Out Our Way: The Gospel According to Goliath: 'The Right Saddle'

"(Jesus said) no one sews a piece of un shrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does the patch will tear away from it, the new from the old and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, if he does the wine will burst the skins and the wine is lost, and so are the skins but new wine is for fresh skins."

- Mark 2:21-22

Out our way, most folks are familiar with the standard western work saddle. It is solid and practical for long days working cows. It has a solid raised pommel, a horn for roping, a high cantle and, often, a pretty nice seat for those who are going to be sitting in it all day. The working saddle is designed for its purpose.

When I was back east, I discovered the "English saddle." Very light and basic - there is hardly anything to it at all.  There is no horn, the pommel is just barely there and the cantle isn't much more than what I have on my bicycle A seat with no cushion. But when it comes to jumping over fences and such as I learned to do, it's just the right design.

When I started out in ministry, I served a church in Wyoming near historic Fort Laramie. For five years I did living history as a member of K-Troop, 2nd Cavalry. As part of that adventure I became familiar with the infamous McClellan saddle. It was almost nothing more than a saddle tree lightly covered with leather. It was meant to be comfortable for the horse, not the rider, because there was so little to it. Given the terrain the army had to cover and the reality that few government horses could keep up with the Indian ponies for more than a few days, it was the right saddle for the job.

If you ever go to an equestrian museum, you may see many other kinds of saddles, each designed for its own time, purpose and place. And like saddles, churches change and adapt over time. After all, the Gospel message is not about holding onto traditions, but about reaching people with the good news of Jesus Christ.         

In the text quoted in "Goliath's gallop through the Gospel" this week, Jesus was dealing with the Pharisees who challenged him because he wasn't traditional enough. Jesus' disciples didn't follow all the old traditions of the Pharisees, like fasting and going around with a long face. What has that got to do with "loving God and neighbor?" Jesus asked them. They didn't know. They worshipped out of habit rather than out of a consciousness of God. They were more concerned with style than substance.

The reality is the church of Jesus Christ can never stand still and continue to grow. Like water that does not flow, a church that ceases to move can become stagnant. God does not allow that to happen, which is why scholars have noted that every few hundred years, there is something of a reformation in the church - a transformation. Perhaps a new task arises for the church that requires some of us to "change saddles."

Now I am a traditionalist. I like my old western saddle and it suits me right down to the ground. But the English saddle and the McClellan saddles, though very different, serve their unique purposes as well. Let God choose the right saddle for the times and place as He needs them. As long as I am riding with Him, I am not concerned about which one He chooses.

The Rev. John Bruington