The Old Rugged Cross

A couple of years ago I attended an exciting wedding! To be honest, I did more than attend a wedding; I was invited to play the piano during the ceremony and leading up to the main event.

I arrived at the venue about 45 minutes before the Bride arrived and started playing about 30 minutes in advance. I had a good stock of music on my iPad and in my head. As I relaxed and got settled in, the task became easier, and the music seemed to flow. I love playing music, but playing in front of an audience raises the stakes and produces some tension. 

One of the delightful things about playing at a Christian wedding is that the bulk of the songs are full of meaning. The lyrics and the words express the wonderful truth of the Bible. 

Here is a list of the songs I played:

Tunes to Play at a Wedding

The Old Rugged Cross✅

Danny Boy✅

Great is thy faithfulness 

He giveth more grace✅

He will hold me fast✅

What a friend we have in Jesus✅

He is not a disappointment ✅

How great thou art✅

The Lord’s my shepherd (new tune)✅

Bye and bye when I look on his face ✅

We shall see his lovely face ✅

When Peace like a river ✅

Gazing on thee Lord in glory✅

Out of my bondage ✅

May the mind of Christ my Saviour ✅

Teach me thy way o Lord ✅

You might be familiar with many of the hymns I played but allow me the liberty of talking to you about one of them.

The Old Rugged Cross✅

This is an amazing song. It tells of the salvation that is available because of Jesus' death on the cross. The fact is that the death and resurrection of Jesus are not just the stuff of legend but an historical fact. The biblical record is that 'Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, that he was buried and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures,' 1 Corinthians 15:3,4.

The offer is one of forgiveness and salvation because Jesus died and paid for sin. His death (as a sinless man) is sufficient to clear the guilt of all people. To benefit from this offer, we need to admit our sins (repent) and accept salvation as a gift. Here are some verses in the Bible that would clarify this truth.

'Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses,' Acts 13:38,39.

'For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,' Romans 6:23

'But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them,' Romans 2:4-10 

May the Lord bless you through His word today.