Cheer up, church...

Pastor Hitts went home to be with the Lord last night, just as Jason was about to take the pulpit and preach. For those of you who don't know him, Pastor Hitts was a living miracle, and a valient soldier for our Lord.

Pastor Hitts suffered terribly from diabetes, and the disease stole his legs. He went through the torture of dialysis weekly and had a zillion complications, pains, and demoralizing consequences that come with being in poor health, but the thing that I remember about him is how much he treasured church.

We whine and moan about getting up, having to iron stuff, and all of the other petty stupid things we complain about when it comes to getting ourselves to church, but Pastor Hitts, even in great physical agony, with the help of his amazing faithful wife, would come whenever he could, in a suit, with a smile, and sit in the front pew, in rapt attention to the service, from the opening hymn through the closing prayer, treasuring it all.

I remember hearing him pray, "Dear God, thank you for allowing us to be here today..." and try to hold back his tears. We pray that all the time, and don't really mean a word of it. He treasured church.

Pastor Hitts preached a couple of times before he died. The last time, he did it only by the strength and grace of God. It was a miracle to see. He was not able to physically do it-to stand there, to preach his guts out, but the Holy Spirit held him up, and truly empowered him to deliver the message God had given him to us, those privileged enough to hear it.

I will miss him. I will miss his example.

A song keeps ringing in my ears, and I'll post the lyrics here:

Cheer Up Church-written by Charlie Peacock

His was a voice fueled by truth
That spoke to us of god's grace
In a way we could understand
And take hold of.

His was a life defined by grace
For a time, and for a reason,
And so we pause, and give thanks to God
For the life of our brother.

It's just like God to make
A hero from a sinner.
It's just like God to choose
The loser, not the winner.
It's just like God to tell
His story through the weak,
To let the Gospel speak
Through the life of a man
Who would be the first to say,

"Cheer up church.
You're worse off than you think.
Cheer up, church
You're standing at the brink.
Don't despair, do not fear,
Grace is near."

We certainly are worse off than we think. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.