Some pho-ughts pho-r you

As in the title, this post is reposted from the UWCCF blog site on Medium. Be sure to check out the rest of the UWCCF blog here.

Taken at perhaps our last PDB before graduating??

It’s a late Sunday morning, almost noon. Service is over. Some people leave right away, but most people stick around, milling about. Chatter fills the air, and people awkwardly move around as chairs get stacked and put away. Among the commotion, the inevitable question arises: “lunch?”

To some, this might seem like a trivial question. Yes, I will be eating lunch! To others, it may require some more thought: “let me see...”

Anecdotally, the rhythm of lunch after church seems to be quite common. Young families might return home to share a meal and put the little ones to bed; big extended families might all gather in the home to spend time together in an otherwise busy week. Growing up, people might have gone with one or two other families to share a meal. For students, this can look like large, semi-boisterous groups descending upon an unsuspecting restaurant.

“In late afternoon

Sunlight-dappled sidewalk streets

Shoulder to shoulder” — E

This short piece isn’t looking to expound on the Sabbath, or detail some deep theological convictions, but more of a playful yet still (somewhat) thoughtful look at how even some seemingly silly things can reveal the underlying ways in which our hearts are formed. Also, enjoy some haiku contributions!

“After church rhythms

A nice bowl of PDB

What’s not to enjoy?” — R

Lunch at PDB (Pho Dau Bo) almost every week was the norm for a long time. (At least from the recollection of some of the 2025s.) Definitely in our second year, and generally in our third year, this was the case. The fourth year was a bit on and off, but there has been an earnest desire to maintain some semblance of it this term, which was many people’s last one.

「魚醤と野菜

牛肉のスープ麺

とても良い 」— S

It is not necessarily that PDB is unrivaled (though some of us would take this stance — they have a trophy to prove it!), or that they have a lot of space to accommodate groups (which is also true!), or that it is really just a great bowl of soup (it really is).

“Always consistent

Never ever lets me down

Only PDB” — C

Rather, it perhaps points us to the deeper longings in our hearts, to the way we have been shaped and formed as people.

Just as we might default to PDB in this case, or return to the same song after some specific event, or walk the same shortcut to class, our hearts are constantly being formed, whether consciously or subconsciously. Sunday is an example of this formation, as the church gathers to walk through a familiar pattern of worship, week by week, month by month, year by year. To be sure, we are not going to church for the pattern itself — we are going to encounter Christ and to be fed by Him. But at the same time, this rhythm that we all participate in can anchor us in the deep truths of the gospel, drawing us in to worship even when our hearts are cold, our eyes teary, our minds wandering elsewhere. And what an interesting and powerful thing, too, to participate in these patterns of worship with the body of Christ throughout the world, and across time!

“Pho-rmed by tradition

Menu not even needed

Three twenty-five large” — J

Hopefully, this brief interlude of PDB haikus and rhythms makes us more mindful of the ways in which are hearts are being formed — to be intentional in living into the practices and rhythms that nurture and grow us, and also intentional in weaning ourselves off of rhythms that alienate us from God and from one another.

“Church done, where to go?

Time to go to Pho Dau Bo

Will be back next week” — D

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So, after thinking for a bit, “let me see...,” there really is only one answer: “PDB!”

Of course, we say this in jest. Part of us does hope that you may continue this wonderful rhythm, but even if not, we hope you were able to enjoy the time that you did have with PDB.

“I have much enjoyed

Eating PDB with you

See you in glory” — E

With much love,

Some PDB enjoyers

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Haiku Contributors:

• Curtis Kong (C)
• Erica Lin (E)
• Stephen Hwang (S)
• Joshua Ye (J)
• Ryan Chan (R)
• David Liu (D)

Special thanks to Uncle Ho for his jovial personality in welcoming us to PDB, week after week.