When I was in Elementary School, we would sometimes go to the United Methodist Campground in Lawrenceville, Georgia. There was a large open-air pavilion with rough wooden benches, a sawdust floor, and a wooden stage. Sometimes, we would go to the Campground for Cub Scout events. But sometimes, we would go for what, I guess, one might call a “Camp Meeting” revival, at which there was a lot of singing, a lot of preaching, and a lot of prayer. I don’t remember many specifics about these camp meeting revivals, but I do remember some of the songs – songs that came out of a certain gospel tradition – songs like “How Great Thou Art,” “Freely, Freely, You Have Received,” and “The Old Rugged Cross.”
This last song – “The Old Rugged Cross” – was a song that some of the folks at the camp meeting could sing by heart:
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchanged it some day for a crown.
This song is one that is still sung in many churches at all times of the year, but it has a deep connection to the events of Good Friday.
There are several interpretations as to what the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross means and what it accomplished on behalf of humanity. These interpretations are sometimes referred to as “Atonement Theories.” There are at least seven such theories: 1) Moral Influence, 2) Ransom, 3) Christus Victor, 4) Satisfaction, 5) Penal Substitution, 6) Governmental, and 7) Scapegoat. You can read a quick summary of each here.
At the end of the day, what Jesus accomplishes on the “Old Rugged Cross” is something that people can see through different theological and theoretical lenses. But the sacrifice of Jesus impacts our lives in the here and now as well as the life to come, because in and through Jesus’ crucifixion, we see God’s love for us – God’s “forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34) love for us.
We also know that the Cross of Good Friday is not the end of the story – for Jesus or for us. The end of the story is the new beginning of the Empty Tomb.
One tradition we’ve had at BPC in recent years on Easter is the symbolic transformation of a rugged cross, covered in chicken wire, into a flowering one. This transformation takes place when people in our congregation bring flowers (either from home or from a store) and tuck them into the chicken wire to cover the rugged cross with flowers.
This Sunday, as we gather to celebrate Easter, we celebrate the new life that Jesus offers us – the new life that we see and know in Christ’s resurrection. As part of this celebration, you are invited to bring flowers for the cross in the sanctuary. Because of the good news of the resurrection, it’s bound to be a beautiful day. The flowers make it all the more beautiful.
See you in church!
Grace and Peace,
John
PS – Don’t forget our Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow – Saturday, 4/19 at 3 PM!
Prepare for Worship
This Week: “Grief and Hope – Everything [in] Between – Week 7”
- On Friday and Saturday, read Luke 23
- For Sunday, read Psalm 30 and Luke 24:1-12
- Read or sing Hymn # 232 – “Jesus Christ is Risen Today”