In the shadow of Calvary’s hill,
Where heaven’s love and earth’s sorrow meet,
I stand in awe, my heart grows still,
As I gaze upon that sacred seat.
The old rugged cross, time-worn yet strong,
Bearing the weight of sin’s heavy toll,
Echoes through ages, a redemptive song,
Calling to every seeking soul.
Far be it from me to raise my voice,
In vain glory or prideful boast,
Save in this cross, my heart’s sole choice,
Where hangs the One I love the most.
O Paul, apostle of grace divine,
Your words ring true through centuries long,
“The world to me is crucified,”
In Christ alone, I now belong.
No earthly treasure, no worldly fame,
Can compare to this wondrous sight,
The Savior’s love, in death proclaimed,
Turning darkness into glorious light.
Here, at the foot of this rugged tree,
I lay my trophies, my earthly crown,
For in His death, I’ve been set free,
My old self with Him nailed down.
The hymn of old still sweetly rings,
“I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,”
Till in that day when faith takes wing,
And earthly gain I count as loss.
O matchless grace! O love profound!
That God should die for sinful man,
Upon this cross, salvation found,
Fulfilling heaven’s redemptive plan.
The world may scoff, may turn away,
From this emblem of suffering and shame,
But here I’ll stand, here I’ll stay,
And glory in my Savior’s name.
For in this cross, two worlds collide,
The temporal and the eternal meet,
Here, God’s justice is satisfied,
And mercy makes our joy complete.
What wondrous power in this tree!
Transforming hearts once cold as stone,
Breaking chains, setting captives free,
Making God’s wayward children His own.
No longer bound by sin’s dark night,
No longer slave to flesh and pride,
Crucified with Christ, brought to light,
In newness of life, I now abide.
O child of God, lift up your eyes,
Behold the cross where Jesus died,
Let not the world’s deceitful cries,
Turn your heart from His wounded side.
For here alone is found the power,
To break sin’s grip, to change our ways,
To stand firm in temptation’s hour,
And live for God through all our days.
The cross speaks love in tones so clear,
It whispers hope to the broken heart,
It dries each penitential tear,
And bids our doubts and fears depart.
In sorrow’s vale, in joy’s bright morn,
The cross stands firm, our sure foundation,
By it, our heavy burdens borne,
In it, we find our true vocation.
To live no longer for ourselves,
But for Him who died and rose again,
To count all earthly gain as loss,
And in His service to remain.
O precious cross! O wondrous tree!
Where heaven’s King was crucified,
Your outstretched arms have set us free,
Your crimson flow has purified.
No human words can fully tell,
The depth of love here on display,
Where God Himself conquered hell,
And turned our darkness into day.
Here, justice and mercy embrace,
Here, holiness and peace have met,
Here, God unveils His glorious face,
And pays in full our sin’s great debt.
The world may change, its glories fade,
Its pleasures prove an empty shell,
But those who in the cross have stayed,
Find joys that tongue can never tell.
For in the cross, we’re crucified,
To all the world once held so dear,
With Christ we’ve died, with Him we’ll rise,
No longer bound by doubt or fear.
O let this truth sink deep within,
Let it transform your heart and mind,
That you may die to self and sin,
And in the cross, true freedom find.
For those who boast in human strength,
In wisdom, wealth, or noble birth,
Will find their boasts of little worth,
When measured by the cross’s length.
But those who glory in the Lord,
Who count all else as rubbish, loss,
Will find their lives in sweet accord,
With Him who triumphed on the cross.
So let us then with Paul proclaim,
Our sole reliance on this tree,
Where Christ has put our sin to shame,
And from its power has set us free.
Let every tongue and tribe and nation,
Hear this message and rejoice,
That God has wrought our full salvation,
Through the cross, His chosen voice.
From age to age, this truth resounds,
In humble hearts, in grand cathedrals,
That where sin’s stain once abounds,
Grace now flows in endless measures.
O child of God, lift high the cross!
Let it be seen in all you do,
Count all things shadow, count them dross,
Save Christ alone, forever true.
For in this emblem, we behold,
The wisdom and the power of God,
A love story forever told,
Of grace outpoured and mercy broad.
So let us cherish, let us cling,
To this old cross, so rough, so dear,
Till in heaven’s courts we sing,
Of Christ who freed us from all fear.
And when at last before His throne,
We lay our trophies at His feet,
We’ll know as we are fully known,
And find in Him our joy complete.
Till then, may this our anthem be,
Our heart’s true song, our spirit’s boast,
“None but Christ has died for me,
I’ll glory in His cross alone!”
For in that cross, our hope secure,
We find the strength to persevere,
Through trials deep and sorrows sure,
Till Christ in glory shall appear.
So let the world its treasures keep,
Its fleeting joys, its gilded crown,
For we have riches far more deep,
In Christ, whose love will never let us down.
In life, in death, our story remains,
A tale of grace, of love divine,
Of One who bore our guilt and shame,
That we might be forever His and He be mine.
O cross of Christ! O wondrous love!
That breaks the power of canceled sin,
That lifts the soul to realms above,
And lets the heavenly life begin.
Here let my soul forever stay,
Here safety dwells, and peace abides,
Here let me every burden lay,
And rest beneath His wounded side.
For in the cross, all history turns,
The old has gone, the new has come,
And in our hearts, a fire burns,
To live for Christ, till life is done.
So may we never cease to sing,
Of love so vast, so deep, so wide,
That made the very heavens ring,
When on that cross our Savior died.
And rising from death’s cold embrace,
He proved the cross was not the end,
But just the start of life and grace,
For all who on His name depend.
O glorious cross! O precious tree!
Our boast, our song, forevermore,
Till face to face our Lord we see,
And praise Him on that golden shore.
