Pastor Shorty likes to keep his sermons short and simple because that’s the cowboy way and his is a cowboy church.
“We’re not into religion. We’re not into ritual. We’re just here to worship the Lord,” says Glen “Shorty” Huffman of the 50 or so faithful filing into a converted metal barn outside Kersey on a Monday evening.
“You can come here straight from the field with manure on your boots or tractor grease on your jeans. There are people here who would never grace the door of a conventional church.”
Jesus would approve of the informal, “come as you are,” approach, Huffman says.
And the relaxed style, he says, goes a long way to explain why cowboy churches ”” also known as Western Heritage churches ”” number 550 nationwide and are on the rise.
Hey, if it works and brings people to Christ, why not?
‘I am the good Cowboy and I lay down my life for the dogies. All who came before me were rustlers and no good city sorts from back east …’
One Episcopal church I attended, on the bay, had it’s dress code once-upon-a-time as “no wet bathing suits, bikini’s should be covered by a robe.”
If you were to visit St Alban’s in Los Banos, you’d likely find me wearing jeans and playing my guitar during Mass. This is a farming and ranching town.
Hererin NM, a lay reader at St. Thomas a Becket in Roswell [now closed] began Cowboy Church in the late 90’s and it took off. It’s still going strong.
St. Luke’s [in the Cotton Patch.] La Union NM, [NE of El Paso about 20? miles, has Cowboy Church one Sunday a month in it semi-rural area and it’s always packed.
Adios. . .
Bob Maxwell+
Still ridin’ for the brand in the Rio Grande.
I met a Cosmic Cowboy
He rides the starry range
He’s a supernatural cowboy
He’s dressed up kind of strange
At first, I didn’t see him
Being out there on the run
But that old hat he’s wearing
Is shining brighter than the sun
He said: This is my Father’s ranch
Far as the eye can see
He made it out of nothing
Every branch and every tree
I know the thing you’re looking for
The place you long to be
Truth is, I ‘m the only door
You’re gonna have to pass through me
From Barry McGuire’s “Cosmic Cowboy”
Some of us had an idea once of starting a “Longshoreman’s Church” down by the docks, meeting in one of the warehouses. Unfortunately, it violated zoning.
If we ever have “lay sermon Sunday” (not likely hereabouts) I will preach on the hymn “Ghost Riders in the Sky” (it will never make the Hymnal). It sums up the travails of our financial times, the quest for “more of everything”, and the futility of that process.
Doug,
A lot of those old ‘singing cowboy’ songs were very theological in nature. It’s one reason I enjoy listening to them. Another is that they are just plain ‘fun’.
Just some things I’ve found that relates:
Hopalong Cassidy’s “Creed for American Boys and Girls”
1.The highest badge of honor a person can wear is honesty. Be mindful at all times.
2.Your parents are the best friends you have. Listen to them and obey their instructions.
3.If you want to be respected, you must respect others. Show good manners in every way.
4.Only through hard work and study can you succeed. Don’t be lazy.
5.Your good deeds always come to light. So don’t boast or be a show off.
6.If you waste time or money today, you will regret it tomorrow. Practice thrift in all ways.
7.Many animals are good and loyal companions. Be friendly and kind to them.
8.A strong, healthy body is a precious gift. Be neat and clean.
9.Our country’s laws are made for your protection. Observe them carefully.
10.Children in many foreign lands are less fortunate than you. Be glad and proud you are an American
Roy Roger’s “Rider’s Rules”
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and care for them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday School regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.
Gene Autry’s “Ten Commandments of the Cowboy”
1. A cowboy never takes unfair advantage.
2. A cowboy never betrays a trust.
3. A cowboy always tells the truth.
4. A cowboy is kind to small children, to old folks, and to animals.
5. A cowboy is free from racial and religious prejudice.
6. A cowboy is helpful and when anyone’s in trouble he lends a hand.
7. A cowboy is a good worker.
8. A cowboy is clean about his person and in thought, word, and deed.
9. A cowboy respects womanhood, his parents, and the laws of his country.
10. A cowboy is a patriot.
The Lone Ranger’s Creed
I believe that to have a friend, a man must be one. That all men are created equal and that everyone has within himself the power to make this a better world. That God put the firewood there, but that every man must gather and light it himself. In being prepared physically, mentally, and morally to fight when necessary for that which is right. That a man should make the most of what equipment he has. That “this government, of the people, by the people, and for the people,” shall live always. That men should live by the rule of what is best for the greatest number. That sooner or later…somewhere…somehow…we must settle with the world and make payment for what we have taken. That all things change, but the truth, and the truth alone lives on forever. I believe in my Creator, my country, my fellow man.
Cowboy’s Ten Commandments posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, TX
(1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin’.
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting.
(5) Put nothin’ before God.
(6) No foolin’ around with another fellow’s gal.
(7) No killin’.
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don’t take what ain’t yers.
(10) Don’t be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff.
Happy Trails!
Jim Elliott
Thanks for that, Jim E! Wow, I feel like I’m six years old again, watching Saturday afternoon black and white TV. Those were the good old days.
You could never get away with saying any of that kind of stuff in modern society. They’d durn run ya outta town on a rail fer bein’ “insensitive.”