Out Our Way:

Mark 9:38-40

Out our way, the roundup is always a big deal - and for this preacher/cowboy it was an especially big deal. Although I am not very good at it, I sure enjoy playing the part. Charlie and I trailered the horses up the ridge as far as we could go, and then unloaded and saddled up. I had just gotten a new pair of leather "batwing" chaps for my birthday and I was really looking forward to wearing them. Aside from the fact we would be riding through hawthorn bushes where the chaps were really a critical covering for my legs - they looked great. I may not be much of a cowboy, but I sure looked and felt the part!

There I was, sitting on Goliath, rope tied to the saddle, wide cowboy hat firmly planted, leather gloves, new chaps and tough cowboy riding boots - and riding under the Montana big sky chasing cows. But down in the flats on the other side of the pasture were other cowboys moving cows. Instead of chaps and boots they wore overalls and shoes. Instead of the wide cowboy hat, they wore ball caps. And instead of sitting astride horses they drove those four-wheel quads across the land.

I started to make some snide remark about the "dudes" until I realized that although they were doing it in a different way, they were doing the same job Charlie and I were doing. True, they couldn't go through the gullies and thick brush like we could - but where they could go they moved a lot faster and managed to pick up more cows than we did. Mike, the owner, needed hands to get his cows in and whether on horse back or on a quad didn't really matter - as long as the herd was brought in.  

In this week's text, we find some of the disciples being upset that a man who was not part of their group was casting out demons in Jesus' name.  They tried to stop him but it was they who were stopped - by Jesus Himself. Jesus told them that anyone who was working with Him was welcome saying, "He who is not against us is with us."

Here in Havre the churches, by and large, seem to understand that. I have found no rivalry at the Greater Havre Area Ministerial Association - GHAMA - where nearly every congregation is represented. Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Assembly of God and various independent congregations all working together.

This is how it is supposed to be, but sadly I can testify that it is not always so. Sometimes pastors get jealous of each other and refuse to cooperate. Sometimes denominational leaders refuse to allow their congregations to associate with other believers. But fortunately, most Christians are wiser than that and even if some Pharisee preacher or bishop of executive decides they alone are worthy of serving Christ - the people of God recognize we are all family and in this together.

I doubt the cows were at all concerned whether the riders who got them to the good feed and water were riding horses or quads. They were just glad to get to where they needed to go. Why can't we all be at least as smart as cows?

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John Bruington is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre and Goliath is a professor at the Montana Highline Seminary of Horse Sense Theology. Their book "Out Our Way: Theology Under Saddle' is available at Amazon.com.