Lift High the Cross

I remember clearly that day in early 1997 when the big crane lifted the steeple and cross onto our present sanctuary. It was a moment that many of us had waited years for, and we pulled into the parking lot and set up lawn chairs to watch the unfolding drama. I even remember our contractor moving around the property with a transit and walkie talkie, giving the crane operator directions so that the steeple would be absolutely plumb. And, more than anything else, I remember the words of the great old hymn going through my head, “Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim till all the world adore His sacred name” (159 in Methodist hymnal). That is exactly what we at Christ Church wanted to do: proclaim the love of Christ to all the world!

Something happened last week that was unexpected. The 40 – 50 mph winds that we had been getting the past couple of weeks took a toll on our steeple and cross. One day we started noticing that the cross was wobbling, swaying in the wind. Upon inspection it was discovered that the anchors that hold the cross were becoming loosened, and it was potentially a dangerous situation. Fortunately, Christ Church member Mark Reid, the General Contractor who built the CLC, came to the rescue. The big crane you saw on the parking lot was for the purpose of getting workers up there to tighten the bolts, and the cross is now securely anchored.

For me there is a very powerful image that lingers from this experience. Every now and then there is a crack in the commitment of the church, a loosening of the ties that bind, a failure to remember the vision that started us on the journey. Perhaps the church becomes more concerned about “us” and less concerned about “them,” the ones we lifted the cross for in the first place. Unwittingly, we lose the passion for proclaiming the love of Christ until the whole world adores His sacred name.

Thanks to Mark and his crew for shoring up our cross. And thanks to the leaders of Christ Church for their deep, deep commitment to keep the Cross of Jesus lifted high over our city, proclaiming love to all who are searching for wholeness and God, for love and grace. One day we will lift a new cross even higher over a new sanctuary and over our community. In the meantime, may our passion for sharing the love of Christ grow stronger so that the cross will always dominate our lives and our landscape.

Don Signature
Don Underwood