To Randel’s Beloved Family: Here is the message I shared at the funeral. May its truths bring comfort today and for the days of grief that lie ahead. With God’s comfort, Pastor Hong

I played my first public performance in years just this past month. To be accurate, the event was centered around collective story telling. But the event site included an hour of live music as part of the evening! I saw the flyer posted in a local neighborhood business and thought “I hope we don’t disappoint!”…

“The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close…

Most of us can pinpoint with accuracy where we were in March of 2020. Particularly the weekend of March 13-15, when many states started to impose restrictions on movement with the shelter in place orders. I was boarding a plane on March 11 to go see my daughter, plans that had been made months in…

Music Invites Participation: I appreciate the fact that Christmas Caroling invites people to participate in a socially acceptable way…despite the fact that not all cultures celebrate Christmas. There’s something about digging through your purse or pocket and taking out the keys when carolers sing Jingle Bells that invites all to participate, regardless of musical skill.…

by Pastor Andrea Wong of Hong Kong When people first meet me, they often ask, “Where is home for you?” A seemingly simple, yet complex question… You see, ordinarily, my default is to say: Hong Kong. It’s where I was born, where I’ve spent most of my life, but also where I currently reside. But…

This past summer, I marked 30 years since leaving my engineering career. It’s not been a “straight shot” at all, but like the path of the Exodus from Egypt, it’s been quite the zigzag. I intend to write several posts to mark this “anniversary.” This journey all began when I left my engineering career. By…

If you are familiar with the 2022 movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, you might remember the prominent scene that takes place on SF’s 1-California Muni bus line. (But Muni did not want their name on the movie, for good reason!) That’s not a random bus line chosen for the movie. The “1”…

I was about 12 years old when this picture was taken of me seated next to my grandfather. With both of my parents working, my grandparents were my primary caretakers until dinner time, especially in my years before I began Kindergarten. A veteran in the restaurant industry, my grandfather delivered in the kitchen; I can…

Our process Altogether, the process was designed to give space for the applicant’s own process. I did not address looking up their references here. In practice, this happens organically. There’s not been an applicant where I did not have access to people we know in common. This provides accountability. So those are the nuts and…