Out Our Way: Shake a loop

Judges 6:11-13 - "And the angel of the Lord came as Gideon was thrashing wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites (who controlled the country and abused the people). And the angel said to Gideon, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!' And Gideon replied, 'If the Lord is with us, why has all this trouble come upon us? Where are all the wonderful deeds our ancestors told us as they spoke of God bringing us out of Egypt?'"

Out our way, rodeo is a big sport. While bull riding, pole bending and bulldogging are popular, they are events created for entertainment purposes only. But bronc riding, calf and team steer roping came right off the range as necessary skills.

In the old days of the open range and trail drives, the cowhand had some four to six horses in his remuda (personal herd) so he could switch off. Often he drew a horse that just as soon wouldn't want to work and would start bucking. If you didn't gain skill at riding an obstinate horse who would start crow hopping and sunfishing when you stepped up, you would end up horseless and jobless.

Come branding time, the only way to get the calf to the iron was to shake a loop and rope it. Mavericks (full-grown unbranded steers that had no herd connection) often took two ropers - the "header" and the "heeler," one to rope the head and the other to rope the back legs.

Now, over the years, these skills could be parlayed into some entertainment and money as cowhands competed with each other with their bronc riding and roping skills.

Indeed, many a youngster in ranch country has sought to develop those skills in order to become a rodeo champ. Indeed some get scholarships to western colleges and universities with rodeo teams, and others make a good income on the circuit. Some even go professional in venues like the PRCA and PBR (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and Professional Bull Riders) lash ups.

But while the rodeo circuit is fun and lucrative for man, it was born out of hard times. We forget that some skills and triumph of the will only come about because of hardship and difficulties. Riding broncs was not a sport but a necessity - as was roping calves on the run and undomesticated cattle. Out of hardship came skill and pride.

Israel and the church have both faced hardships and persecutions from the get-go. Recall the serpent in the Garden tempting Adam and Eve to reject God's Lordship and rebel. The great lie, then as now, was the lie they could replace God with self. Read your history if not the Bible. What civilization has survived the loss of their religious faith? From ancient Egypt to the Soviet Union, the attempt to replace God with self has always signaled the end.

God sends struggles to His people to help them learn and perfect the skills and faith they will need to endure and prosper. The Israelites were caving into the pagan Midianites who had replaced worship of God with worship of power and self. Gideon - the least of the least - was dispatched to send a message to the Midianites and the Israelites. God is not dead nor does He sleep The trials Israel faced were largely of their own making, but God allowed such trials in order to rebuild His people .

You don't take first in calf roping without shaking out a loop on a regular basis - and you won't likely be doing that unless you have to deal with unruly calves on a regular basis.

Be blessed and be a blessing

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].