This year’s SOLA Leaders’ Dialogue seeks to equip pastors and church leaders to thrive. We aim to address various aspects of becoming healthy leaders. Tim St. John from Lighthouse Community Church will be speaking on cultivating emotional health. Michael Lee from All Nations Community Church will be speaking on cultivating organizational health. And Harold Kim from Christ Central Southern California will be speaking on cultivating relational health. Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 24th from 9:30AM – 12:00PM at Living Hope Community Church in Brea, California. Register for free and RSVP on our Facebook event page.
Back in the month of May, SOLA contributor Irene Paek gave us 4 Reasons for Christians to Dance. I had the opportunity to interview her on my Sound Words podcast to hear more of her story. Find some time this weekend to listen to our 30-minute candid conversation on YouTube, Spotify, or Podcasts.
Our monthly SOLA newsletter has been redesigned and relaunches next Friday. We will share statistics from the website, behind-the-scenes resources, and announce a series of giveaways. Subscribe today to stay up to date so you never miss out. As always, if you have any links or recommendations to share, please tweet me @musicgoon or email me at aaron@musicgoon.com.
Link Roundup
1. Heidi Tai: What Does Your Dad Do?
SOLA contributor Heidi Tai on her immigrant father and his fighting spirit. This brand new story was shared by Tim Challies and was a recommended read on Medium in the family category. It was originally published in her eBook, Lazy Susan. You can get a free copy if you subscribe to her newsletter in September.
2. Rachel Kleppen: Netflix Is Making It Harder to Be a Missionary
Writing for Christianity Today, Rachel Kleppen reveals the challenges of modern-day missionary work, prolonged culture shock, and technological temptations while being a missionary in Taipei, Taiwan.
3. Hannah Chao: Psalm 23:6
SOLA editor Hannah Chao reflects via her personal newsletter on God’s passionate pursuit for his people.
4. Johnathon Bowers: Bound Together for Good: Lessons for White Christians from the Black Church
In this feature article from Desiring God, Johnathon Bowers, assistant professor of philosophy and theology at Bethlehem College & Seminary, examines history to reveal “the limits of racial-diversity initiatives, the need for sympathetic listening, and the interdependence of white and black Christians.”
5. Alton Wang: The downside of Andrew Yang’s jokes about knowing lots of Asian American doctors
A perspective piece from The Washington Post on the model-minority myth, accurate representation, and modern politics. For more on this topic, read how Andrew Yang’s use of Asian stereotypes is reinforcing toxic tropes by Li Zhou for Vox.com.
Weekend Recommendations
1. Credo Magazine: Dort at 400
“Four hundred years ago, a group of Arminians remonstrated against the Reformed understanding of God’s grace. In response, Reformed theologians and pastors all over the world met at the Synod of Dort to defend what we now call the Five Points of Calvinism or the Doctrine of Grace. But how many evangelicals today—even Reformed evangelicals—have ever read the Canons of Dort? In this issue of Credo Magazine, not only are these canons celebrated but the contributors demonstrate just how indispensable these canons are for the church today.”
2. Russell Moore: Pornography
“Pornography is one of the most pressing issues facing the church today. It isn’t a new problem. And it isn’t limited only to men or boys going through adolescence. While people argue that pornography is morally neutral, Christians must recognize that this is far from true. Pornography is evil, and pornography is sin. It preys upon our weaknesses, but worse it preys upon the men and women used in its creation. The increased use of internet pornography over the last decade has been particularly pervasive and harmful. In this video, I describe the roots and effects of pornography, and talk about ways that Christians ought to combat it.”
3. Sound Words Podcast: 4 Reasons for Christians to Dance with Irene Paek
I interviewed Irene Paek on my Sound Words Podcast. In this episode, we talk about her Korean background, growing up with insecurities – especially about her body, Biola University, the writing process for her article, how through dance she learned to love how God created her, and her current role on the Living Hope worship team. Listen on YouTube, Spotify, or Podcasts.
4. Aaron Lee: Book Reviews
This week I reviewed Letters to My Students – Volume One: On Preaching by Jason K. Allen.
From SOLA
1. Owen Lee: Work Life Series: The Curse and Temptations of Work
“Why work is so hard and unfulfilling? There’s a problem with work because of a curse, and because of the effects of sin, we can fall into two temptations when it comes to work.”
2. Grace Lung: Helping Women Lament in the Church
“Asian women in the West are confronted with multiple expectations. There are Asian expectations to be high-achieving daughters who are submissive and look after the family. There are also Western expectations to be quiet, grateful and hard-working model migrants. In both communities, the unspoken condition for our acceptance is dutifully meeting expectations without complaint.”
3. Tony Thomas: 3 Rhythms for Growing in Personal Evangelism
“Friend: “Then, why don’t Christians tell more people?” I was shocked by his response. I didn’t have a good answer for him other than saying that I think it’s because we are afraid. And for him that was inconceivable. And what convicts me is how my friend, who never grew up in a Christian home, came to the conclusion that sadly many of us as Christians fail to come to even though we grew up in Christian homes and attend church maybe even multiple times a week. Which is that, if we say we believe the Gospel and all its implications, how can we possibly not be sharing this Gospel to as many people as we can?”
4. Tim St. John: Friendship Essentials for Men
“Many of us have grown up in cultures or traditions that might call intentional and transparent friendships between men “strange” at best, and “wimpy” or “unmanly” at worst. Partnered with our already naturally secretive hearts, this cultural stigma hinders Christ-like love between men.”
5. Thank God It’s Friday: Weekend Roundup
In case you missed it, here are some headlines from last week: Why This Asian Presbyterian Can’t Quit the White Pentecostal Church, Hong Kong Protesters, Without an Anthem to Sing, Create One Online, 4 Ways Your Faith Should Shape Your Friendships, and 10 Things You Should Know about People with Disabilities.
6. SOLA: TGIF Subscription
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