of making inroads into certain societies. But missionaries began to realise that because of the pervasiveness of such methods, the locals let themselves become dependent on foreign missionaries, thinking that they could never reach their fellowmen for Christ because they knew neither English nor medicine.

We had great fun at the youth evangelistic Easter event generally attempting not to be the operative cause of guests meeting their Maker.

The tweens were meant to play an active role not only in inviting friends to hear the good news that added a holiday to the Singapore calendar, but also provide the entertainment and help in ensuring the smooth running of the cafe-style space with root beer and lemonade on tap and made-to-order desserts.

Had to figure out how to model the backstage element of this ministry - the food and drink for the cafe. While 3D Wilton-approved icing and fondant sculptures perched atop cupcakes and other confections would be delightful and attention-grabbing and would have made the recipients very happy, they might have been a great discouragement to teenagers thinking of organising their own event - if they didn't have baking skillz, decorating talent, maids or mothers who were willing to help, they might think that they would never be able to do this by themselves.

Assembling dessert cups layered with store-bought stuff seemed an excellent way of demonstrating that even with zero culinary talent and a budget of S$50 for 55 mouths, budget-store and discount shopping would yield excellent results that made guests quite cheerful (and receptive).

Since several of the young people started working in fast food joints as soon as they turned 14 (Diner Dash, Sushi Chef or current time-management game to the more comfortably-off), they were able to settle into a routine quickly with minimal instruction.

Arguably, people who are adamant and urgent about gossiping the gospel to their neighbours will, naturally, be creative about their methods. But it would be right and proper not to discourage even in small ways, innit.

The Pies of Pressing Petition

Assembled a chocolate, banana, toffee pie for the first time last Saturday. Unfortunately, it was for a newcomers' dinner at which several people, for whom banoffee pies were sacred, would be present. Hadn't been too fond of the same confections they'd said they'd enjoyed on account of stupid taste buds that only understand things in layers - that is, layers of taste and texture. So didn't think they’d like the stuff and wasn't sure anyone would take well to bananas in their dessert. But it couldn’t be helped - I'd volunteered to bring something and hadn't remembered till the last hour, there were relevant items near their expiry that needed to be in tummies pronto, I was in the midst of preparing a bible study on Genesis 32 involving a motley collection of Playmobil figurines pretending to be Jacob, camels and a heavenly wrestler… so needed something fast and easy.

Also, was rather nervous using dairy products that were near expiry - didn't want to obviate anyone’s opportunity to come into a saving relationship with God or dissuade them for coming for the Sunday meeting or Christianity Explored the next day.

So there was a bit of triangulating between the necessity of bringing something (the worried host had said that there wouldn't be enough food), how loving it might be to neighbour to bring something that they might not enjoy, and how the remaining few hours to the dinner should be spent.

In the end, the deed was done, tummies were filled, no food was wasted and no one was harmed (to my knowledge), but not before desperate petitions were sent heavenward that the dish not ruin the proposed welcome and fellowship.

Later that night, the mental filing cabinet popped open at the tab labelled:

"prayer - empty parking lots"

Was it God-honouring to pray about such trivial matters? Added Phillip Jensen’s article to that folder:

Praying In Crisis: Helpful Or Hypocritical?
Originally Published:
25th February 2011

It is an old wartime saying that ‘there are no atheists in foxholes’. Leaving aside the silly arguments as to whether this is statistically true or an aphorism – is it a good thing? Will God be pleased to answer the prayers of those in danger? Is God honoured when we pray to him in times of trouble?

Prayer is one of the most basic human responses to trouble. When the doctor’s diagnosis is really grim, it is only natural to seek divine help. When our children are in danger, who doesn’t utter a quick prayer for safety?

But is prayer to be encouraged amongst people who ignore God except in times of crisis? Is God to be used as a 'phone-a-friend' when the going gets tough? Will God allow us to be his ‘fair weather friends’ – only calling upon him in times of difficulty?

This summer we have seen some dreadful tragedies with floods and cyclones in the Eastern States of Australia, fires in the West, and earthquakes in Christchurch. In the face of these disasters people can do little else but pray for God’s mercy and rescue. Politicians and journalists, not given to religious references, start talking of praying for people when confronted with the horrors of these catastrophes. Only the most rigorous of atheists will talk of our concern for others without mentioning praying for them. But is it a good thing or hypocrisy?

The trouble with unbelievers calling upon the name of the Lord in the face of disaster is that they lose their title deeds to the name “unbelievers”. They may still be doubters or superstitious or hypocrites, but they are no longer "unbelievers".

Even more importantly, the trouble with unforgiven sinners praying to God is that it compromises his holiness. The Psalmist wrote "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 66:18). The book of Proverbs says: "If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9). And Isaiah explained how sin had set a separation between God and Israel so that he, who is able to hear prayers and rescue, did not hear their prayers (Isaiah 59:1f). And James wrote of the adultery of people who in love with this world prayed to God "wrongly to spend it on your passions" (James 4:3f). It is as the apostle Paul says “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Romans14:23).

