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 An Edwardsburg pastor will challenge attendees to consider what the cross means to people today, and The Promissory Notes Mountain Dulcimer Group will entertain, at the upcoming 92^nd Old Rugged Cross (ORC) Anniversary Celebration.  The Celebration is set for Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2:00 p.m., at The Old Rugged Cross Historic Site in Pokagon, Mich.  The public is invited to attend.

             Pastor Jeff Reese, of Hope United Methodist Church of Edwardsburg, will present a sermon about what the cross means to us today.  We see a lot of jewelry hanging on folks necks.  But the cross needs to be in our hearts.  It needs to be the connection between our head and our heart so that we can understand what God has offered us in this gift of salvation.  Paul talks about the Christian life as being a privilege and how important that concept should be in our daily lives.  So my remarks will help us explore those ideas, he said. 

            The Promissory Notes group performs on mountain dulcimers and other folk instruments such as guitar, banjo and autoharp.  They have performed together for about six years.  Group members come from Edwardsburg (Mich.) and Elkhart, Goshen, and Osceola, Ind.  They focus on folk and gospel selections, but recently performed Civil War era songs at a Civil War reenactment at Bonneville Mill, in Bristol, Ind.  ORC Celebration selections may include, "I Feel Like Traveling On", "Precious Memories", and "Will the Circle be Unbroken"?

            The Celebration will be in The Old Rugged Cross Memorial Garden.  If the weather is not visitor friendly, the service will be held in the Pokagon United Methodist Church, across Kansas Street from the Garden.  There is no admission charge.  Attendees are urged to bring their own lawn chairs and to dress for the weather.

            The Historic Site is one block south of Pokagon Highway, just east of Highway M-51, halfway between Niles and Dowagiac, Mich.  The one-acre site includes The Original Old Rugged Cross Church and The Old Rugged Cross Memorial Garden.  The church is where the hymn, "The Old Rugged Cross," was sung publicly in its entirety for the first time after its composer, Rev. George Bennard, completed it in 1913.

            The Original Old Rugged Cross Church is a Registered Michigan Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The facility is being restored as closely as possible to its 1913 appearance and materials, to serve as a museum and community center for special, scheduled events.  Tours of the church will be available as part of the Anniversary Celebration.

            The half-acre Old Rugged Cross Memorial Garden is available for group tours, weddings and other special, scheduled activities, as well as for unscheduled meditation.