Charing's play ground of theology

  Sermon title: Together in FAITH, United in PRIDE, Rooted in LOVE Scriptures: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 and Luke 9:51-62 Date: June 29, 2025 Location: Broadway UMC Chicago (Pre- Pride Worship Service, hosted by CCWC) [Opening] Good morning. What a joy to be here with you in Chicagoland—a place alive with resilience, creativity, and courage. As we approach Pride, we gather under a banner that says: Together in FAITH, United in PRIDE, Rooted in LOVE. This isn’t just a theme—it’s a declaration. A reminder that no matter who we love, how we identify ourselves, or where we come from, we are never alone on this journey. [FAITH ] In 2 Kings, when the prophet Elijah ’s time is near, his companion Elisha refuses to leave him. “ As surely as the Lord lives... I will not leave you,” he says. And when Elijah is taken, Elisha picks up his mantle and boldly asks, “ Where is the God of Elijah?” The water was parted—because faith moves mountains, and sometimes rivers. And we can walk...

  Sermon Title: Heir Through God Scripture: Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 Date: December 29, 2024 (First Sunday after Christmas) Location: United Church of Hyde Park Opening Prayer: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) 1. The Debate in the Galatian Church The context of today's scripture centers around a debate within the Galatian Church. In Paul’s time, the congregation was no longer solely composed of Jews but also included individuals from various cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, languages, races, and religions. This diversity sparked a debate between Jews by birth and Gentiles. For centuries, Israelites, based on their reading of the Hebrew Bible and Torah, believed they were the only chosen people deserving of God’s salvation. In their context, the term “ people of God ” exclusively referred to them. This mindset extended into the early church, where s...

  Date: November 17, 2024 Occasion: Transgender Day of Remembrance with Candlelight Service Location: United Church of Hyde Park Scripture: Daniel 12:1-3 Sermon title: Those Shall Wake “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart     be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Amen.   “Daniel was called Belteshazzar” (Dan 1:7) by the palace master, as well as Daniel’s three other Jewish friends. Although Daniel and his friends were captured by the Babylonian King, they insisted not to comply with the eating regulations they were asked to follow. Daniel started to interpret King’s dreams because God has given Daniel vision and wisdom during the diaspora. Daniel’s three friends did not comply with the mandatory worshipping code – to worship the Golden Image made by the King, they were thrown into the furnace that was heated up seven times more than was customary. But, they survived. The King was shocked to know that they we...

  Sermon Title: Job1:1,2:1-10; Mark 10:2-16 Scripture: Receive the Kingdom of God Like a Child Date: October 6, 2024 Occasion: World Communion Sunday / LGBTQ+ History Month Location: United Church of Hyde Park   1- Presbyterian Outlook I subscribed to some weekly meditation materials from various sources. The Presbyterian Outlook I received this week has an interesting beginning. Here is the first paragraph: “Dear readers, A lot is going on in the world right now. The Southeast is still assessing the tragic damage of Hurricane Helene, the Near East is shrouded in violence, Sudan is on the brink of famine, the U.S. stands in front of a decision that will impact our democracy ... Watching or listening to the news can feel overwhelming. Where am I to spend my time and energy? How will I have enough capacity?” [1] Bad news keeps coming. The suffering of people, all around the world. We might ask: what have they done? What cause those? When looking at them. We m...