The concept of prayer is not lost on most pilots, but its usually the result of something that happens in the air and not the reason for being up there in the first place. But 10 pilots from various states werent involved in the usual type of cockpit entreaties — instead they were aiming their message at the state of Ohio on Good Friday with sort of a blanket blessing from on high. The volunteers crisscrossed the state invoking their message on 11 million unsuspecting Ohioans. “A plane is a good way to cover a lot of ground,” Kenneth Wortman, 73, a pilot from Lima, Ohio, told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “In the Bible, God tells us the fields are ripe for the harvest. From the air, a person can see a lot of fields.” Wortman came up with the idea for PrayerFlight last fall as he was trying to dream up more efficient ways to spread the Word. He found a couple of other pilots willing to give it a try and, after a shakedown flight, the decision was made to try and cover the whole state. It seems everyone had their own style of high-flying prayer; some were silent, some expressive and others a mix. But they all had a similar goal in mind. “You see rows and rows of houses, and you know they are full of people you are praying for,” Samantha Ciminillo, 18, a member of Teens for Christ, told the newspaper. With Ohio now “successfully redeemed,” the group hopes to take the effort national.
Wings And Prayers
Key Takeaways:
- Ten volunteer pilots participated in "PrayerFlight" on Good Friday, flying over the state of Ohio to offer a "blanket blessing" and prayers for its 11 million residents.
- The initiative was conceived by pilot Kenneth Wortman as an efficient way to "spread the Word" and cover a large area with prayer.
- Pilots adopted various prayer styles, with a shared goal of blessing the people and land of Ohio.
- Having completed their mission in Ohio, the group now intends to expand the PrayerFlight effort nationally.
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