It was a big week on the website! Hannah Chao was inspired by the new movie, The Farewell, Benjamin Shin began Part 1 of The Asian American Guide to Premarital Counseling, and Judy Lee answered the question “Can You Be a Christian Fashion Influencer?”
I led music last Sunday at FCBC Walnut. Fittingly, my first entry for SOLA is 10 Easy Ways to Blow Your Influence as a Worship Leader. If you find it helpful, feel free to share it with your worship leading friends.
After contributing my first post, I came across an article by Cody Cunningham that asks What is the Aim of Christian Writing? He writes, “So often, I evaluate my writing on questions like, Will people like my writing? How many shares will it get? I settle for moldy crumbs of vain glory when there’s a feast to be found in the glory of the Lord.”
My prayer is that the links I recommend and the words I write move you to worship. As always, please send me your feedback by tweeting me @musicgoon or emailing me at aaron@musicgoon.com.
Link Roundup
1. Chelsea Patterson Sobolik: The State of Religious Liberty in China – A Q&A with Nina Shea
“They discussed the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, the widespread use of technology, and how the U.S. can leverage their trade relationship to see change in the country.”
2. Jonathan Hayashi: What is the Greatest Challenge You Face in Ministry?
“Our generation lives in a time marked by tiresome weariness. As a result, Christians too are tired and attending Sunday service seems all they can give.”
3. Lindsey Kennedy: God’s Sovereignty Over Art
Lindsey Kenney writes for the Lexham Press blog and adapts a text by Abraham Kuyper. “Art does not exist because people invented and conceived of it, and called it into life, but art—just like agriculture, industry, commerce, and every other expression of life—exists only by the grace of God and by virtue of his ordinances.”
4. Joe Carter: The FAQs: What You Should Know About Purity Culture
Joe Carter writes for The Gospel Coalition on Joshua Harris, purity culture, and sexuality for the sake of Christ.
5. Ruth Graham: The Decline of the Christian Bookstore
Writing for Slate.com, Ruth Graham examines Christian publishing and evangelical culture.
Weekend Recommendations
1. Trip Lee: How can we inspire a revival of Gospel creativity?
“In this panel discussion from Sing! 2018, Keith Getty talks with rapper and hip-hop artist Trip Lee about how Jesus radically transformed the focus of his art. Trip also shares wisdom to artists and songwriters about the importance of the local church, how to use our art to push back against the worldviews that are contrary to God’s Word, and how to use the gifts the Lord has given you to honor Him.”
2. Steve Chang: Abba! Father!
Founding and Senior Pastor Steve Chang of Living Hope Community Church and the Council Chairman of SOLA Network preaches a 40-minute sermon from Romans 8:14–8:17. It is one of my favorite passages on the Spirit of adoption.
3. Jen Wilkin: Training a Child in the Way He Should Speak
In this 30-minute podcast for The Gospel Coalition, Jen Wilkin highlights the importance of invitations, hospitality, and evangelism.
From SOLA
1. Aaron Lee: 10 Easy Ways to Blow Your Influence as a Worship Leader
“It is easy for worship leaders to neglect our influence. We focus on fifteen minutes of singing and fail to see our ministry is more than music.”
2. Judy Lee: Can You Be a Christian Fashion Influencer?
“The difference I see between a worldly obsession and a mission field in Instagram is allowing yourself to be led in faith. […]I do believe there’s a place for Christians in the influencer world, like any other secular industry. It’s a matter of whether God calls you to be one or not.”
3. Benjamin Shin: The Asian American Guide to Premarital Counseling: Part 1
“The biggest difference in counseling an Asian American couple in premarital counseling boils down to issues related to family relationships, especially in regards to parents and in-laws.”
4. Hannah Chao: Burdens and Truth: Inspired by “The Farewell”
“Is it morally acceptable to tell your grandmother that she is healthy even when she is dying of Stage 4 cancer?[…]Watching [The Farewell], I achingly resonated with Billi’s conflict and inner turmoil. It was the familiar tension of living between two cultures.
[…]I struggled with whether or not what the family was doing was wrong. As Christians, we generally believe that lying is a sin. So then is the family in The Farewell a bad family? Are a lot of Asian families bad families?”
5. Thank God It’s Friday: Weekend Roundup
In case you missed it, here is our roundup from last week: A Place at the Table, 10 Reflections from 10 Years of Marriage, In Hong Kong, One Protester Pulls Off His Mask and Defines a Movement, How Magazines Made Asian America, and Errata: An Apology to Some Evangelicals.