Here then is the problem: prayer is the articulation of faith. It is the expression of faith – putting trust into words. For in calling upon God in times of trouble we are saying that he cares and is willing and able to help. In other words, we express our belief that God is loving and powerful to save. Encouraging unforgiven sinners to pray in time of trouble may seem to compromise God’s holiness but not to encourage them to turn to God in prayer may be to deny his gracious compassion. Many of Jesus' miracles were performed in response to people asking for relief from their suffering, even though their faith was weak (Mark 9:24), their understanding limited (Mark 4:40) and their salvation not understood until after their healing (Mark 5:34, 10:51f, Luke 17:17f). In fact our English translators often have difficulty knowing whether to translate some passages as 'saved' or 'healed'.

Certainly there may be things we need to fix in our relationship with God. There may be a lifetime of rebellion against him or ignoring him. There may be crimes that need to be dealt with, lifestyle that needs repentance, sins that need to be forgiven and restitution that needs to be made. But turning back to God does not always come in a neat package of sorting out ‘first things first’, because turning back to God is the first thing.

Sometimes it is when we turn back to God that we become aware of the awfulness of our sin in the light of his burning holiness, and are moved by his gracious care to seek the forgiveness we need. It is entering the sanctuary that makes us aware of our unworthiness before God and of the judgement of God upon sinners (Psalm 73:17).

Martin Luther and John Newtown were not the first, nor the last, unforgiven sinners to call out in prayer during the peril of a storm. And Luther did not even call out to God but to St Anna(!) - the non-Biblical legendary grandmother of Jesus whose cult he later attacked. But God used that moment of confused prayer to start him on the pathway of salvation.

Copyright 2011 phillipjensen.com
Reproduced with permission from phillipjensen.com

(Desperate Chocolate Banana Toffee Pies

Base
- pound Digestives finely so the crumbs don't get stuck in people's loose dentures
- melt unsalted butter and brown
- mix in biscuit crumbs
- pat into base and sides of cake tin
- refrigerate

Bananas
- get a bunch of ripe bananas
- slice thinly
- lay onto biscuit base

Toffee
- pour contents of two tins of condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into glass container
- place glass container into a high-walled roasting dish and cover tightly with foil
- pour hot water into roasting dish around glass container
- place in oven and heat at 200 degrees celcius for 1 hour or until caramel-dom is achieved
- pour as much as possible onto banana layer

Add another layer of bananas.

Chocolate
- obtain a 72% Valrhona chocolate block from wholesaler
- melt chocolate
- stir in double cream into melted chocolate
- pour onto banana layer

Add another layer of bananas.
Add another layer of toffee/caramel.
Add another layer of bananas.
Press the whole lot down because you are running out of height space in cake tin.
Contemplate the meaning of life.

Cream
- whip together double cream and mascarpone and the contents of vanilla beans
- dump on top of last layer of bananas

Refrigerate the lot.
Shave remains of aforementioned chocolate block.
Dump shavings on before serving.)

The Hario V60 Trials and Stewardship of Time

Assume only one brewing device: the single-cup Hario V60 - 01.
Assume a similar grind: dialing in at 3 notches from zero on the Hario Skerton.
Assume also a dose of 23g of the same beans (but no two beans are the same!).
Assume even a water temperature of 93 degrees celcius.

There are still too many factors to vary in search of the perfect cup:

Brew Ratio
The market norm is said to be 60g coffee for 1l water. But everyone has their sure-hit ratio. Plus this is probably dependent also on actual grind size of beans, type and roast profile of beans, maybe even composition of water, etc etc
- Stumptown Coffee: 23g with 11oz water for 8oz coffee
- Counter Culture: 1.6 - 2g per 1oz water
- Brown Coffee Co: 18g; 11 fl oz of water at 204F to yield 10 fl oz (via bitterpress)
- Taylor St Baristas: 23g with 320ml water
- Trevor Hyman (Bean Vagrant): 29g with 500g water

Boiling the water
To boil water in the Hario Buono drip kettle or not?
Filter water or tap?

Pre-wetting
To pre-wet or not? Theoretical grounds (haha) for pre-wetting include allowing the carbon dioxide trapped within the beans during roasting to be released, ensuring even extraction of the grounds

Circular pour vs center pour
Raised (though not high and dry) most famously in Scott Rao's "Everything But Espressp". See Matthew P Williams' post for a re-think.

You know that this is an all-important topic when Hitler gets emo about it.

To allow all the water to drip through or to stop near the end? If so, when to stop the flow?


Bean: Ethiopian Harrar, Oriole Coffee Roasters
Time from roast: 5 days
Grind: 2+ notches from zero on the Hario Skerton
Brew Ratio: 23g to 11 fluid oz
Water Temperature: 93 degrees celcius
Pre-wetting: yes (but didn't record how much water was used or whether allowed bloom to subside)
Pour: circular
Drip-through: yes, all the way to the last drop
Taste: floral but sour on finish when cold


Bean: Ethiopian Harrar, Oriole Coffee Roasters
Time from roast: 6 days
Grind: 3+ notches from zero on the Hario Skerton
Brew Ratio: 23g to 8 fluid oz
Water Temperature: 93 degrees celcius
Pre-wetting: yes (but didn't record how much water was used or whether allowed bloom to subside)
Pour: circular
Drip-through: no
Taste: floral, lovely even when cold but somewhat bitter when added to milk!


