Christmas Carols: Harkening us Back to the Power of Music

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.…

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HOME – BELONGING – RESTORATION – EMBRACE

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…

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1993-2023: Leaving Egypt (Engineering)

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…

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Pirates, Interrogation, and Gold Mountain

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…

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Recruiting New Board Members – The Process

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…

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Juneteenth and New Relationships, Part 2 of 2

If you’ve not seen the video of part 1, nor read it, read this first: https://kingdomrice.org/2022/07/07/juneteenth-and-new-relationships-part-1-of-2/ I’ve been blessed with a good dose of webinars and podcasts about Black Asian solidarity, the bridge building that happens on the street level. But I don’t read or hear many examples that break down how these are formed…

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Juneteenth and New Relationships, Part 1 of 2

Through the years, my buddy Kirk and I have introduced Asian-Americans and African-Americans to each other’s respective neighborhoods. So when AAPI hate crimes really began to escalate (over 10,000 reported hate crimes per this most reputable of websites during the pandemic up through 2021, with many more unreported), Kirk Davis (an African American leader and…

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Advent – God Speaks Through Wombs

“But God speaks through wombs, birthing prophetic utterances…Enough of this unbelieving religion that masquerades as faith. Divine favor is placed on what we have disgraced.” That’s an excerpt inspired by Luke 1:5-25 from a new book of poems from Pastor Drew Jackson in NYC. Reading this as part of my Advent has been a great…

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