Our Cross

Ever since Jesus’ crucifixion, the cross has served as the dominant symbol for the Christian faith. No image more clearly depicts Christ’s redemptive and life-giving work.

The cross, which hangs in Redeemer’s sanctuary and serves as our logo, is both simple and beautiful. Its most basic form is the traditional Greek cross. With its imposed ring, Redeemer’s cross also suggests a connection to the Celtic cross and the churches of the Reformation.

One of the most ancient high Celtic crosses comes from the Island of Iona in the Inner Hebrides off the coast of Scotland where in 563 A.D. Columba and other missionaries evangelized portions of Scotland and England. Explanations of the superimposed ring abound. Among the more common ones is that the ring symbolizes the sun and is related to ancient Druid worship practices, including human sacrifices. The Christian cross is superimposed upon it, forever blocking those barbaric sacrifices by the only adequate sacrifice, the death of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Added to this simple form are beautiful adornments, which represent the transformative power of the Cross. It has been said, “It might be appropriate to have rough, unfinished wood for the cross, but it would not then be a symbol but almost the thing itself. We have chosen a beautiful cross because by His death and resurrection Christ transformed the instrument of pain. We stand on the other side of Easter from that Black Friday on which He died.”

Undeniably, the wooden elements constituting the sanctuary cross hint at those beams upon which our Savior was crucified, but Redeemer’s cross also heralds the beautiful, unfolding story of redemption. Consequently, the bronzed metal in Redeemer’s cross shines. The budded trefoils, not only represent the Trinity, but also wonderfully decorate each arm of the cross. Similarly, the leafy-vines growing out from the center of the Cross symbolize Christ’s life-giving power and our responsibility to abide in Him.

*Special thanks to Marcus Rudd, whose artistic gifts and craftsmanship are responsible for creating the cross that hangs in Redeemer's sanctuary. Marcus, his wife, Heather, and their two children serve as missionaries with Mission to the World with Isaiah 55 ministries in Reynosa, Mexico.