Today, we present to you our top ten articles published last year. We are thrilled to have gotten in touch with new authors, as well as hear from voices familiar to SOLA. Without further ado, here are our top ten!
1 | A Letter to the Asian American Church
Launched at our AALC 2024 Conference, this book written by over a dozen ministry practitioners is aimed at encouraging, empowering, and celebrating the Asian American church.
“Will you join us in embracing the call for the Asian American Church? For years, the church has said indirectly and directly to the Asian American faith community that they must find a place in a multicultural church or even the majority culture church disguised as a multicultural church. The collective voices in this book argue that there is underappreciated beauty, diversity, joy, benefit, and place for the Asian American church. Asian American leaders need to joyfully embrace the call to serve the Asian American church, not only for the emerging generation but for the broader church.”
2 | The Land of Many Meetings
Thanksgiving is often a joyous occasion for family and friends to slow down, gather together, and enjoy a hearty meal with great company. However, for others, this time of year reveals which chairs in our homes are now perpetually empty. Josh Budlimic’s moving piece about his father and what the empty chair means to him reminds us that not only will one day our grief be undone, but until then we have all we need in the Lord.
“This Thanksgiving season, whether you are celebrating in the midst of sorrow or joy, set your heart on these truths. If you are wading through a season of sorrow, continue to praise the Lord and rest in the Gospel; if joy, praise the Lord all the same, and continue to rest in the hope of the Gospel. Remember the words of C.S. Lewis when he said, ‘He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.’”
3 | Soft Discipleship through Friendship
Publishing with SOLA for the first time, Serena Wang shares her thoughts on the ways friendship can encourage spiritual growth and discipleship. While we may be accustomed to looking for church programs, with the expectation that others should mentor us, God may have placed friends in our lives who could fill those roles in a different way.
“Their discipleship went beyond just encouraging spiritual disciplines. They loved me purely and sincerely, prayed for me when I was discouraged, and supported me in my faith walk. I looked to them for spiritual advice, because they were the spiritual authorities in my life. However, they never wielded that power or seized their spiritual superiority. Rather, they presented themselves as peers, entertained my questions, and encouraged me to look to the Lord. They showed me what it looks like to have a life with God.”
4 | Letters: To Senior Pastors – What I Want You To Know About My Generation
From across the pond and as a member of Gen Z, Rosia Li (Young Writers Cohort) pens a letter addressed to the senior pastor of her local church. Any senior pastor could benefit from her perspective. Meaningful connections, instead of technological methods, is what Gen Z needs.
“In view of this dire prognosis, I would like to suggest a crucial role that the church can play in helping Gen Z rise above this digital domination. This relational problem requires a relational solution. Contrary to popular belief, my generation is actually incredibly eager to glean wisdom from those who have lived a little (to many more) years than us. It’s just that at times, we are just a little shy to make the first move.”
5 | Letters: Dear ChatGPT Users
As a part of her contributions in the Young Writers Cohort, Ashley Kim kicked off the “Letters to” series with this piece that probes the use of ChatGPT and the conundrums it presents for Christians.
“ChatGPT users, I’ve asked you many questions in this letter without single, clear answers. Many answers will vary from person to person; others are lacking because we simply don’t have enough information to say. What I can offer are the thoughts of a Christian who has chosen not to use ChatGPT, at least for the time being, because of the concerns I discussed here.”
6 | Biblically Honoring Your Parents: Part 1
Both of Rosalyn Auyeung’s thoughtful pieces about what it means to biblically honor our parents resonated with many of our readers this year. In this first part, she contrasts worldly love and biblical love, as well as highlights the reality of it being difficult at times to love our parents biblically. Rosalyn points out the many nuances that present challenges and opportunities to live out the gospel in relation to our parents. Part 2 provides practical questions to navigate relationships with difficult parents.
“Sometimes, their highest good means that you choose to overlook their sin and to live peaceably with them (Rom 12:18) as a demonstration of God’s mercy. Other times, love is helping your parents in their weaknesses even though it is time-consuming or financially costly because as Christians, we are called to consider others more than ourselves (Phil 2:3). Finally, biblical love can mean speaking or acting in a way that may not be what your parents expect or want.”
7 | What I Wish You Understood About the Ethnic-Specific Church, Part 1
SOLA Editorial Board Member Daniel K. Eng brings to light several misconceptions about the ethnic-specific church, ultimately pointing to the beautiful unity that is experienced with the church at large.
“We are part of a wider, universal body of Christ, and we celebrate that. The fact that followers of Christ are in distinct local churches doesn’t make us divided from each other. Romans 15:26 describes the saints in Macedonia and Achaia making a contribution to the church in Jerusalem. Despite being in distinct local bodies, they were very much united. We, too, can be united with brothers and sisters in other local churches.”
8 | Do I Share The Gospel Now?
Ben Chow, another member of our inaugural Young Writers Cohort members, reflects on a shared ambulance ride with a patient and the tension between sharing the gospel or not. A local Florida radio station picked up the piece and interviewed Ben. You can listen to the recording here.
“When I asked what kind of music he listened to, it turned out we had similar tastes. I had my partner play some songs I knew the patient would enjoy. For the next twenty minutes, my patient and I sang together in the back of the ambulance, him from the gurney and me from the bench next to him.
With about 10 minutes left in our ride, I wondered what to do with the dilemma building in my chest: do I share the gospel now?”
9 | Finding Warmth in God During the Chill of Fall
Hannah Wang, a first time author with SOLA, shares about how the season of autumn changing into winter can reflect a kind of spiritual change, and how to keep our relationship with God warm.
“The sun will soon start to set before 6 pm and warm, sunny days will be harder to come by. This darkness also can start to seep into our hearts and minds, polluting our thoughts and actions. How do we cultivate our faith and relationship with Jesus when the darkness creeps in?”
10 | Getting Out of the Burnout Pit
Vera Christian writes about her experience of burnout, and the difficult road out of it through confession, commitment to Christ, and cultivating healthy rhythms.
“As a pastor’s wife, I felt ashamed that even after five years, I was not doing better. So I hid in my husband’s office on Sundays to avoid seeing anyone. I traded the small talk I dreaded for loneliness.
This combination of hard work and isolation created apathy and depression. Nothing gave me joy, even things I once enjoyed. I lost heart and hope. My body was alive, but my spirit was dying—and I needed help. On top of all this, I felt despair, wondering if God had abandoned me.”
We celebrate these authors and the many more who contributed writing to SOLA in 2024. We’re always taking submissions, so if you’d like to submit a pitch, please email Jee and Heidi.
Photo Credit: Andrew Knechel