A weekly dose of science for the church
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2022 Highlights
We’re ending the year by highlighting the 2022 newsletters that you liked best.
Devotional: Look Closely to see the Big Picture
You see, God, so often asks us to look closely at the very ordinary—at one of a multitude of stars, at the swaddling clothes of a babe in a feeding trough, at a young couple expecting a child, at shepherds watching their flocks, and at scholarly types studying the heavens for insight. In these everyday objects and events, God was working out the extraordinary.
The Christmas Blues
Maybe you are thinking that in a world of Cindy-Lou Whos you just feel like the Grinch. But things can change. Last week Drew highlighted how mental health is more than wishful thinking and a prayer. In fact, dealing effectively with the Christmas blues requires proactive steps.
No Place for Them in the Therapy Room
In a sense, Mary and Joseph are outliers. God chose them alone to bear and raise God’s only son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. In another way, they are just like us. Life can hand anyone trials and tribulations that will bring the strongest of us to our knees. We all have mental health needs; it is only the details of our need that differ.
Hope in a Hopeless Time
We need hope grounded in God. I’m willing to call it theological hope. It’s the conviction that God is active when we don’t see it. It’s the promise that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
By Popular Demand
To shed light on these texts, Reyes-Ton’s words and Bustard’s images put biblical passages in conversation with what we currently know about flatworms, nociception, microtubules, corals, fox dens and what has sometimes been called the Jesus Christ lizard.
What About Evolution? Greg Talks with a Theologian and a Biologist
Can Christians with a high view of scripture accept the biological theory of evolution? These authors respond with a resounding, “Yes!” As Todd Wilson, co-founder and president of the Center for Pastor Theologians, commented, “The authors guide us through a complex thicket of issues—biological, theological, biblical, and pastoral—with both wisdom and grace.”
A Celebration of Interconnected Relationships: The Benefits of Gratitude
It is not surprising that one of the central themes in the Bible maps to practicing thankfulness, rejoicing, and gratitude. Just take a moment and meditate on these words: “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever”
Devotional: The Promise of Incalculable Stars
What does the deep field image released earlier this year (above) from the James Webb telescope have to do with God’s promise to Abram? I suspect the knowledge it reveals would have expanded Abram’s understanding of God’s pledge. It certainly enhances mine. I find it nearly impossible to fathom a promise of such magnitude.
A Case Study on Science in Sermons
The pulpit is where we give credibility to the gospel of Jesus Christ, not astronomy, biology, or medicine. This is one of the reasons we wanted to share Dolson’s sermon with you: the message is not first and foremost about science. Rather, science is used to further Dolson’s explication of Psalm 19 as he proclaims the gospel.
Six Ways the Church Avoids Fantasyland
Being quick to listen and slow to speak helps us hear what people outside the church think of our Christian witness.
How Four Churches Flourish by Caring for Creation
Back in the spring, I wrote that “small actions (mustard seeds) can add up to mountains.” This biblical wisdom applies when approaching creation care. We all have different motivations and different actions we can take in response to those motivations.