Sunday morning, Dan was up early. He dressed for Church, and as he waited for his Mother to finish her preparations, he took a sugary, cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee into the breezeway connecting the main house and the rental house. Marie, the teacher who had been living in the rental house, had departed and moved to a retirement center in Texas.
All was peaceful. Dan twirled the knobs of the jalousie windows to let the June breezes waft through. He sat facing the back yard, which sloped off into the valley behind the houses. He sipped his drink, consumed his pastry, and considered the wildlife before him. Some gray squirrels danced along the branches of the oak trees, chattering as they frolicked. Mourning doves lamented in the distance. A blazing, red cardinal performed a boisterous solo, while crows cawed from the hillside below. Handsome hummingbirds milked the flowers a few feet to his left. He wished Miriam was with him, enjoying the glory of this early Summer morning.
Dan heard the soft shuffle of his Mother’s shoes as she entered the corridor. “I guess it’s time to go,” she announced. “Do I look OK?”
Dan grinned and eyed his Mom, as if he were a fashion expert. Her pleasant face was framed by her new hairdo. A few gray highlights showed in her light-brown hair. She disdained dyes. In his head, Dan could hear the echo of her oft-said maxim, “You wear the hair the Good Lord gives you!” She did use a little lipstick, but shunned the use of heavy makeup. She wore a frilly, white blouse and a simple, navy-blue skirt. She was lovely in an unpretentious way.
“Wonderful,” Dan exclaimed. “You look great!”
“Well, I don’t want to scare off Miriam,” she said.
“Not a chance,” Dan
declared. “She’ll like you.”
As they entered the spacious lobby of Transcendental Community Church, Dan
spotted Miriam, instantly. He whispered in his Mother’s ear, “There she is ...
the girl with the auburn hair.” Miriam was one of many greeters who were
distributing outlines of Dr. Angelo’s first Sunday School lesson. Several
young men were lined up before her, each waiting for his chance to meet her and
bask in her beautiful presence.
When Miriam noticed Dan, she handed most of her stack of outlines to another greeter and glided to his side, saying, “You must be Mrs. Diederman. I’m Miriam Smithson. Dan said you were coming to hear Dr. Angelo.” She handed each of them an outline and retained one for herself.
“I’m very pleased to meet you,” Mrs. Diederman answered. “Dan says so many nice things about you. But really, I came for two reasons; to hear Dr. Angelo and to hear you ‘fiddle around’.” They all laughed. “Please Miriam, call me ‘Jan’. Don’t make me feel like a senior citizen.”
“Fine,” Miriam responded with a smile. “That’s easy ... Dan and Jan. Now, let’s find some good seats for the class session. Miriam led the way to the pew where Dan usually sat. She placed herself between them, so she could converse with each of them easily.
As the trio exchanged pleasantries, Dr. Angelo appeared. He stationed himself behind a simple lectern, a few feet in front of the first pew in the center section of the Sanctuary. He wore a lightweight, soft-gray sport coat, a white shirt with a button-down collar, a light-blue tie with silver highlights, navy-blue slacks, and shiny, black, dress shoes. For sure, he looked professional, but, his dynamism trumped his wardrobe. He exuded confidence, and when he began teaching, he disclosed instant credibility. His hair was rusty-brown, softened by encroaching strands of gray. His face was broad and cheerful, dominated by intense chestnut eyes. They seemed to be the gateway to a soul with immense understanding.
Before he began the lesson, he stretched out his hands with an upward gesture as he said, “Please stand as Pastor Bandy opens class with a prayer.”
At the “amen”, the class settled into the pews and Dr. Angelo began. With a strong voice he declared, “God made it all! How do I know? The Bible tells me so! I am a Bible-believer. Genesis 1:1 says:
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
The Bible says it. I believe it.
“In John 1:1-3, the apostle says:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Let’s consider this passage carefully. The Bible tells us, God has three personalities; ‘God the Father’, ‘God the Son’, and ‘God the Holy Spirit’. ‘God the Son’ is given many titles by the prophets and the apostles who wrote the Scriptures. Here, John calls the Son, the ‘Word’, because He came to Earth to deliver a message to mankind. And here, we are told that all things were created by the ‘Word’, the Son. ‘Without him was not any thing made that was made.’
“Another name for the Son is Jesus. So, it’s perfectly accurate to say, ‘Jesus created all things.’ Everything you can see or hear or feel or taste or experience was made by Jesus, the Son of God, the Word. Jesus invented galaxies. He invented oceans. He invented you. And, he even invented emotions. So, if you feel love for someone, Jesus invented that, too.