But such record-keeping is hardly accurate. What about the percentage of extraction and total dissolved solids via extractmojo or mojotogo + refractometer? Will these numbers necessarily give a good cup?


And since the smelevision and tastovision has yet to be invented, words are the only means of recording taste, perhaps via coffee journals like 33 Coffees or drinkyourwords.

Still, exciting stuff!

The attempt at keeping records of these little variables and examining how small things affect the end product, has made me curious about my stewardship of time. So i've had a go at listing the goings-on of the past week.

On one hand, it is useful to keep close accounts of resources gifted to one by God (still alive = gift of time) so as to be considered about the spending of such resources, and additionally in my case, to ensure i stop double-booking the same time slots.

However, there is the danger that is somewhat similar to the danger of census-taking (especially wrt the Old Testament), and also the danger of doing this all for the sake of ticking off the to-do list and being smug and self-congratulatory about all this activity (or v.v.).

So, just a once-off snapshot for future reference (to satisfy own idle curiosity in future about how 2011 went by in a flash):


Sunday
journey to church: stoned
morning: Sunday School on Genesis, breakfast, service
afternoon: lunch, 121 on John, wandered around Little India + salty fruit juice
evening: old friend's birthday dinner
journey home: slept


Monday
journey to work: slept
lunch: met ex-colleague to talk about surreal experience in Japan and meaninglessness of old life
dinner: 121 on Ezra and Nehemiah
journey home: slept

Tuesday
journey to work: caught up on emails
lunch: colleague and her "lousy life"
dinner: "One-to-one" training with Sophie Peace (Sophie de Witt) and 3 others
journey home: discussed training for bible study leaders and how to encourage pastor
night: messed around with HTML for youth camp blog


Wednesday
journey to work: caught up on SMSes, Mark Ashton's "Christian Youth Work"
lunch: Mark Ashton's "Christian Youth Work"
dinner: discussed local politics and how best to help work in Malaysian church
journey home: tried to sort out bible study group for SAHM
night: played around with Khan Academy stuff to see if pedagogy will be useful for teaching the Word, read Tim Hawkins' "Disciples Who Will Last"

Thursday
journey to work: read Judges 6-8
lunch: prepared bible study on Judges, laughed through Dale Ralph Davis' commentary on Judges 6 - 8
("Sunday School Hero" Gideon was a character right out of Monty Python - especially Sir Robin the Chicken-hearted, except funnier! But like the whittling down of the army to 300, this shows it is God who saves rather than the hunk.)
dinner: Tim Hawkins' "Disciples Who Will Last", bible study on Judges
journey home: slept
night: prepared Sunday School material

Friday
journey to work: prepared material for meeting young adult
lunch: met young adult + friend to discuss priorities in Christian life
(Chuffed that they laid out their Bibles on the table in the expectation that we would be relying on God's word for answers, not on me!)
evening: worked late while listening to Sonicflood and Charlie Skrine on Judges 6 "Fearful Deliverer" at St. Helen's Bishopsgate
journey home: worked on getting three-stars for all levels on Angry Birds Rio


Saturday
morning: baked tarts for meet-up
late morning and lunch: met-up with SAHM
journey to the East: re-read Exodus and Andrew Sach and Richard Alldritt's "Dig Even Deeper"

afternoon: witnessed a man allegedly possessed by the spirit of the monkey god blessing the opening of a new shop, watched what we thought was a silat dance that later appeared to be a possession/exorcism thing? along Joo Chiat Road, pho at Long Phuong + discussion on spirits + study on Exodus (Fascinating details about the tabernacle - what references to the Garden of Eden!)
evening: a refreshing pint and chat with the bartend at The Cider Pit (by East of Avalon Wines) - a yummy Westons Vintage Organic Still Cider on draught (but it's flat, bitter and like chou dou fu, said the disbelieving bartender), groceries at Parkway Parade
journey home: slept
night: cooked dinner for family, prepared Sunday School material


Sunday
journey to church: prepared 121 on John 3
morning: Sunday School on Genesis (we had a good laugh at Laban's household gods which had been sat on by Rachel), breakfast, Christianity Explored course
lunch: de-briefing on women's ministry event, planning for next event
afternoon: 121 on John 3 + good long chat about sin in the Christian life
dinner: with family
night: spent quality time with B. Taylor and J.S. Bach + Violin Concerto to give vent to pent-up music, wrote this post

Obviously more concerted effort needs to be made to make full use of time - need to carve out time for exercise before turning completely into a lard-ball and for keeping up with current affairs and to some extent, pop culture so my references aren't too obsolete to be of much use in explanations, but being aware of how time is spent is useful step in hopefully the right direction...