Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published April 7, 2004

"The Old Rugged Cross"

Long before Christ's short time on earth, the earliest humans recognized nature's regular cycles and were in awe of the many natural beauties around them. These ancient people observed that although death seemed to touch plants and trees in one season, these things would live again in another season. All those thousands of years ago they showed their thankfulness for this happening by holding spring festivals celebrating earth's resurrection. Daily as they saw the sun rise out of darkness they experienced that same understanding of resurrection.

It was not until Christ sacrificed his humanness on the cross and died a cruel death while crowds watched that mankind began to understand what resurrection meant to all when Christ left the tomb on the third day at dawn.

It was the Rev. George Bennard who wrote "The Old Rugged Cross" in 1913. The ordained Methodist evangelist had gone to a small Michigan town located between Niles and Dowagiac to lead revival meetings at the Pokagon Methodist Episcopal Church. He had been working on the hymn and completed it while there. It was first performed for that congregation by the choir accompanied by an organ and violin. Shortly after that, a new church was built and the old one stood neglected and vacant until 1998.

When the history of the hymn was learned, volunteers wanted others to know. They built a hand-hewn wooden cross and erected it atop the small hill behind the old church. It rises 13 and a half feet high and the ground below and around it is filled with wildflowers but the cross is a silent reminder of Christ's suffering.

Each year Good Friday is remembered in the northeast Iowa town of St. Donatus. Founded by immigrants from the Luxembourg region of Europe in the 1840s, they built a log church shortly after they arrived. Over the years the first church was replaced by more substantial buildings and today's church is of native limestone. When it was built the first outdoor "way of the cross" west of the Mississippi was also erected. Each Good Friday hundreds of worshipers from all faiths walk the path which connects the 14 stations depicting the last moments of Christ's life.

Since pre-Revolutionary days immigrants from a Moravian village in Saxony have continued their custom of the sunrise service on Easter. Every year in Old Salem, NC, the sounds of trumpets and trombones sound through the dark streets from two to four on Easter morn to rouse the town from sleep. The townspeople are joined by pilgrims from around America for this solemn, but joyous service.

At five o'clock thousands are gathered in front of the Moravian church as the bishop appears in the doorway and announces, "The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!" He leads the procession into the ancient graveyard and there as the sun rises the service is held.

Near Riverside, CA in 1902 a road was opened which led to the top of Mount Rubidoux. At the summit a cross was erected honoring Father Junipero Serra, the founder of California's mission system. That event so inspired Danish-born American author Jacob Riis, he suggested what a fine place to hold an Easter sunrise service. Two years later that service was held and the custom spread back across the country.

May this season renew your spirit.

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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.