By Pastor Stephen Hess –
If you have pulled into the Highview parking lot recently you may have noticed that there is a new cross on the hill at the north end of the lot. This new cross was constructed to replace a very old cross that stood on that same hill for many years, and the original cross had its own fascinating history.
The story began in the early part of 1996. The property on which our church building currently sits had been purchased the previous year and was an empty piece of land. At that time, the congregation was gathering at the Lion’s Club in Genesee Depot. However, on Good Friday a group of church members walked from Genesee Depot to the future site of the Church carrying the cross beam and erected the cross.
The procession was more than just a way to remember the walk that Christ took when he carried his cross to Golgotha. It was also a declaration that this land belonged to Christ and was the future site of his church. For the next couple of years, even though the land remained empty, the cross served as a symbol of hope about what was to come for the Highview congregation.
During the years prior to groundbreaking and construction, the story of the cross continued. On three different occasions the cross was vandalized. First, on Halloween someone burned it, but the cross continued to stand despite its charred exterior. The following summer someone sawed it in half, but church members put it back together with bolts and braces. Finally, during the middle of the day a few months later, someone took an ax to the cross, chopped it down, and drove away with it, leaving tire tracks on the property. It appeared that the cross was lost until someone later discovered it in a nearby field on an adjacent property, after which it was restored to its original location.
The cross on the hill weathered many things over the years. Not only did it continue to stand despite those acts of vandalism, but it endured harsh Wisconsin winters and muggy Wisconsin summers. However, no piece of wood lasts forever and earlier this year, the base of the cross finally rotted out and fell over. Given the rich history behind the cross on the hill, we felt that it was important to erect a new cross so that this symbol will continue to stand in the same place for years to come.
The cross on the hill is a reminder of what God has done in the history of Highview, but more importantly it is a reminder of what God has done in the history of redemption. The cross reminds us of what lies at the very heart of the Christian faith—our Savior’s atoning death for sinners. When Jesus died on the cross, he purchased a people with his own blood and called them out of the world into his church. Without the cross there would be no salvation and there would be no church. Every time we look at the cross, we should remember our Savior and what he has done for us.
Not only is the cross a reminder of our salvation but it is a reminder of our calling to follow in the footsteps of Jesus who said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mk. 8:34). May we always keep our eyes fixed on the cross, and may we always keep the cross at the center of our ministry.