ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
(The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)
Alma, Kansas
A family united by faith in Christ gathering around God's Word and Sacraments.
To reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-borne love to each other and to those without Christ!
In This Month's
St. John Witness
JUNE WITNESS
Pastor's Message
“Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O Lord
God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?” Psalm 89:5-8
On September 3, 1987, on a commuter flight from Lewiston, Maine, to Boston, Massachusetts, Henry Dempsey, the pilot, heard an unusual noise shortly after takeoff. He went to the rear of the small aircraft after turning control of the plane to his copilot. He noticed the sound coming from the rear door of the aircraft, and as he neared the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket and he was thrown against the door. It was not properly latched prior to takeoff, and it flew open; Dempsey was sucked out the opening.
The copilot saw the warning light that indicated an open door, recognized the situation as dangerous, and radioed the nearest airport. He requested permission to make an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had been sucked out of the plane, and he requested a helicopter search for the pilot in the ocean beneath him.
After the plane landed in Portland, the emergency crew that met the plane was surprised to see Dempsey clinging to the exterior stairs of the plane, and reportedly had to have his hands pried off the rungs he held onto. Somehow, the pilot held on for about ten minutes at 200 miles per hour at an altitude of 4000 feet before the plane landed. He kept his head from hitting the runway, only twelve inches away.
Danger is nearer than we know, and God protects us, even when we cannot see Him. Scripture warns us to be wary of the devil, who seeks to destroy us, not only in our body, but eternally to make a wreck of our soul. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1Peter 5:5-8). Let us always trust the grace and protection of our Savior!
Praying for God's blessed care!
Pastor Grimm
*LA Times, September 3, 1987.
