In Defense Of The Cowboy

While preparing for my first message today I ran across an article titled "Cowboy Churches See Big Growth".  I thought this was going to be an article about the Western Heritage movement and how it is changing the lives of many that would never darken the door of traditional church.  Sadly I was wrong.  Instead to actually looking at the plethora of positive change produced by this movement the author ridicules most important parts of the Cowboy Church's' method of proselytizing. A quote from the page:

That’s right, folks. If you don’t have long sermons (the article says the churches give “short devotions”), feature rodeo entertainment, don’t teach on tithing or present the need for Jesus as Savior, you can have a humdinger of a church. Yee ha.

Aside form the outright lies in this quote, it seems a bit pretentious to think that there is only one way to worship an all knowing and timeless God.Lets go through these one by one so we can set the record straight.

"Don't have Long Sermons"

If memory serves, the New Testament is rife with parables from Jesus where he would say in a few words what the priests of the day would spend hours telling the synagogues. It also brings to mind the admonishments a couple of verses before the Lord's Prayer in the Gospels. I refer you to Matthew 6:7 when Jesus says:  “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

So I would say that "short devotions" are biblical.

Next is "Feature rodeo Entertainment"

I should point out that even at these events there is short devotional..Ok, I am having trouble seeing a problem with this. I guess because I know this movement started one day while a son and his father were AT A RODEO but instead of seeing loud rancorous men of the world they saw a field ready for harvest with few labors.. and they are after all TRYING to reach the cowboy. What better outreach could a church offer where friends and family can get together for fellowship to show that church is not just a building but a body of believers gathering in one place and in one accord? Didn't Jesus teach about not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together?

"Don’t Teach On Tithing"

This one boggles my mind. Our church has just finished a 13 week Wednesday night series called The Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey.. Also, I have listened to several sermons from our pastor about giving.  Maybe it's thought that because we don't pass an offering plate we don't teach about money I can't be sure, but by only giving a brief mention that the milk can (think big butter churn) is on the back table our coffers are never empty. 

Finally, we at the most outrageous claim made in the article: "or present the need for Jesus as Savior"

Umm have you ever been to a Cowboy Church?  At the end of EVERY short devotional we encourage everyone there that has never received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior to say a prayer quietly to their selves lead by who ever is speaking.  Then after the prayer we tell them about a form on the back table kinda like a decision card offered by other denominations that enables the church to contact them in a more comfortable setting to explain one on one what the prayer means and answer any questions about salvation.  From what I see it is working, every Sunday I see cards filled out and souls saved because someone though the cowboy would be more comfortable around his peers than in a traditional church 

I write this NOT to claim the Cowboy Church is any better than any other church, but to help those people that think the only way to worship God is to go to church, set in uncomfortable pews and sing "Just As I Am" and leave just as you was. The Cowboy Church is among the fastest growing churches in the US. We are seeing lives changed, hearts mended, and families saved every week. 

God bless this movement and God bless the Cowboy!

Posted via email from Musings, Ramblings and Other Assorted Rubbish