I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black...

"He Grew the Tree" (aka "The Tree"; aaka "The Old Rugged Cross")

He molded and built
A small lonely hill
That He knew would be called Calvary;
Then He made the seed
That would grow to be
Thorns that would make His Son bleed.

Then He made a green stem
Gave it leaves and then
Gave it sunshine and rain,
And sheltered it with moss.

He grew the tree
That He knew would be
Used to make the old, rugged cross.

Nothing took His life;
With love He gave it.
He was crucified
On the tree that He created.
With great love for man,
God stayed with His plan;
He grew the tree
So that we might go free.

With tears in His eyes,
God looked down through time,
Saw Him spat upon,
Rejected, and mocked;
Still, He grew the tree
That He knew would be
Used to make the old, rugged cross.

Nothing took His life;
With love He gave it.
He was crucified
On the tree that He created.
With great love for man,
God stayed with His plan;
He grew the tree
So that we might go free.

On a hill far away stood an old, rugged cross,
The emblem of suff'ring and shame;
And I love that old cross,
Where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Nothing took His life;
With love He gave it.
He was crucified
On the tree that He created.
With great love for man,
God stayed with His plan;
He grew the tree
So that we might go free.