Out Our Way: Mein hut er hat 3 ecken

Matthew 7:15-20

Out our way, a cowboy’s hat is his autobiography — and while you will see them wear a fancy Stetson at dances and public events, when working cows with other cowhands, the work hat is the one they wear.

When I was in high school and was required to take a foreign language, I opted for German. As part of the fun, we learned an 18th century German song called “Mein hut er hat drei ecken” The song is a silly children’s song that basically says, “My hat has three corners, and if it does not have three corners, then it’s not my hat.” My best hat for special days rarely made it outside, but my beat-up old hat reflected the hours of riding in rain, snow, dust and the hot sun. As Charlie — who gave me his hat before he died — said, “You can read a man’s life story from his hat.” A new hat from the ranch supply store only says you bought a new hat. But a worn out beat up hat bearing the marks of time and labor tells your history.

I know I have often used this passage from Matthew and perhaps have shared the biographical nature of a cowboy’s hat before, but it is a lesson God keeps trying to teach me. My master’s and doctorate in ministry and almost 40 years as a pastor are meaningless in and of themselves — the only sermon anyone really hears is what they see in my day to day life.

As I have sadly had to point out, we have a number of “Medicine Show” TV preachers who say they proclaim the Gospel, but whose lives reflect a totally different message to the world. That is on them, and God will deal with them in time as he had with so many other “false prophets.”.But what about me? What message am I preaching? I have shared this little ditty many times before and will do so again because sometimes I need to be reminded.

“You are preaching the Gospel

“A chapter each day;

“In the things that you do

“And the words that you say.

“People hear what you say

“Whether faithless or true;

“So what is the Gospel

“According to you?”

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].