Eight-year old Jennifer Wiseman tagged along behind her parents down the road in front of their farm, just as she did every evening on their habitual walk. No matter how many times the family of three and various pets set out under the dark sky, Jennifer always ended up trailing them, her head craned backward to study the stars.
With no city lights within miles, the countryside of her Ozark Mountain home offered a spectacular heavenly view. Jennifer shuffled along, mesmerized.
It seemed as if heaven’s glory itself shone through thousands of pinpricks in the black canopy of sky. Jennifer knew about heaven from her parents and their church community where she saw lived out what was being taught.
Her interest in stars grew as she watched Carl Sagan’s television program, Cosmos.
What would it be like to explore space, she wondered, to stand on a far-distant planet amidst its craters and mountains? To make new discoveries about the universe? Maybe one day I can be a part of space exploration.
That interest remained with Jennifer. But whether to become an astronaut, astronomer, scientist or engineer building space probes—Jennifer didn’t know. So she majored in physics at MIT, since that basic science could be applied in many areas of study.
A few months before graduation in 1987, Jennifer traveled with other students to the Lowell Observatory in Arizona. On photographic plates taken by astronomer Brian Skiff, she discovered a new comet that became known as the Wiseman/Skiff Comet.
Jennifer continued her education at Harvard, receiving a Ph. D. in astronomy in 1995. From Massachusetts she moved to Virginia as a Jansky Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory to research star formation. Her childhood dream had finally become reality [1].
Currently she is the Senior Project Scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Wiseman is a sought after speaker because not only is she articulate and passionate about her subject of outer space, but as a believer in Christ she’s a strong defender of exploration as a divinely Christian activity. She sees no conflict between science and her faith, sharing often a quote from John Calvin [2]:
As Jennifer considers the billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars, she recognizes God is responsible for it all, and has been supporting and sustaining this ever-changing universe over billions of years, long before life existed.
For some, that realization fosters a feeling of insignificance, but not for her. Jennifer senses a reverent fear and gratefulness that God engineered the universe to mature over eons of time until at least one planet can support abundant life.
“And I get to be a part of that for just a little while,” she says. “So I’m grateful. It also makes me a little fearful: am I using my time well [3]?”
Jennifer allows her awe to impact her worship as she contemplates her Savior, the one who sustains the universe (Hebrews 1:3). “He’s the one responsible for galaxies, black holes, planets, oceans, and porcupines!” she says.
“When we say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ we must mean that Jesus is Lord of all time and space. Who was the Lord at the Big Bang when Time began? Jesus.
“Who was Lord when the first galaxies coalesced and the first stars turned on? Jesus.
“Who was Lord as our own solar system came into being? Jesus.
“Who was Lord during all the epochs of life on Earth—the Cambrian, the Pleistocene, the era of [early humans]? Jesus.
“And who will be Lord as long as time exists, and forever outside of time as well? Jesus [4].”
* * * * * * * * * *
We do praise you, O God, for the wonders of your universe. Thank you for giving us the capability to study and understand its marvels at least in part, providing opportunity to gain insight into your greatness.
We also praise you for working at the infinitesimal level—in our individual lives. How glorious we can never come to the end of your attentive loving kindness any more than we can reach the end of your universe.
(Psalm 19:1; Genesis 1:27; 1 Chronicles 29:11;
Matthew 10:29-31; Psalm 57:10)
Notes
[1] Meanwhile she married fellow NASA scientist Mark Shelhamer in 1997. They met at MIT when she was an undergrad and he was pursuing his master’s degree.
[2] https://news.belmont.edu/dr-jennifer-wiseman-speaks
[3] https://blog.emergingscholars.org/2013/07/interview-with-jennifer-wiseman-part-2/
[4] www.letterstocreationists.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/how-science-can-inspire-can-inform-worship-jennifer-wiseman/
Other Sources:
https://biologos.org/podcast-episodes/jennifer-wiseman-light-in-space
Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pxhere.com;www.pixabay.com; http://www.stockvault.net; http://www.snappygoat.com; http://www.wikimedia.org; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.azquotes.com; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.wikimedia.org; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.wikimedia.org.
From the Inside Out 
Delightful photos and story, Nancy. Thank you! I’m reminded of one of my favorite writers, Brian Doyle, calling Jesus “the man with starlight in his veins.”
Thank you, Laurie. So glad you found Dr. Wiseman’s story delightful. I enjoyed a perfectly delightful afternoon yesterday perusing NASA images to use in the post. Such astounding beauty our God has created, spread across light years of space. Thank you also for sharing Brian Doyle’s statement about Jesus. Such sublime description!
Loved this! Thank you, Nancy. I pray you and Steve are doing well. I love your insightful, informational blogs. They consistently point to our Lord.
I’ve been humbled by the fact that you shared about my unpacking experience with you,
not once but twice. It was a delightful time.
Love to you and your growing family!
💟🕊✝️
Hello, Diane! Yes, Steve and I are doing well; starting to get out more although we still have to be careful because of his compromised immune system. I will never forget that unpacking experience–it’s a stand-out God-Incident in my life. Well worth sharing twice, I think! Blessings to you and Bruce!
What an inspiring story, Nancy! Thank you for sharing Jennifer’s passion both for science and the Lord. She has demonstrated what I’ve felt all along – science and faith do not cancel each other out, they enhance one another.
Blessings!
I found her story inspiring too. Watch her videos and you see the twinkle in her eyes and the continual smile playing at the corners of her mouth. It becomes obvious why she’s asked to speak to groups often. Praise God for her influence in the science community!
What a refreshing post! I so appreciate learning about a scientist who credits Jesus with our universe! Thank you!
So glad you found refreshment here, Cheri. I too appreciated learning about a scientist who demonstrates excellence in her work and strong faith in her God!
You find the best stories to write about! I think you should write a biography of strong women’s stories. You would be great!
I can’t even remember now where I heard or read about Dr. Wiseman, but knew I wanted to learn more about her. Thank you for your encouragement to make a book out of a selection of these posts about Christian heroes. The idea IS in the back of my mind!
Great story, thank you for sharing!! I love learning Science when it’s taught from a Biblical perspective…such a rare gift!!
Alicia, I’m sure we’d greatly enjoy (and learn a lot from) a lecture by Dr. Wiseman!
👍🙂❤️
I’ve never really understood the tendency of people to treat religion and science as a dichotomy.
I suppose they’d rather hold God at arm’s length and pretend they are in control and can do what they like. Acknowledging God’s power to create and sustain everything in the universe–including them–makes that harder to do!
I think it is absolutely possible to study science and learn the innerworkings of the universe and also to believe in God.
Amen, JYP! Dr. Wiseman, with all her knowledge and experience, would undoubtedly agree with you!
What a beautiful story! ❤
Thank you, Anna! I’m delighted you enjoyed Dr. Wiseman’s story.
What a remarkable woman! I’m so glad she gives glory to her Creator. I always thought it sad that Carl Sagan knew so much about the heavens but didn’t know the God that made them.
I agree, Annie. It surprised me as well that Sagan could marvel at the intricacies of the universe and yet not wish to know the God who created it.
Nancy,
Great to see someone living out their dream.
In Christ,
Gary
Agreed! In her case we catch a glimpse of how God writes the pages of our individual books, even before one day came to be (Psalm 139:16). It would seem he “wrote” her interest in outerspace when she was very young, continued her story through years of education and then employment opportunities that kept increasing in responsibility and influence. In hindsight we can see how God’s plan unfolded for Jennifer–with perfection!