The Old Rugged Cross

       The old familiar hymn starts, “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross”. 

       That is where we come this week, to that lonely hill to look at the cross where Jesus hung.  That ugly, horrible place that was so fearful, so hideous, that his disciples abandoned him and left him to die alone.  There in great pain and agony, Jesus died not because of anything he had done but because out of love for us, for God’s wayward children, Jesus gave everything, including his life.

       What happened on that hill, on that cross is so terrible that if we didn’t know the rest of the story, it would be unbearable.  How  could anyone stand to watch that happen to another human being?  And even more, how could a mother stand there and watch it happen to her child?

        But today we come willingly to hear the story again and to watch in our minds and hearts what happened to Jesus on that hill some 2,000 years ago.

       Why do we cling to this old rugged cross?  How can we bear to come here?

It is only possible because we know the rest of the story.  We know that even though the people who wanted it carried out had only fear and hate in their hearts, the reason that Jesus hung on that cross was love.   Out of love, Jesus gave himself that the world might be saved.

       The cross is the symbol of God’s love.

       Even so, Jesus knew how unbearable it was for his mother Mary to watch.  Even in his pain and agony, he turned to her.  The Gospel of John tells us that when he saw the beloved disciple, John standing next to her, he told her, “Woman, here is your son.”  He looked at John and said, “Here is your mother”. (John 19:25-27)

        He had concern not only that Mary would not be left alone, but that she should have a home, shelter, and to be provided for.  Even while Jesus did what was necessary to save the world and worked salvation’s cosmic deed, he also cared personally and intimately for this woman, his mother.

       That’s the miracle of God’s saving grace.  On one level, it is the act of saving the world, of redeeming all of God’s children for all time – salvation on a cosmic and eternal level.  And yet, Jesus’ act is also one of love for each of us individually and personally.

       Jesus died that awful death for John and Mary, for you, and for me.

       That old rugged cross is not just a symbol, it is the means by which sin and death are defeated. 

        And so it is appropriate for us to come and gather at the foot of the rugged cross; to remember the giver and the price he paid for us. It is appropriate for us to remember our sinfulness and the need of forgiveness that we each have.  Each one of us is the reason that Jesus hung on this cross.

       And so we cling to the old rugged cross.  It is here at the foot of the cross that we find forgiveness.  It is here at the foot of the cross that we are reassured of God’s love; that we are welcome just as we are.  It is here at the foot of the cross that sin is defeated and we hear the good news of the resurrection and life everlasting.

       It is right that we should mark the gravity, the weight of price that Jesus paid for us.  His death, his agony was not a symbol but was real.  

       But this is also the time for celebration.  This old rugged cross is empty.  The story does not end here; it all begins here and it lasts forever.  Because of this cross, we live forever.  Because of the cross, we have forgiveness, we are embraced and held in God's love, and we live in hope and joy!  Read John 19:13 - 20:18  (Please take time this week for the longer reading.)

God is Our Comfort

       We've had quite a week around here with water everywhere.  It's Spring and the Red River is flooding; at least it is trying to be Spring.  Monday it was 60 degrees and warm and sunny.  People were out in shorts running and biking.  I know I enjoyed going out without my jacket.  It was great while it lasted.
       But yesterday, we woke up to some snow on the ground and then it kept snowing all day long.  I went out before my afternoon bible-study and had to dig to find the scraper so I could get the snow off of the car so I could see to drive.  By late afternoon, it looked more like Christmas outside than getting close to Easter.
       It would be one thing if all of this was just a matter of inconvenience or disappointment in the weather change, but the flooding makes it more serious.  No matter how often we have lived through floods in the past, as I was reminded more than once this week, every flood is different and when they hit such high levels, they bring disaster.  There is damage to houses, roads covered by water isolating small towns and rural homesteads, farm animals and wildlife are displaced, and even those of us who are safe are on edge and watchful.
      In the midst of this, neighbors are reaching out to each other and helping each other out from the filling and piling of sandbags to feeding cattle that have wandered away trying to escape water.  After the rivers start returning to their banks, there will be the hard work of cleaning up inside and out so that life can begin to return to normal.  We'll need to help each other out then as well.
       There is a communal aspect to disaster that sometimes makes it easier to reach out to help one another or to ask for help.  When disaster strikes a community (or a large river valley), being affected by the disaster becomes something we have in common to a lesser or greater extent.  The shared experience makes it harder to judge the circumstances as the result of personal fault.  We find ourselves in the same predicament.
       Once after a tornado devastated a small town, I went to the only place in town for a hot meal which was the Salvation Army setup.  I found myself standing in line with the mayor and asked him how he was.  It had been a very hard and busy two or three days since the tornado.  He suddenly stopped and looked around and said, "It's really true.  I just realized I'm here in the soup line with everyone else.  I lost my house too."
       But no matter what has happened, we do not face it alone.  Before, during, and after any disaster or crisis, God is with us.  As it is written, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you." (Isaiah 43:1-2)  God loves and knows you by name and calls you in love.  When we feel alone, it is because we have turned away and lost sight of God who is always there, ready and wanting to hold us in love.  Read Isaiah 66:12-13