The Great British Bake Off Vs. Literally Every American Cooking Show

During the summer hiatus of my favorite TV shows, I turn to the slew of reality TV entertainment to fill the void. Guilty pleasure – yes. Any chance of stopping – no. One of my favorite types of reality TV is cooking shows. From Chopped to Cake Wars to Master Chef and beyond, I’ve probably seen an episode of every American-marketed competitive cooking show. What can I say? I’m addicted and bored.

This summer, I began watching The Great British Bake Off. I’d heard of it, but never actually watched it. When American TV becomes mundane, which is frequent, I often venture into the world of British television, and in fact a lot of my favorites come from across the pond.

After the first episode of Bake Off I knew something was different. After the second episode, I figured it out – authenticity.

While in the Philippines, I got a taste of the real deal watching Master Chef Juniors: Australia (twice as cute as the American one and 100% more authentic.) In the American version the kids come off as actor wannabes. They’re cute, don’t get me wrong, but I doubt their passion for cooking or on occasion their ability at all. The Aussie version couples the cute factor of kids with their genuine passion – a perfect recipe for an incredible cooking show. The tears and joys are real.

I have now found this in Bake Off. These amateur bakers are real people, not Hollywood wannabes. Granted the people or chefs on American cooking competitions, in most cases, don’t become famous. But they lack the “real” factor. The real factor is extremely important when I’m supposed to care who stays and who goes.

Authenticity is the underlying factor that completely colors the shows. It feels real or it doesn’t. I like the real. Will I stop watching reality TV – no. I’m addicted to fake, just like the rest of America. But I like to foray into real reality TV time and time again.

Here are other important qualities of Bake Off that are refreshingly different:

1.       Contests go home after each round! What a novelty. You don’t have to deal with taking time away from a job or be away from family to compete. Plus, no living in awkward situations with strangers – bonus!

2.       Paul and Mary (Bake Off judges) are firm and critical but they’re not mean for the sake of being mean. No Gordon Ramsey’s here folks.

3.       The tears are real, so is the stress, therefore the drama is real. Will they get the bake completed in time? Who knows?

4.       The tasks are plausible. No stupid time limits (there are limits but reasonable) or crazy ingredients that have to no relevance to the culinary world. Nothing is thrown at contestants just to watch them squirm.

5.       Finally, the hosts are so corny, but they don’t try to pass of as anything but. Plus, it’s educational. History and facts are thrown in, I learn as I watch.

So that’s it. I could be fooled by the bakers, they could all be actors, but if they are give them an award – the fooled me. Bake Off vs. the battery of U.S cooking shows. Watch it – fun times and real baking ahead.

Also, just as an FYI, the U.S. tried its own version Bake Off. It flopped. What can I say, we like fake reality TV.

Prayer List – Can you go off book?

Every Monday my organization has chapel and a time of prayer for our mission workers all over the world. It’s a time we spend in fellowship with one another and it starts the week out centered in the Spirit. Today as I sat in my prayer group circle, with the prayer list paper in hand, I began to wonder about the nature of prayer lists and prayer requests. Are they helpful or do they hold us back?

Today, as I read the prayer sheet and people around me prayed and ticked off each prayer, like ticking off boxes on a check list, I wondered, “Can I go off book?” The prayer requests are laid out before me in a neat little paragraph, wrapped up in a tidy, direct package.  No one would care if I read the sheet word for word, as long as each box was ticked and I meant what I said.

When something is presented before me, the words fed to me, I tend to not branch out from what is given. My mind focuses in on it. In doing this, do I limit spontaneous prayer, the movement of the Spirit? Do I have the freedom to just pray? Let it all loose, pray about what He leads me too?

Do I have the freedom to not pray? I’m expected too. I’m expected to read of the list. Complete the task at hand. But can I pray silently? Can I pray for myself or my family during the time of community prayer? The script is given. Do I dare change it?

I think prayer lists and prayer requests are important. As believers we are prayer warriors. There is immense power in prayer. They give us opportunity to lift up others in prayer, they share the need. But do we rely too heavily on lists? Do we go through the motions, lifting up prayers like reading off a to-do list? Do we allow the Spirit to drive us? Do we listen when He speaks?

Let this be a challenge – don’t be afraid to be spontaneous in your prayers. Use the lists and requests as a spring board for real, deep prayer. Heart prayer. Don’t stop. Keep praying when all the boxes are ticked.

One time a mission worker told me of an analogy he heard when he was a part of a 24-hour prayer meeting – that’s straight; just prayer, 24-hours. He said prayer is like an ocean wave, the struggle, the challenge, the distraction comes on the way up, where lists and requests are necessary for momentum. But the beauty, the fluidity, the movement, the driven, impact prayer comes after the crest, where the Spirit takes a hold and you just ride the wave.