Posts by Steve Hong
Embracing my 50th Birthday
I was born in 1967. Turning 50 is one of those “never thought it would ever arrive” milestones. I remember when my dad turned 50, in 1985. I always thought it peculiar how my dad could pull Frank Sinatra and Patti Page songs into his head from 1955 as if it were yesterday. Today, I…
Read MoreThe Gospel: The Ultimate Covering for our Shame
“For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb 12:2 (NET) Jesus took on all our shame so that our shame can be ultimately covered. My endless quest for “covering” …
Read MoreStepping into the Transitions of Others
Difficulties, illnesses, graduations, moving, a new position, leaving a career…Life is full of transitions. They can often be stressful but also awakening. Unfortunately, transitions caused by massacres like the Orlando one are increasing in number. Obama’s administration alone has had to address 15 such massacres. Transitions are happening on every level, from personal to national…
Read MoreThe Rarely told Story of How SF’s Congregations have helped shape San Francisco
This post chronicles the 2nd Annual Interfaith Bike Ride, an event co-sponsored by the San Francisco Bike Coalition and Interfaith Council that happened on May 22nd, 2016. “We built this City (on rock on roll)!” goes the old #1 San Francisco-anthem from my youth. I actually detested that song (overly pop) but the title was just THAT…
Read MoreUnitarian Universalists visit my Christian church
“We learned a lot about your faith and we greatly appreciate the discussion we had with your youth” What a blessing to have a students, parents, and a teacher from the San Francisco First Unitarian Universalist Church (UUC) join our worship service. Not only did they witness our main service, they also participated…
Read MoreWhy is there such a shortage of Christian material to address the frontiers of the Great Commission?
Christian material is woefully underdeveloped to address two huge frontiers of the Great Commission. One frontier is the migration of people into the cities of the world. A hundred years ago, only a minority of the world’s population lived in cities. Today, a majority live in cities. For example, in the world’s most populous nation,…
Read MoreGetting out of the “Leave it to Beaver” age of Evangelism
Back in the old summer days of my childhood, I had ample time to watch old reruns and “Leave It to Beaver” was the most memorable of them. The show provided me a glimpse into a time capsule from another age and time. It was so interestingly foreign and anachronistic. Everyone had a mom, a…
Read MoreAn Atheist and a Theist Blog Together about Life
San Francisco has a unique way of breeding relationships that go beyond the surface. It’s aura of parks, coffee shops, and common living spaces facilities connection and community that are life-giving to me. This reflect God’s beauty, and reflects heaven to me, even with all the brokeness in the City. And especially meaningful to me…
Read MoreSharing love with San Francisco’s interfaith worshipping communities
On a recent Sunday morning, I took my family to church as I do most Sundays. But this Sunday was different. After our worship service, bicyclists began gathering outside my church from San Francisco’s diverse inter-faith community. I welcomed everyone to my church and began my role of presiding over this first-ever inter-faith service on wheels.…
Read MoreWhy I Give Tours of Chinatown
Telling the story of Chinatown, especially the seldom-told story of how Chinatown finds itself in God’s story, opens the heart to greater compassion, both for people who relate to Chinatown’s culture, and for those who know nothing about it besides dim sum and fortune cookies. Telling the story of Chinatown widens the conduits of our hearts…
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