This is my 13th post for this thread. So the number 13 will be the theme of this post.
Apollo 13 ... April 13 ....
After the successes of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 that had landed men on the moon, three would be a charm for Apollo 13, even if its number can be considered unlucky.
But on April 13, 1970 (according to the reckoning of standard time zones in the US), this unlucky malfunction happened, as dramatizes in the following movie clip:
For a listing of significant events of this ill-fated flight, check out: Apollo 13 Timeline
But like in many times of distress in our nation's history, our leaders have called for prayer, not only in times of peril like Apollo 13, but also for prayers of divine protection, such as the historic Apollo 11 moon landing.
Below is a clip about prayer during the Apollo missions:
Apollo 13 has been called the "successful failure." The world had watched this drama unfold on live TV from a nearly fatal catastrophe in space to a nail-biting rescue, where nobody died. [reference: Apollo 13 - The Successful Failure ] (It was also the makings of a great movie of its namesake - Apollo 13 (1995).) That said, there is not always deliverance in this life. As for the space program, we have had the tragedies of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia, which remind us of our mortality. (And this is a topic for another post.)
Yet, in times of trouble, many Americans as well as those throughout the world looked to the heavens - to the Creator - for help.
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Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Psalm 107:19-21 (NIV)
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And for our present perils, here is a prayer for deliverance:
Heavenly Father -
During crises and grave danger in the past, we have
called on You, Lord God, for help. And
gracious Lord, You have answered us and changed the course of history. May we never forget Your mercy during these
times as well as Your goodness during peace and prosperity.
Forgive us for living like practical atheists, like
You don’t exist. While shutting You out
of our daily lives, we sometimes only come to You as a magic wand of deliverance, especially from the peril
caused by our disobedience.
May we repent of our unbelief and for treating You like an idol. May we recognize our need as we do not live
by bread alone, but by every word the proceeds from Your mouth. And though the grass withers and the flower
fades, Your Word abides forever.
We ask for your deliverance for our heroes, home and
abroad, in their distress – as You did during the perils of Apollo 13. May we daily walk with You and be Your
instruments for healing in our land.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen
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May we remember our Creator in the good times as well as the crises as we continue to ...
For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the battle was lost. For want of a battle the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
So says an old proverb - small actions have huge consequences as they did 41 years ago ...
On April 12, 1970, the third planned mission to the moon was launched.
James A. Lovell, Mission Commander - command module pilot of Apollo 8, back-up commander for Apollo 11 John L. Swigert, Jr., Command Module Pilot Fred W. Haise, Lunar Module Pilot
After Apollo 11 - the mission which put Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, Apollo 12 repeated this marvellous feat. By the time Apollo 13 was schedule to fly, most observers were bored with this space travel going to the moon thing. The mission started out as a real yawner.
Until April 13, 1970, Commander Lovell said the following that has since become a catch phrase.
"Houston, we have a problem ..."
An explosion had crippled the service module (for the accident report,click here). A real life drama played out before the eyes of the world the next few days. And Ron Howard made a great movie about it in 1995: Apollo 13
Apollo 13 has been known as NASA's Successful Failure and I witnessed it happen in real time - 40 years ago.
Question: If you are over 40, do you recall Apollo 13 in real time?
