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Health & Fitness

The Cerritos Air Disaster: 25 Years Later, A Time for Remembrance

Pastor Dustin Parker of the Concordia Lutheran Church in Cerritos invites locals to ponder this time of reflection, 25 years after Cerritos' most challenging moment.

It was the last Sunday of the month, and as people were leaving the church I now pastor, heard a sound rip through the sky. Two planes had collided, and were falling from the sky.

The smaller plane landed in the school yard across from our church sanctuary, and two of our elders ran to it, the larger plane crashed to the west of the church.

There are a number of my parishioners who were witnesses, including my co-pastor. Their descriptions of what they witnessed are vivid, as if 25 years had not passed. There are copies on my desk of the news articles, with pictures of church members, and a friend I met in 2001, who was the pastor here then, who was also scarred by what he witnessed.

There are times in every life, and in the life of communities, that need to be remembered ... those honored, who responded, and yes those mourned who were lost. This is one of those times, where we need to acknowledge the grief, acknowledge the effect, and continue to see healing occur. Such a time is the anniversary of this tragedy.

This Sunday, at 9 o'clock worship service, we will remember. We will conitnue to thank God for those who responded, who cared, who ministered to families. We will ask God to fill those whose lives were affected with His peace, a peace that passes understanding, and continue the ongoing healing that is required for such days.

All are welcomed ...  

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