THIRSTY 212

Welcome to this week's THIRSTY podcast. I'm Pastor Michael Zarling. I'm here with one of our members here at Lord of Lords in Casper, Wyoming, Shad Forgy. And Shad is here 'cause we had just hiked Bomber Mountain. It was a 28-mile, two-day hike with 50-pound backpacks. Uh, w- and Shad, uh, after I get done with the prayer today, Shad's gonna tell you a little bit about the history of Bomber Mountain, why we hiked there, and then we're gonna tie that in with the Old Testament lesson. So the worship theme we're looking at this week is Unexpected Choose: The Son of Man is God. Uh, and then Pastor Nathan Klusmeyer is not here because his son TJ, uh, just graduated from basic training for the Army. And so, uh, the family went to see him with that accomplishment. Uh, the psalm of the day for this week is Psalm 138. And the church sings Psalm 138 in services celebrating public confession that God is a gracious savior. "I will thank you with all my heart. Before the gods I will make music for you. I will bow down toward your holy temple, I will give thanks to your name because of your mercy and because of your truth. Yes, you made your word even greater than your name. By day I called and you answered me. You have made my soul strong. All the kings of the earth will thank you, Lord, when they have heard the message from your mouth. Then they will sing about the ways of the Lord because the glory of the Lord is great. Indeed, the Lord is exalted, but he sees the lowly and he recognizes the proud from a distance. If I walk surrounded by a danger, you keep me alive in spite of the anger of my enemies. You stretch out your hand, you save me with your right hand. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Lord, your mercy endures forever. Do not let go of the works of your hands." And then the prayer of the day. Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know your Son Jesus to be the way, the truth, and life, that we may boldly confess him to be the Christ and steadfastly walk in the way that leads to life eternal through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. So Shad, can you tell everyone some of the history of Bomber Mountain?

Uh, yeah, sure. Uh, Bomber Mountain is, uh, was an unnamed mountain, uh, in the Bighorn Mountains. It has an elevation of 12,500 feet. And in 1943, June 28th, a bomber flying from, a B17 flying from Oregon to Nebraska flew off course, and they believe it was during a storm, and then crashed into the side of this mountain. Uh, everyone aboard died.

Wow.

They kinda suspect maybe one of the individuals, a pilot, lived a day or two and, uh, they found this gentleman's body, uh, on the fl- flying on the side of the plane with his Bible open. And that was not discovered until two years after the wreckage. They had search crews out all over Wyoming looking for this bomber. Never found it until some ranchers two years later saw something up in the mountains and went up to find this bomber and then identified to the authorities and they came and found it. So, uh, it's always been kind of a goal of mine to hike up there, but I could never find anybody to go with me. And, uh, so finally, uh, Pastor Zarling heard of my goal one day and made it his goal, and we accomplished it, uh, today.

We, we did not see any of the wreckage. Uh, Shelley was giving us a hard time- ... because we didn't see the wreckage. She saw it online. But we were so tired by the time we got there. We saw the plaque that the fathers had put there, and we, uh, this, that's enough. We'll save the wreckage- ... uh, for another time.

Yeah. Well, maybe, uh, some- we, we get some other people to go with us. Uh, we know what to pack, how to, uh, strategically get there so we're not wore out next time to where we could get up to it hopefully.