In this episode of Scripture Untangled, CBS Ambassador, Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling sits down with Fr. John Boutros, a former pediatric surgeon who left medicine to become a Coptic Orthodox priest in downtown Toronto. Fr. John shares his remarkable journey of faith and calling, and what he has learned about surrendering every part of life to God.

In this episode, John and Andrew discuss:

• Fr. John Boutros’ journey from pediatric surgeon to priest and why he came to see every opportunity in his life as a gift from God.
• The ancient Christian tradition of the Coptic Church.
• The assumption that God works slowly, and whether the real issue may be that sometimes our expectations are too focused on immediacy.
• The Christian conviction that every human being bears God's image and therefore deserves to be treated with profound dignity and love.
• How Christian life requires an ongoing, authentic encounter with Christ and a continual pursuit of holiness.

Read the transcript: https://biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s14-ep8

=====

Fr. John Boutros is a priest of a young downtown church in Toronto, Canada, St Moses & St Katherine Coptic Orthodox Church. Fr John met the girl of his dreams, Mary, and was married in 2011, and is now daddy to Anastasia, Zoë and Élise. Ordained in July 2012, he was previously a pediatric surgeon. Now, Fr John serves a wide-variety of urban dwellers, students, and young professionals. Fr John is equally passionate for the marginalized, the poor, and those who have no one. Being in a community of disciples of Jesus, steeped in ancient faith and Orthodoxy, rooted in Coptic heritage, we live to incarnate God’s love in a metropolitan setting.

https://www.smsk.ca

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

How can Christians pursue reconciliation when extensive harm has been done in the name of Christianity? Métis storyteller Crystal Lavallee joins Joanna la Fleur to explore Indigenous identity, residential schools, forgiveness, healing and the power of listening. She shares how Indigenous elders and communities have challenged her understanding of faith and shown her why reconciliation begins with relationship.

In this episode, Crystal and Joanna discuss:

• How discovering Crystal’s Métis heritage transformed her understanding of identity and belonging.
• The encounter with Jesus that made Crystal’s faith personal and sparked her love for Scripture.
• The painful legacy of residential schools and the harm done to Indigenous peoples in the name of Christianity.
• What Indigenous elders and leaders have taught her about God, healing and faith.
• How Christians can move beyond stereotypes and learn directly from First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s14-ep7

=====

Crystal Lavallee is the Founder and National Director of I Am Compelled, a charity passionate about empowering the next generation in remote Indigenous communities. She's a producer, storyteller, and adventurer who loves capturing stories of hope, healing, and resilience from Indigenous leaders across Canada.

When she's not behind the camera or on the road, you'll probably find Crystal swimming in a lake, out on the water, or wandering the aisles of Winners (it's a bit of an obsession!). She recently expanded into voice-over work, completing a project for the State of Minnesota.

Crystal is Métis-Greek, with family roots in Manitoba. She loves the words of Métis leader Louis Riel: "My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back." Her life is also deeply shaped by her favourite Bible verse, Psalm 45:7.

https://iamcompelled.ca/

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

In this episode of Scripture Untangled, Dr. John Lennox, President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, joins Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. They explore God, faith and science, the reliability of the Bible, the resurrection of Jesus, and what it means to follow Christ today.

In this episode, John and Andrew discuss:

• John’s parents and how their authentic Christian faith shaped his understanding of God, Scripture and the dignity of every person.
• How John approaches Scripture thoughtfully and prayerfully, allowing God’s Word to speak before turning to arguments about its reliability.
• What makes Jesus Unique and why Christianity is not about earning God's acceptance, but receiving salvation through Jesus Christ by grace.
• John’s decades of engaging with prominent atheist thinkers and difficult questions, and why his confidence rests in God rather than his own credentials.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s14-ep6

=====

John Lennox is the President of the OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. John oversees the direction and the shape of OCCA as well as lecturing on several different issues from AI to the age-old question of God and science.

John is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford. In addition, he is also a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum.

John has written a number of books exploring the relationship between science and Christianity, among them: God and Stephen Hawking, a response to The Grand Design (2011 revised 2021), Gunning for God, on the new atheism (2011), Can Science Explain Everything? (2019), Where is God in a Coronavirus World? (2020), 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity (2021), and Cosmic Chemistry: Do God and Science Mix? (2021). Most recently, John has published his biblical exposition: Friend of God: The Inspiration of Abraham in an Age of Doubt.

John’s work seeks to bridge the gap between the world of Mathematics, Philosophy, and Theology. John’s extensive work at the interface of science and religion has led him to engage in high-profile debates with thinkers such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Peter Singer. Alongside these debates, he has been invited to lecture around the world to teach on biblical exegesis and the profound questions of existence and faith.

https://theocca.org/

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca