Dinner and a Show

When Wayne and I first got married, our very first home was in Japan.  We traveled halfway around the world to start our life together, and what a wonderful time we had!  Some of our fondest memories together were made in that foreign land.  Wayne's love of sushi developed into something of a phenomenon!  The little sushi shops would see him coming, and the owners would smile wide, knowing that this big foreigner would be able to eat plenty enough to pay the bills! 

We had our favorite spots, and we still visit them when we head back to our "home away from home" in Asia.  From sushi to ice cream, we found a place to satisfy every craving.  But the thing that may surprise you is that in all of our years of going to Japan (17 and counting), we have only seen one teppanyaki restaurant!  Teppanyaki is the style of cooking that most people in the U.S. associate with Japanese food--where the chef stands at your table and cooks your meal on the super hot griddle in the middle of the table.  This is not what you will find if you happen to be dining in Japan!  However, we do love this food, as well.  Our children especially like the "show" that accompanies the meal.  It doesn't matter if we're in California or North Carolina, the show seems to be pretty much the same, and we laugh every time.

I like the idea of dinner and a show.  I think being entertained while I eat is a great concept.  I don't know why we don't combine the two more often.  It offers a chance to display a bit of creativity in several realms, and children seem to "eat up" when someone is throwing food into their mouths. 

These days, the idea is catching. We've been to so many churches lately that have taken up the torch to entertain while they spoon feed the gospel to the masses.  I have to say that I think some of the things that I've heard about borderline on the ridiculous, but I have to ask this:  Is is working?  Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the world who wouldn't even think about stepping over the threshold of a church unless there was a gimmick.  If our creative thoughts can get them through the door, why not?  Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John 12:32 

My personal tastes here follow my tastes for food:  I like to keep things simple and fresh.  But I hope that I am doing everything I can to make Jesus Christ appealing in my life.  I don't want to work this into a drama, but I don't want my life to be so boring that the world never notices how amazing a life in Christ can be.  I would like to think that my life is kind of like dinner and a show!  I hope that the people with whom I come in contact will not only be drawn to the presence of Jesus in me but also to the joy of the Lord that overflows into my own being. 

Are you all dinner and no show?  Are you all show and no dinner?  Or....are you dinner AND a show?  Let your life reflect the joy and passion of Jesus in a way that makes Him appealing to those around!

Dinner suggestion:  Grab an assortment of sushi from your local fresh supermaket.  Add to that a bag or more of Edamame (soybeans - and we like the ones that are still in the pods because it's more fun for the kids to open them).  Finally, rent an entertaining movie, and spend a night sitting on the floor around the coffee table with your kids, some real Japanese food and chopsticks!  You'll have a blast!