Church of the Hills

Almost twenty years ago, I graduated from Bible College and was the pastor of a small country church in central Kentucky.  I just know we were going to change the world from Perryville!  I talked with our deacon leadership about having a regular night of the week when we would go and visit families in our community.  The date was set!

I was so excited as I drove to church that night.  I was the first one to arrive at the church parking lot.  As the appointed time came, no one else had shown up.  I waited for another 15 minutes... still no one.  At this point, I was starting to get discouraged.  Twenty minutes passed... nobody.  I turned on the radio in my car and heard Babbie Mason singing "Each One, Reach One",

" Tonight a man is somewhere proclaiming the Good News,

Winning families to Jesus all around his neighborhood.

He tells them God is able to make their house a home.

He wants to win his world to Christ, but he can't do it alone."

As I sat in that parking lot alone, I had a good little cry.  No one showed up that night.  Well, that's not exactly true.  Jesus showed up.  So Jesus and I went visiting.  We started with some deacons!

Fast forward to this past weekend.  The weather had been brutal all last week in Cleveland.  It looked like the snow and sub-zero temperatures were going to subside by Sunday morning.  I woke up Sunday morning, looked outside and saw we had received about 4 more inches of snow and it was still snowing.  So I got out my snowblower and cleared my driveway (at 5am. I am sure my neighbors were impressed!).  I started out for the Nordonia Middle School at about 7am.  On the way, I was listening to WCRF, and guess what I heard?  Babbie Mason singing, "Each One, Reach One."  But this time, I didn't cry.  I had a smile on my face.  Why?  Because, I knew that there was a team of folks at NMS already, setting up for our ADVANCE meeting and our worship service.

Who was there?  The wonderful COTH staff and their spouses.  Our staff has been facing a number of challenges... sickness in their families, car problems, trying to sell a home, etc...  But you wouldn't know it from the joyful way they serve.  Who else was there.  There were young fathers of newborns on the set-up team.  I am thinking these guys are not getting a lot of sleep these days.  Another young man's wife is scheduled to have labor induced this Friday.  There is a teacher, who finds time to grade papers in between set-up time and services.  Young mothers are there, with their children.  The kids are helping set up.

There are also those that are, well, not so young (like me).  These folks could be at a church that already has its furniture in place on Sunday morning!  They could be saying, "We've been down this road before and we aren't making that trip again."  But they don't.  They drive the truck, cut the bagels, make the coffee, set up the chairs... All so people might have the opportunity to know Christ!

As I was reading my Bible last night, God nailed this verse on my heart...

"As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." Psalm 16:3 ESV

I really like the way the New Living Translation puts it,

"The godly people in the land are my true heroes!  I take pleasure in them."

As I have been reflecting on this verse, I just wanted to say "Thank You!" to all of you that are taking part in this journey called "Church of the Hills".

You guys are my heroes!

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