Good morning!

Vicki and I have returned from a wonderful weekend in Birmingham (UK), where we once lived briefly (1988/1989).

I had already planned to take the train to this city for the 80th Annual Christians in Science Conference, when I received a special invitation: to speak on Sunday before The Birmingham Church on the gifts of the Spirit. Vicki was the guest speaker at a women’s retreat the day before. Here theme: being anchored in Christ (Heb 6:19).

For me the weekend was triply “scientific”:

• The CiS conference

• Our Creation & Evolution webinar with my friend, professor Denis Lamoureux

• A session with my M.A. students in RMSMT’s course in apologetics

At the conference it was a treat to meet astrophysicist David Wilkinson, also a theologian at Durham University and Director of Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science.

I enjoyed lunch with physicist David Hutchings (York), to whom I was introduced by our common friend Roger Frimpong (who preaches in Birmingham). I hope to visit both Davids sometime in 2025.

As at any conference, there were book tables loaded with tempting titles. And yet, besides two books gifted to me by David Hutchings, I took home only one more.

It’s the title you see above—a children’s book. Exactly! I’m eager to learn not just new facts, but how to present those facts. If others can explain complex ideas so that children understand, I want to learn from them. (To be honest, I occasionally read children’s books anyway, since they’re often far easier to follow than “grown-up” books!)

• You can order the 101 Questions book HERE. (In the UK, HERE.)

• For many helpful works on science and other topics, see the huge bibliography HERE.

• If you missed Saturday's webinar, "Beyond the Creation & Evolution Debate," you’ll find an identical presentation by Denis Lamoureux HERE.

• Our next webinar, slated for 1 Feb 2025, is on the Israel / Palestine conflict.

• Below you’ll find a short video on creation (by Tim Barnett), a longer one on Science & Faith (by yours truly), and a magnificent hymn praising the Lord of creation. I heard this first at the CiS conference.

“In a Age of Science, It’s Silly to Believe God Created Everything” (?)

Check out the challenge response by Stand to Reason’s Tim Barnett. It’s about 4 minutes long. Click HERE.

“So Will I”

I recently heard a beautiful hymn (spiritually and cosmologically). Though not new, it was new to me.

Words and music by Joel Houston, Benjamin Hastings, & Michael Fatkin. © 2017 Hillsong Music Publishing CCLI: 7084123

God of creation
There at the start
Before the beginning of time
With no point of reference
You spoke to the dark
And fleshed out the wonder of light

And as You speak
A hundred billion galaxies are born
In the vapor of Your breath the planets form
If the stars were made to worship so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You've made

Every burning star
A signal fire of grace
If creation sings Your praises so will I

God of Your promise
You don't speak in vain
No syllable empty or void
For once You have spoken
All nature and science
Follow the sound of Your voice

Click here for all lyrics

Upcoming

I hope you are benefiting from the content in our weekly newsletter. If so, please encourage your friends to sign up and become familiar with the International Bible Teaching Ministry. In the final newsletters of the year:

• A new series: “Moments I wish I could take back.”

• A special Advent plan (1-24 Dec)

• Conversation 20: being with God.

• The concluding installments in the Early Christian Writings series.

• An interview with Malcolm Cox (Watford, England)

• Words to ponder (even more thought-provoking quotations).

Pray for us anytime, donate here, come back next week! — Douglas