Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair, New Jersey

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Pastor's Pulse

by Paul Leggett, Pastor

Cosmology and Creation - Dr. Edwin L. Kerr

August 2010

“On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? …” — Job 38:6-7

In the summer of 1972 I met a brilliant young scientist who I felt was one of the most interesting and stimulating people I had ever met (this impression also applied to his wife, Carolyn, who had the distinction of introducing me to C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia).  We were all missionary candidates attending a week-long training session with the Latin America Mission.  At the time I was an associate pastor in Philadelphia working on a graduate degree at Princeton Theological Seminary.  Ed had just recently received his Ph.D. in Physics from New York University and had already published a number of technical articles including several in something called the Journal of Quantum Electronics, which was not exactly on my reading list.

In the next several years I served with Ed and Carolyn in Costa Rica.  They worked with university students while I taught at the Latin American Biblical Seminary.  Ed also studied there as well.  After my time in Costa Rica, Ed and Carolyn subsequently went to Spain where they have worked with our Grace Church missionary, Mary Woodward.  In addition to his missionary activities Ed also spent several years as a NASA scientist at Cal Tech and taught physics at the University of Costa Rica, Azusa Pacific and later the University of Seville in Spain.

Ed and Carolyn will be with us in September, specifically the weekend of September 11-12.  Ed has done some fascinating study on the whole subject of the relation of the Biblical account of creation to modern cosmology.  I must say that his interpretation of the relationship between the Bible and science is the most fascinating and interesting I have ever heard.  He maintains that all the Bible‘s teaching on creation is completely compatible with what we know of the origin of the universe from physics.  When he and Carolyn were over at our house a few years ago I asked him about some passages which I believed were completely poetic, such as the reference in Job to the morning stars singing together.  Ed granted the poetry of the reference but went on to point out that emerging stars did emit sounds which could be called “singing.”

Ed will be with us for a Saturday morning seminar on September 11 and will also speak at Adult Sunday School on September 12.  I mention this now for two reasons.  First, save the date.  Second, the Saturday program in particular will be an ideal opportunity to invite friends to hear a NASA scientist explain how Scripture portrays, in often surprising ways, things we now know from physics and cosmology.  Ed explains all this simply and clearly.  More information can be found on his web site, www.originsquest.org.