Lumberjack Theology

Once again I’m joined by my son Christian for this episode of Lumberjack Theology. We discuss St. Francis of Assisi, my new book Jesus Loves you and Evolution is True, and the music of King Krule.

This episode of Lumberjack Theology has a conversation between Christian Lief and his Dad on faith, evolution, and rock music.

One of the reasons young people are checking out of institutionalized forms of Christianity is the perception that faith and science are in conflict. Some in the Christian community wonder if a person can hold to the theory of evolution and still be a bible believing Christian. To get at this issue, Jason Lief and Sara Tolsma have written a book that comes out in May: Jesus Loves you and Evolution is True: Why Youth Ministry Needs Science. The purpose of this book is not to say we all need to believe the same thing when it comes to science and faith; the purpose of this book is show how those who hold to evolutionary theory are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Faith and science are not in conflict!

This episode of Lumberjack Theology is a recording of a live conversation held at the Townsquare Cafe in Orange City, Iowa. Enjoy!

There are developments on the DACA front with two pieces of legislation created—one in the house and another in the senate. So what is DACA? Why does it matter? And why should the Christian community care about these bills?

Di Daniels joins Lumberjack Theology to talk about her experience volunteering at the border between Mexico and the U.S., as well as providing her perspective on the issues of faith, politics, and immigration.

This week we talk to Dr. Jim Mead to ask him why Christians need anything other than the bible. If the bible is God’s word, shouldn’t it tell us everything we need to know about everything?

This episode of Lumberjack Theology welcomes Laremy DeVries—barista, folk rocker, and arm chair philosopher. Our discussion focuses on whether we should read the bible MORE literally. The conversation covers everything from Heidegger, to baking bread, to Genesis 1 and evolution.

Laremy DeVries (Electric Guitar) with the Ruralists

For this inaugural episode of Lumberjack Theology we talk with Dr. Sara Tolsma about faith and evolution. We cover everything from common ancestors, Charles Darwin, the image of God, and the relationship between cows and whales.

Don’t forget to check out the preorder for our new book: Jesus Loves you and Evolution is True!

Intro

Welcome to Lumberjack Theology “axing” the right questions. My name is Jason Lief. And today we begin to explore the Book of Genesis.

How do we make sense of faith and science? What does it mean

to read the creation accounts of Genesis 1 and 2 as God’s word? Some Christians

insist that to take the Bible seriously, we must turn our back on science.  Others look at the Bible is outdated

encouraging people to get with the times and put their trust in science and

technology.

What if both are wrong? 

It’s possible to read the Bible is the infallible word of

God for our lives and. To not be afraid of what science has to tell us about

the cosmos. Today, we begin a sermon series on Genesis 1 exploring a theological

reading of this passage that brings us face to face with a God who brings light

from darkness order from chaos and a God who invites us to love creation with

the love revealed in Jesus Christ.

Genesis 1.

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the Earth the Earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said let there be light and there was light and God saw that the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness.

God called the light day and the Darkness he called night

and there was evening and there was morning the first day. And God said let

there be a dome in the midst of the waters and let it separate the waters from

the waters. So God made the Dome and separated the waters that were Under the

Dome from the waters that were above the Dome and it was so God called The Dome

sky and there was evening and there was morning the second day.

And God said let the waters under the sky be gathered together

into one place and let the dry land appear and it was so. God called the dry

land Earth and the waters that were gathered together. He called seas and God

saw that it was good.  Then God said let

the Earth put forth vegetation plants yielding seed and fruit trees of every

kind on Earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.

And it was so the Earth brought forth vegetation plants

yielding seed of every kind and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed

in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was

morning the third day.  And God said let

there be lights in the Dome of the sky to separate the day from the night and

let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years and let them be

the lights in the Dome of the sky to give light upon the Earth and it was so

God made the two great lights the greater light to Rule the Day and the Lesser

light to rule the night and the Stars.

God set them in the Dome of the sky to give light upon the

Earth to rule over the day and over the night to separate the light from

darkness and God saw that it was good and there was evening and there was

morning the fourth day.  And God said let

the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures and let birds fly above the

Earth across the Dome of the sky.

So God created the great sea monsters and every living

creature that moves of every kind with which the water swarming. And every

Winged Bird of every kind and God saw that it was good. God blessed them and

said be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and let Birds

multiply on the earth there was evening and there was morning the fifth day.

And God said let the Earth bring forth living creatures of

every kind cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every

kind and it was so God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and the

cattle of every kind. And everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind

and God saw that it was good.

Then God said let us make humankind in our image according

to our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over

the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all

Chaos, darkness, light and order – Genesis 1 reveals a God who brings life from nothing, and order from chaos. Genesis 1 is God’s word for us today about creation as a sign of God’s grace and redeeming love.