Eternal Father Strong to Save

We were saddened to hear of the crash of an oil-rig helicopter off the coast of Newfoundland, resulting in seventeen deaths. Sixteen of those who died were from the outport village of Bay Bulls, population 1200.

It took us back to my first pastoral charge which was in Newfoundland. I had five preaching points in five outports which meant for a busy life. Still we loved the rugged beauty of our area and during our time there our son Isaac was born and we became parents of a Labrador retriever named Pradie, which is the Newfie word for potato. We lived in a manse which looked out to the ocean.

A couple of men in our area worked in the newly developed oil industry which held great promise for the province. On Valentine's Day 1982 a fierce winter storm struck the province. The power went off and we were snowed in. The wind was so wild that it was a constant moan, and we couldn't see out the following morning because even our picture window was coated with a thick layer of snow.

Then the news came that one of the massive oil rigs called the Ocean Ranger had sunk and eighty four people, including fifty six Newfoundlanders died. No one from our communities was lost but it hit people hard. I was gently but firmly told that the next Sunday we must sing the hymn Eternal Father Strong to Save, and we did.

Eternal Father, strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea.