Asteroid 99942 Apophis (named for the serpent god of chaos in ancient Egypt) is a 1,100-foot (340-meter) wide space rock that will get to within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of our planet.

“I heard that you were still attending your church services from space. Can you tell me a bit about why that was important for you to do?” Hemmer asked. “Well, goodness, the Word of God ...