RMC #38- FUMCR Cross
RMC #38- FUMCR Cross
When I first started going to The Vail Church I never noticed the cross in the church. I remember thinking that one morning as I drove to Avon to join in the Men’s Bible Study being held early each Wednesday.
So as I drove on this cool fall morning in Colorado I was caught by surprise of my memory of the cross that hung in the main church at First United Methodist Richardson (FUMCR).
It was about 3 years ago as FUMCR was just finishing up its new campus. The old cross that had hung in the sanctuary ever since that building was constructed was going to be moved to a place of prominence in the new church. The new church was far bigger than the old one and the scale of the old cross did not lend itself to the size of the new sanctuary. But the cross was being lovingly taken down and carried the few blocks and was being placed in an honorable and beautiful place in the new church.
One night Suzy and I were at the church, probably working on my favorite event the “Cookie Caper”. This was where the members of the church would bake 12 dozen batches of cookies, each, then have a cookie sale. Essentially buying their own cookies back. That year we would sell $7,000 worth of cookies. And since I love cookies this was a true labor of love for me.
Anyway, Joy Anderson, our totally fearless leader said that the workmen had just taken down the cross and would we like to see it up close and bless it before they moved it to the new church. We all said of course we would do so.
So we all bounded in the short distance to the sanctuary where this old rugged wooden cross lay silently on the ground.
I can barely even write this now even 3 years plus later.
The cross was alive.
I could barely move toward it I was struck with so much awe.
How many joys and tears had this wood absorbed in the years it hung so reverently above our heads? How many people were struck by the simplicity of the statement of this cross. How many people remembered the Son who had been placed on pieces of crossed wood not unlike this.
I remember saying a blessing through my tears.
I also remember there was an inscription on the cross, but couldn’t remember what it said. I remember it had been inscribed on the cross as almost a mistake. I couldn’t quite remember the story so I wrote my good friend Ed Murray to see if he remembered the story. He remembered something about it, but emailed Joy since he knew she would know.
Ed sent this back:
“The scripture on the cross is: “Father, forgive them. . . “
Bob Middlebrooks, Senior Minister at the time, was just thinking about what quote to put on the cross and wrote down that, intending for the message to include the entire quote, not just part of it, but whoever was in charge of getting the cross made took his scrap of paper and put that on the cross instead of the whole quote.
Nothing mysterious or mystical about it.”
Nothing mysterious or mystical about it.
But then I am beginning to believe that everything is mysterious and mystical.
And magical.
I actually didn’t find the cross at The Vail Church the first time I looked that morning. I was after I had received back Ed’s response that I was actually able to see it. The cross at the Vail Church is a simple wooden cross, hung high in the chapel. It is very beautiful.
November 4th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Having grown up Catholic, I was used to seeing crosses with the image of Christ on it. Being mesmerized by this cross for several years I thought that, to drive home the meaning of His sacrifice, nails should have been placed where Christs hands and feet would have been.