In the Cross of Christ

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In the cross of Christ I glory, Towering over the wrecks of time

Author: John Bowring (1825)
Tune: RATHBUN
Published in 1600 hymnals

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	In the Cross of Christ I Glory

Piano/Organ
	Toccata on In the Cross of Christ I Glor…

Choral
	In the Cross of Christ I Glory

Representative Text

1 In the cross of Christ I glory,
towering o'er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story
gathers round its head sublime.

2 When the woes of life o'ertake me,
hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
never shall the cross forsake me.
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

3 When the sun of bliss is beaming
light and love upon my way,
from the cross the radiance streaming
adds more luster to the day.

4 Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
by the cross are sanctified;
peace is there that knows no measure,
joys that through all time abide.

5 In the cross of Christ I glory,
towering o'er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story
gathers round its head sublime.

United Methodist Hymnal, 1989

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Author: John Bowring

James Bowring was born at Exeter, in 1792. He possessed at an early age a remarkable power of attaining languages, and acquired some reputation by his metrical translations of foreign poems. He became editor of "The Westminster Review" in 1825, and was elected to Parliament in 1835. In 1849, he was appointed Consul at Canton, and in 1854, was made Governor of Hong Kong, and received the honour of knighthood. He is the author of some important works on politics and travel, and is the recipient of several testimonials from foreign governments and societies. His poems and hymns have also added to his reputation. His "Matins and Vespers" have passed through many editions. In religion he is a Unitarian. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charl… Go to person page >

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Related Texts

First Line:	In the cross of Christ I glory, Towering over the wrecks of time
Title:	In the Cross of Christ
Author:	John Bowring (1825)
Meter:	8.7.8.7
Language:	English
Notes:	Spanish translation: See "En las excelsa cruz de Cristo" by Speros Demetrius Athans
Copyright:	Public Domain

Year A, Epiphany Season, Fourth Sunday
This is recommended for Year A, Epiphany Season, Fourth Sunday by 3 hymnal lectionary indexes including Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #213.
Year A, Holy Week season, Tuesday of Holy Week
This is recommended for Year A, Holy Week season, Tuesday of Holy Week by 2 hymnal lectionary indexes including Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #213.
Year B, Lent, Third Sunday
This is recommended for Year B, Lent, Third Sunday by 3 hymnal lectionary indexes including Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #213.
Year B, Holy Week season, Tuesday of Holy Week
This is recommended for Year B, Holy Week season, Tuesday of Holy Week by 2 hymnal lectionary indexes including Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #213.
Year C, Lent, Second Sunday
Year C, Holy Week season, Monday of Holy Week
Year C, Holy Week season, Tuesday of Holy Week
This is recommended for Year C, Holy Week season, Tuesday of Holy Week by 2 hymnal lectionary indexes including Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #213.
Year C, Ordinary Time, Proper 9 (14)

English

10 shown out of 1198

Welsh

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Notes

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In the Cross of Christ I glory

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Tune

RATHBUN

This story is associated with the writing of RATHBUN: One Sunday in 1849 Ithamar Conkey (b. Shutesbury, MA, 1815; d. Elizabeth, NJ, 1867) walked out of the morning service at Central Baptist Church, Norwich, Connecticut, where he was choir director and organist, frustrated because only one soprano f…

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For Leaders

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This hymn was probably inspired by Galatians 6:14: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (ESV). The first stanza expands on this verse, while the second and third stanzas deal with the meaning of the cross in times of pain and pleasure, and the peace and joy it brings regardless of circumstance. The fourth stanza summarizes the previous ones.

Text:

John Bowring was an Englishman whose career was in business and government. He was also a Unitarian. As such, it is somewhat surprising that he wrote such a hymn as “In the Cross of Christ I Glory,” since Unitarians do not believe that Jesus Christ was divine. In 1825, Bowring published the hymn in his Hymns in London.

The themes of this hymn are the glory of the cross, and the peace and joy that can be found through it in the toils and joys of life. While the hymn originally had five stanzas, the fifth is merely a repetition of the first and is usually omitted.

Tune:

The most popular tune for this hymn is RATHBUN, composed by Ithamar Conkey in 1849, while he was organist at Central Baptist Church in Norwich, Connecticut. One story associated with this tune is that one Sunday, only one soprano showed up for the choir, so a discouraged Conkey left the service after the prelude. That afternoon, in a different frame of mind, he wrote this tune and named it for the one faithful soprano, Mrs. Beriah S. Rathbun.

When/Why/How:

This hymn is suitable for Lent or Holy Week, as well as for a Communion service. The slow tempo and meditative quality of the tune make this hymn a good choice for instrumental music during Communion or as a prelude for Lent or Good Friday. “Two Meditations on The Cross” is an arrangement of RATHBUN and NEAR THE CROSS for handbells. For organ, try “Toccata on In the Cross of Christ I Glory” or the setting of RATHBUN found in “Hosannas and Alleluias.” “These Forty Days” contains an arrangement of this hymn for organ and piano duet.

Tiffany Shomsky,
Hymnary.org

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Baptist Hymnal 1991 #554

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The Cyber Hymnal #3006

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The United Methodist Hymnal #295

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Worship and Rejoice #264

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Page Scans

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Psalms and Hymns to the Living God (2023), p.328

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Instances in all hymnals

Instances (101 - 102 of 102)

Worship the Lord #196

Yes, Lord! #243

Pages

Include 1498 pre-1979 instances

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Piano/Organ Toccata on In the Cross of Christ I Glory The Cross Before Me (Flexible Piano Medleys for Worship and Communion Services) CONCERT PIANO SOLOS More Piano/Organ...
Choral In the Cross of Christ I Glory More Choral...
Instrumental Table of the World More Instrumental...
Handbells The Cross, The Grave, The Skies! (Reproducible Handbell Settings of Classic Hymn Tunes for Lent and Easter) The Cross, The Grave, The Skies! (Reproducible Handbell Settings of Classic Hymn Tunes for Lent and Easter) In the Shadow of His Cross More Handbells...
PowerPoint IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST I GLORY (Presbyterian Hymnal 84) IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST I GLORY (Hymnal for Worship & Celebration 184) IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST I GLORY (Celebration 328) More PowerPoint...

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