Jimbo's Jots

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to look at song stories. Reading through the Psalms over the last month, I’m more aware how much songwriters write their story through song.

Recently, I was working with a client struggling with anxiety and depression. I encouraged this particular client to begin to write some thoughts down in poems and song. We talked about how some of the greatest songs are written from the experiences of life.

This week’s story is for the song, The Old Rugged Cross by George Bennard.

George Bennard was born in Youngstown, Ohio. His family moved to Iowa when he was a young child. While he was growing up, he came to Christ through the influence and teaching of the Salvation Army. He felt the call to ministry. However, the death of his father when he was 16 years old forced him to put his plans on hold so that he could take care of his other.

Eventually, he moved to Chicago to train in ministry with the Salvation Army. He then became an ordained minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, serving as a traveling evangelist.

During a difficult season of ministry, he realized the need to better understand the cross of Christ. He said, “I was praying for a full understanding of the Cross . . . The Christ of the Cross became more than a symbol . . . It was like seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form, and act out the meaning of redemption. while watching this scene in my mind, the theme of the song came to me.”

This historical plaque stands in Albion, MI to signify the location of the completion of the hymn.

It was while he was traveling as minister in Michigan that the song was completed. Charles H. Gabriel helped with the final musical composition. The Old Rugged Cross was first sung at the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Pokagon (MI) on June 7, 1913.

May we all continue to carry the desire of seeing and understanding the Cross of Christ as George Bennard did.

Be blessed and be a blessing!