The Old Rugged Cross
George Bennard was born in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1873. While very young, the Bennard family moved to Iowa so George’s father could work in the coal pits there. George’s father passed away when George was only sixteen years old, and George came to faith soon after. As a young man, George got involved in the growing Salvation Army and served, with his wife, as officers in that organization for a period of time.
Later, George joined the Methodist Episcopal Church as an evangelist. His preaching emphasized Christian purity and godliness – and used the term “Christian holiness.” He taught that when personal holiness (as defined in the Bible) was missing from individuals, the church lost the ability to positively impact the culture in which it lived. George traveled extensively in his evangelistic work but tended to focus mostly in the states of New York and Michigan.
It was in the early twentieth century that the American and European churches were heavily flirting with theological liberalism, which called into question many of the fundamental doctrines of the church and, sadly, led many individuals, churches, and even entire denominations into a spiritual wasteland. During this time, George himself seems to have been enticed by these doctrines and went through a bit of spiritual turmoil himself in struggling with this.
Rev Bennard spent much time in reflection on the Cross of Christ, and what Peter meant when he spoke of ‘sharing in the sufferings of Christ’ (I Peter 4:13). In his reflections, he pictured in his mind a picture of the Cross on a distant hill and he resolved personally not to bow to the pressure of liberalism plaguing his church.
During this time of personal reflection, George was conducting a series of revival services and during one particular meeting, he was viciously heckled by a group of teenage boys. In praying for them that evening in 1915 the words came to him for a song, with a basis on that mental picture of a cross standing on a lonely hill.
On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross; The emblem
of suff'ring and shame
And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best; For a world of lost
sinners was slain
Oh, that old rugged Cross so despised by the world; Has a wondrous
attraction for me
For the dear Lamb of God, left His Glory above; To bear it to dark Calvary
In the old rugged Cross, stain'd with blood so divine; A
wondrous beauty I see
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died; To pardon and
sanctify me
To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true; Its shame and reproach
gladly bear
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away; Where His glory forever
I'll share
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 exchange it some day for a crown
This beloved hymn was picked up by Hymie Rodheaver and popularized by him during the Billy Sunday crusades of the early 20th century, and has been a beloved hymn ever since. Wikipedia has a list (certainly not a comprehensive list) of performers that have recorded this hymn: Al Green, Andy Griffith, Anne Murray, Brad Paisley, Chet Atkins, George Jones, Eddy Arnold, Johnny Cash and June Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Van Shelton, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Gaither Vocal Band, The Statler Brothers, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, George Beverly Shea, and Ronnie Milsap.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Rugged_Cross
