Gracious God, whose careful calculations hold a whole universe in balance: We give you thanks for mathematician and U.S. space program pioneer Katherine Johnson, who died on this date in 2020 at the age of 101 after spending her adult life praising you in the choir of her Presbyterian parish and glorifying you by approximating your mastery of numbers. During her early years in government service, she labored in a room labeled “Colored Computers.” And yet the story is true that astronaut John Glenn refused to fly until he learned that Katherine had confirmed that a mere mechanical computer had correctly calculated the three orbits of Friendship 7. May her example of faith and brilliance inspire us to complete our calculations for constructing a decent and loving society for all your people. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Gracious God, whose careful calculations hold a whole universe in balance: We give you thanks for mathematician and U.S. space program pioneer Katherine Johnson, who died on this date in 2020 at the age of 101 after spending her adult life praising you in the choir of her Presbyterian parish and glorifying you by approximating your mastery of numbers. During her early years in government service, she labored in a room labeled “Colored Computers.” And yet the story is true that astronaut John Glenn refused to fly until he learned that Katherine had confirmed that a mere mechanical computer had correctly calculated the three orbits of Friendship 7. May her example of faith and brilliance inspire us to complete our calculations for constructing a decent and loving society for all your people. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.