Out Our Way: New pasture ahead - Revelation 21:1-5

Out our way, round up is always a special time. In the spring we round up the herd for branding and ear tags., and later to move them up to summer pasture to graze. In the fall, we round them up to move them to winter pasture.

As always, being the least-proficient and very nearly useless wrangler, I ride "drag" from the rear of the herd, and am grateful for my silk scarf to cut the dust.

Now, by the time of the roundup, the pasture has been largely grazed down and the dust level is high. The water sources are used up and the rains are often late. So as I ride at the tail end of the herd, hacking and coughing between "cattle calls," I can easily gather how rough and barren the land has become over the season. But as we move them to new pasture things begin to change. The land is no longer barren or grazed down, but lush and abundant.  

The water sources have not yet been touched so the reservoirs and creeks are usually full and fresh and the cattle can smell it. They also smell the abundant pasture and fresh fodder that lies ahead, and begin to pick up the pace as they sense the new land ahead. The bawling of protest changes into sounds of excitement and even anticipation.

Riding drag I have had to push and occasionally use the tail end of my rope to keep a protesting and reluctant herd moving. The silk scarf is tight to cut the abundant dust of the dry and largely barren earth. But when we hit the new pasture, the land is fertile and the grass cuts the dust. No longer needing to be pushed, the herd begins to pick up its pace and I have to go to the trot and even a gentle lope to keep up. The silk scarf comes off the nose and mouth and instead of hacking and coughing, I start to give out some loud "hoorahs!" as I also sense the "green pastures and still waters" up ahead. It's now Charlie's turn up front and riding point, who now has the tough job - keeping the now-eager herd in line and guiding them through the gate. 

Now, Charlie and I know about the fresh grazing and overflowing waters up ahead, but the cattle don't. But we ride for the brand and the boss wants the herd moved to good pasture, so he sends Charlie and me to guide and direct them . Now you may recall the word "Angel" simply means "messenger" in both the Greek and Hebrew languages of the New and Old Testament. A messenger from the Boss may be a divine being with a halo, etc., or it may be an ordinary nobody like me or Charlie To be an "angel of God" simply means a messenger of the Lord and has nothing to do with halos, heavenly light or wings. (The closest I have to "wings" are my "batwing" chaps). The emphasis is on the message, not the message bearer.

Another term for a messenger is "prophet" - someone given the task of guiding God's people. Quite often, as in John's "Revelation," it concerns the future; and more often than not, the message is one of hope. As I have shared on my famous T-shirt: "There IS a God. I am not Him. BUT ... there IS a God!"

And to that I add: "Neither is any other mortal no matter how famous, rich, politically connected, or clever in deceiving the masses!"

Recall that Russian priest who in the darkest days of the Soviet Union was able to stand tall in his faith that God was greater than the KGB, Kremlin, and the Government controlled media. "Lenin, Stalin and Kruschev all said the Church was obsolete and dead. Yet they are all dead and the Church remains. They said only the old 'babushkas' (Grandmothers) still went to Church and when they died the Church would die as well. But they forgot... our 'Babushkas never die!"

You see, like in my cowboy days, the fresh pasture was always there. I didn't create it, I simply pushed the herds towards it until they themselves realized it was there and headed towards it. Then I trotted behind, breaking into a lope to keep up once they caught wind of it. So John, the Apostle, did not create a fantasy world, but simply carried the message of the new heaven and new earth that lies ahead. He simply reported it as a messenger, and as a prophet sought to help us until we could discover it ourselves.

A "new heaven and new earth" is the new pasture that awaits. The prophets and "messengers" simply ride point and drag to head us towards it. They didn't make it up - they are simply telling you what the Boss is doing and what lies ahead. Some will resist and bolt from the herd, starting in the barren land instead of the lush pastures ahead. Some will succeed in avoiding the lush lands ahead and congratulate themselves for staying in the barren lands until their souls starve to death. But many, and hopefully most, will keep moving ahead until they leave behind the dead and barren past and sense the good pastures that lie ahead.    

I have ridden over the skeletons of cattle that "escaped" going to the new pasture and remained in the barren lands where they died of starvation, thirst, and occasionally predators. Thank God they are few, but ideally there should be none. New Year's is a traditional time of checking your "back trail" as well as looking ahead to where you are going. Remember, the word "sin" basically means " going the wrong way," and "repentance" means "to turn around." New Year's is a good time to consider both. Be blessed in 2023 and be a blessing to others!

Brother John  

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The Rev. John Bruington is the retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre. He now lives in Colorado, but continues to write "Out Our Way." He can be reached for comment or dialogue at [email protected].