“Paul expands this thought in Colossians 1:16-17:
... by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
From this text, we learn three more things: Jesus even created our governments, Jesus is in charge of all of history, and Jesus is holding our whole Universe together for ‘by Him all things consist’.
“So, I can safely assert, “God made it all! Jesus made it all! And, that would be the end of this whole series of lessons ... we could skip the rest ... except for the fact that many folks do not accept the Bible story of creation. They don’t think Jesus had anything to do with creation. Some even say that Jesus never existed; that he’s just a legend, like Paul Bunyan or Robin Hood.
“These Bible-deniers don’t like our creation story, so they have developed their own. They say their story is based on science and ours is based on a discredited, old book. But, before we swallow their lofty claims, let’s examine Job 38:4-7, where God asks ...
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone
as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (NLT)
Science is based on accurate observations. Mankind was not present when the Universe was formed. We can study it in its present state and speculate about its origins. But, speculation is philosophy, not science.
“So, we have our creation story based on our favorite Book, the Bible. They have their creation story based on books by speculators like Rene Descartes, Charles Darwin, and Richard Dawkins. Which story should you believe? That’s the subject of these Sunday School lessons.
“Before we get into details, let me sketch out an overview of the Bible-deniers’ creation story. I present it as a fairytale, because I think it is a fiction, but you need to know their story, if you wish to discuss it intelligently.
“Once upon a time, there happened to be a small ball, about the size of a BB. It was crammed full of all the energy and matter in our Universe. All the atoms of the billions of galaxies, all the atoms of our Sun, all the atoms of our planets, all the atoms in you, all these were packed into this tiny ball. By chance, this ball exploded with a Big Bang ...”
An intense boom resounded from the orchestra pit. By pre-arrangement, Dr. Angelo had secreted a drummer there to react to key words in his lecture. Miriam and Jan and most of the audience jumped at the sound. Hearts pounded. Laughter ensued.
With a grin, Dr. Angelo continued, “This happenstance produced an enormous cloud of hot gas. As the gas cooled, tiny particles of matter began to congeal into small clumps. Gravity pulled these clumps together to form objects. At random, some of these objects glowed like our Sun. By chance, others were dark spheres of matter like the Earth and the Moon. Thus, by sheer good luck, our solar system, the Milky Way. and all the other galaxies evolved.
“Surprisingly, on planet Earth, in certain ponds and puddles, chemicals were jolted to life by propitious lightning strikes ...”
The drummer smashed two huge cymbals together three times. The crowd laughed uproariously.
With an even wider grin, Dr. Angelo proceeded, “By fortunate chance mutations, the tiny living critters, thus created, began to morph into larger and more complex animals and plants. And, eventually, through billions of lucky transformations, this process of Evolution produced us and our environment. And, we all lived luckily ever after. The End.”
As Dr. Angelo took a bow, applause and a ripple of laughter arose from the class.
Dr. Angelo continued, “Now, each of you must choose between the Bible narrative or this popular fairytale that floods the National Geographic channel, public television, and our college classrooms. I’m a Bible-believer. I’ve made my choice. We’ll be debunking this popular fantasy in the coming weeks, but today, I would ask you to notice that the pivotal steps in this fairytale are launched by an explosion ...”
The drummer slapped the big drum again.
“... and by lightning strikes ...”
Cymbal clashes sounded once more.
“Have either of these two phenomena ever done anything useful? No! We all know they are destructive.
“Now, let’s change subjects. I have a question for you: How old is planet Earth? Most of today’s intelligentsia say, ‘It is four or five billion years old. After the Earth cooled down from the Big Bang, lightning strikes began the long history of Evolution. We have developed a variety of dating systems which corroborate our prognostications. Look at all the fossils and bones we have found. These prove the Earth is very old.’
“What do you think? Bible-believers divide on this question. Pastor Bandy is a ‘Young-Earth Christian’, and he may be right about that. I’m an ‘Old-Earth Christian’, and maybe I’m right. Pastor Bob and I are both Bible-believers. We’re both on the way to Heaven. But, we have different interpretations of a few Bible verses.
“Let’s look at the first two verses of the Bible:
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Young-Earth Christians believe that God made our heaven and our Earth and all its forms of life in one creative burst, about six to twelve thousand years ago. So, they believe that the events of verse two followed the events of verse one immediately.
“Old-Earth Christians believe there was a long pause between the events described in the first verse and the events described in the second. In other words, God made heaven and the Earth in the beginning. He populated Earth with many life forms, but for some reason, by the time the events of the second verse took place, our planet was covered with water and void of life. Then, God remodeled planet Earth and our solar system and re-populated the planet with its current collection of flora and fauna. Some of the old bones and fossils we dig up are from a creative burst that occurred in the gap between verse one and verse two, and some are from the creative burst detailed in the Book of Genesis.
