"Lift High the Cross" is a 19th century English Christian hymn. It was written in 1887 by

George Kitchin George William Kitchin (7 December 1827 – 13 October 1912) was the first Chancellor of the University of Durham, from the institution of the role in 1908 until his death in 1912. He was also the last Dean of Durham to govern the university. ...

and revised in 1916 by Michael R. Newbolt.

History

Kitchin wrote "Lift High the Cross" in 1887, while he was the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

Dean of Winchester The Dean of Winchester is the head of the Chapter of Winchester Cathedral in the city of Winchester, England, in the Diocese of Winchester. Appointment is by the Crown. The first incumbent was the last Prior, William Kingsmill, Catherine Ogl ...

, for the

Society for the Propagation of the Gospel United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) is a United Kingdom-based charitable organization (registered charity no. 234518). It was first incorporated under Royal Charter in 1701 as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Part ...

. It has been suggested that the hymn was inspired by the story of

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

's conversion to Christianity after seeing a cross with "

In hoc signo vinces "''In hoc signo vinces''" (, ) is a Latin phrase conventionally translated into English as "In this sign thou shalt conquer". The Latin phrase itself renders, rather loosely, the Greek phrase "", transliterated as "''en toútōi níka''" ( ...

" on it. It was intended as a festival hymn and was first performed in

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

. In 1916, Newbolt revised the hymn so that it was in twelve couplets and it was printed in the 1916 Supplement to

Hymns Ancient and Modern ''Hymns Ancient and Modern'' is a hymnal in common use within the Church of England, a result of the efforts of the Oxford Movement. The hymnal was first published in 1861. The organization publishing it has now been formed into a charitabl ...

. In that same revision, "Lift High the Cross" was set to the tune of "Crucifer" by

Sydney Nicholson Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson (9 February 1875 – 30 May 1947) was an English choir director, organist and composer, now chiefly remembered as the founder of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) and the compiler of ''The Parish Psalter''. Li ...

. The hymn is often sung during

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...

but is also used as a

processional hymn A processional hymn is a chant, hymn or other music sung during the Procession, usually at the start of a Christian service, although occasionally during the service itself. The procession usually contains members of the clergy and the choir walki ...

recessional hymn A recessional hymn is a hymn placed at the end of a church service to close it. It is used commonly in the Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of ...

before or after a church service. "Lift High the Cross" was first published in the United States in 1974 by

Donald Hustad Donald Paul Hustad (October 2, 1918 – June 22, 2013) was a recognized leader in evangelical church music for six decades. Although he was an esteemed musician, composer, and teacher, Hustad's richest legacy resides in his informed criticism of ev ...

in '' Hymns for the Living Church'' and since then has appeared in a number of different hymnals outside England. In 1978 it appeared in the Lutheran Book of Worship, the hymnal for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 1982 it appeared in Lutheran Worship, the hymnal for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. In 1989 the hymn was included in '' The United Methodist Hymnal'', but with a replacement first verse as the original was considered to be too militaristic.

Critical analysis

The lyrics of "Lift High the Cross" have been subject to discussion. Stanley L. Osbourne wrote that the hymn's "images are biblical, its moods expectant, its promises courageous, and its demands costly" while stating that the cross in the hymn is a symbol of the love of Jesus. However, there has been a view from Christian scholars that the hymn is an endorsement of the

Gospel of John The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...

's description of the Passion (remembered on Good Friday) and focuses on the cross as a source of agony rather than as a throne of Jesus. Usage of the hymn on

Easter Sunday Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel P ...

is often contextualized as the cross being a sign of

resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...

rather than of death and shame.

References

External links

Lyrics
{{authority control English Christian hymns Passion hymns Easter hymns 1887 songs Songs about Jesus 19th-century hymns