The Old Rugged Cross

Upper Falls, Maryland    •     August 22, 2009
Photo by Beau Bosko

A cross planted in the soil outside a Christian sanctuary becomes the crucifix without Jesus, a reminder of past wonders and the promise of miracles to come.  According to doctrine, He descended to Earth as a man-god, died in the flesh for the redemption of the race, and arose from the tomb to live forever in spirit with THE FATHER.  His mortal death came on the old rugged cross. 

In the sanctuary, with the Cokesbury Worship Hymnal opened to page 30, Methodist worshippers long have sung:

On a hill far a-way stood an old rug-ged cross,
The em-blem of suf-f'ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dear-est and best
For a world of lost sin-ners was slain.
So I'll cher-ish the old rug-ged cross,
Till my tro-phies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rug-ged cross,
And ex-change it some day for a crown.

The cross is harvested from the Tree of Life, rooted in spirit, growing inwardly toward the center of being.  It is fire and crimson, power and judgment.  It awaits the sacrifice.

In the old rug-ged cross, stained with blood so di-vine,
A won-drous beau-ty I see;
For 'twas on that old cross Je-sus suffered and died
To par-don and sanc-ti-fy me.
So I'll cher-ish the old rug-ged cross,
Till my tro-phies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rug-ged cross,
And ex-change it some day for a crown.

The cross planted at Salem Church was crafted from the most humble of lumber, treated yellow pine, splintery and not agreeable to the touch.  The cross emerged from a decorative garden only a few yards from the asphalt of Bradshaw Road, just off Route 7 at Upper Falls, Maryland, a prosperous village of sylvan grace to the northeast of Baltimore.  The cross, shorn of icon and script, stood as a symbol of the creed that promises salvation to any and all who profess to believe.

Salem United Methodist Church
Founded 1847
Rev. Cliff Webner, Pastor

NOTE:  On the sparkling, late summer midday of my visit, the church sign next to the cross displayed three lines of homily :

BE JOYFUL IN HOPE
PATIENT IN TROUBLE
FAITHFUL IN PRAYER

L I N K S :

Salem United Methodist Church
The church web.

A Sanctuary for the Ages
Trinity Episcopal Church.

Notices announcing new entries for Crow's Cottage Glossary and Compendium are sent by e-mail express to my list of family, friends, students, and fellow travelers. If you've come here by some other means, I invite you to write me at the address below so I can add you to the list.

Ebenezer Bowles
threadspinner@corndancer.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2009