“We’ll be discussing these two views in the coming weeks, but I hope you will do some research on this topic this week, so, next Sunday, we can address any questions you have. Google the internet for ‘Genesis Gap Theory’ or visit a library or a bookstore and read some books on the subject.
“Compare various translations of verses one and two. Some scholars argue that the word translated ‘was’ in verse two should be translated ‘became’. So, verse two would read ‘the Earth became without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep’. This would lend credence to the Old-Earth Christian view.
But, in the end, we must say, ‘We weren’t there to watch Jesus perform His great work. All we can do is investigate and speculate.”
Dr. Angelo concluded by asking for questions and comments from the class. There were many, ranging from the serious to the zany. A reporter from the campus newspaper, “Transcendental Times”, was present, taking notes. The next edition featured this headline, “O UR NOBEL LAUREATE DOUBTS THE BIG BANG AND EVOLUTION.” When a bell signaled that it was time for Sunday School to end, class was dismissed to make way for the morning worship service.
Miriam excused herself and headed for the orchestra pit. Dan moved next to his Mother and said, “What do you think of my boss?”
Jan responded, “He’s impressive. I was surprised by his positions. He must get some flack from others of the faculty.”
“Well, so far, not so much, but this lecture will probably stir the hornets’ nest,” Dan replied. “And, what do you think of Miriam?”
“I really like her,” Mom said. “I’m eager to hear her play. She is truly beautiful ... not just her face ... but she has a wonderful way with words, too. She’s stately but friendly.”
The orchestra began playing a muted prelude as the congregation settled into the pews for the worship service. Immediately, Jan was favorably impressed by Miriam’s performance. But, later, as the orchestra played a special number to highlight the upcoming observance of Independence Day, Jan was amazed as Miriam morphed into her effervescent mood. The medley was a stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful” [1] interlaced with themes from Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” [2]. Miriam’s eyes glistened as she poured great energy into the music. Jan understood what Dan had been saying about Miriam’s moods; her normally reserved and queenly presence and her flamboyant spirit when she merged with her music. She saw why Dan found her vivacious and attractive.
After the service, Dan and his Mom waited in the lobby for Miriam. Soon, she appeared carrying her encased violin and wearing a beautiful smile. Jan moved forward and gave her a hug, saying, “You played beautifully! You seemed to lift the whole crowd with your music.”
Miriam moved toward Dan and patted his arm as she talked to Jan, “Thank you for the compliment. Everything seemed to go well this morning. The whole orchestra was in synch. Now, Jan, I want you to meet my good friend, Dr. Angelo. Come with me.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’s too busy for that,” Jan protested. But, Miriam insisted. So, they moved to where Dr. Angelo was standing.
“Doctor,” Miriam declared. “This is Dan’s Mother. She came to hear your Sunday School lecture. Jan Diederman, meet Dr. Charles Angelo.”
“What a pleasure,” Dr. Angelo asserted. “I’ve been wondering who raised this fine young man.”
“Well, Dr. Angelo, I don’t know what to say. I’ve never met a famous person before. I really enjoyed your lesson, even though the drums and cymbals scared me,” Jan said with a sheepish smile.
They all laughed. Dr. Angelo was touched by Jan’s demeanor. He insisted, “Now, Mrs. Diederman, these kids must call me ‘Dr. Angelo’ or ‘Doc’, but you and I are about the same age. I insist you call me ‘Chuck’.”
“OK,” Jan said, “but only if you call me ‘Jan’.”
“Is that short for Janet?” Dr. Angelo queried.
“No,” Jan said with a light giggle. “My Mother got tired after three letters. It’s just Jan.”
“How about Dan, then. Is that his full name?” Dr. Angelo asked with a warm grin.
“No, I was industrious. It’s Daniel,” Jan replied. “By the way, I read some of the books Dan buys. You and this Richard Dawkins could have a serious argument.”
“Yes,” Dr. Angelo answered. “He’s very committed to the popular theories of origins. He’d like to crucify me. But, remember, Galileo was placed under house arrest for disagreeing with the popular theories of his time. The establishment almost burned him at the stake for saying the Earth circles the Sun. Just because a theory is popular doesn’t mean it’s right.” He paused, looked deeply into Jan’s eyes and said, “Dawkins is wrong. We Bible-believers are right.”
Jan pulled her eyes away from his. She wondered if she had looked too long. She was uneasy, because she was drawn to Chuck. It seemed inappropriate. She dropped her eyes to the floor, recovered and said softly, “We better be going. Thanks for teaching this course. We’ll be back next Sunday ... Lord willing.”
“Please come back. I need your support,” Dr. Angelo concluded.
