If you’ve recently stopped attending a Christian church because it’s not cowboy enough for you, consider joining a cowboy church:
The Baptist General Convention of Texas has launched about 140 cowboy churches since 2000….
“It appeals to you because it’s ‘come as you are,’” said Chris Maddox, who attends the Cowboy Church of Ellis County. “You don’t feel judged based on how you’re dressed, how you talk, how you look. We’re not asking somebody to be something they’re not.”
Churchgoers wear cowboy hats and jeans, sing hymns accompanied by a country band and get baptized in horse troughs. Churches vary. Some have Western-theme sanctuaries; others meet in barns or on rodeo grounds, some on weeknights.
Well, what else can I say, other than yee-haw?
(via McBloggenstein)
There is one of these in my hometown (podunk TX) that, no shit, has a sign outside that reads, “Cowboy up with God’s Word!” I’m horribly embarrassed of where I was born.
I’m certainly not church-going, but I feel that if you’re going to church, you should look nice. “somebody they’re not”? What about the old “Sunday go to meetin’ clothes”? If dirt farmers in the 19th century could bother to look nice, why can’t they?
Maybe I feel this way due to growing up in a New England protestant church. Or, not: I also feel the same way about people showing up at a decent restaurant dressed like you’re going to mow it’s lawn. And that female jock that met the president wearing flip-flops? Wait. What was the post about?
Also: did anybody else see the figure in the tub as having a wigged skull-head?
@arkonbey: That’s funny, I was talking with a friend a couple weeks ago and they thought the same thing — if someone is going to church, they should be respectful and dress up nicely.
I thought that for a long time as a Christian, but started backsliding to shorts and a t-shirt towards the end. I figured if God didn’t like what I was wearing, he could tell me himself.
Wasn’t the whole idea of dressing up for church kind of to say that where you were going (to worship God) was important? Dressing up was a sign of respect, although in some places it has become kind of a fashion show and one-upmanship.
I’m with arkon. I get surly when I see people at the symphony in gray sweats and torn blue jeans. I also don’t like to see people in the workplace like that. Why is being a slob so desirable?
How long before a Vampire LARP church?
@Ty – “How long before a Vampire LARP church?”
Look around, I’m sure there has to be one. Especially now that “Twilight” is popular. “This is my blood, which is shed for you …” Actually, that’s kind of creepy. I wonder is a vampire could subsist on wine that has been transubstantiated.
I was always of the “dress up” type. But then, I was Episcopalian, and we tend to be very liturgically conservative. You’re attempting to create a sense of sacred space and time, set apart from your day-to-day life.
But then, we had “folk Sundays” as well. *shudder* Country music hymns can’t be much worse.
So are you also supposed to dress up when you are praying in your darkened closet by yourself (as the bible commands)?
Praise the lord and pass the ammo! Yeeeeehaw!
Jimminy-
The “closet” means the…secret place and that is not a physical thing, He is speaking of your own, inner deep heart…the secret place where only you and Him know what you are saying & thinking.
The secret place of…your heart (spirit).
JC
John C:
I don’t think any of us are really interested in hearing about your “secret places”, or the content of the conversations you have with yourself in your more vulnerable and intimate moments.
However, I would certainly love to examine the evidence for this Him or “inner heart” or spirit you speak of. I’m sure you have lots of evidence for all of it, right? Right? What? No? Just vague feelings and emotional pleas and confirmation bias, huh? Oh…ok then. Nevermind I guess.
Well, if you do come across some evidence to support your meaningless assertions, the offer to examine it still stands. Also, please try to be as specific as possible and provide detailed references from peer-reviewed journals when you do decide to present it, cowboy.
Jimminy-
I am simply here to help speak the truth to the many incorrect references so that one day, should anybody want to know…they can know.
You never…know.
JC
John C:
Hahahah! *facepalm*
Dude, what are you talking about? If you want to “speak the truth to the many incorrect references”, you might want to start by talking sense and not making all of your posts as vague and meaningless as possible.
I mean, if you’re a troll or a Poe (which I think you probably are), that’s cool. But if you’re really trying to be serious and you really mean what you say, why not try and speak in plain straightforward language rather than Yoda-esque wishy-washy new-age touchy-feely riddles that no one can make any sense of but you?
@Jimminy-
You haven’t been spending any time in your “secret place” lately…have you?
When you spend time getting in touch with the middle of the middle of you…then you hear the still small voice of…love whispering His tender mercies over you…delighting in you…affirming that you belong to Him.
Father is in the secret place of Jim-IN-HE
Is that plain enough?
JC
Whoa, John, I usually have some respect for you, but you just creeped me all out there.
Tepes-
Thx…one of our problems is that it’s “just too good for us to get our minds (and hearts) around”. Love is a power.
I appreciate your feedback, either way.
JC
John C:
Sounds like you spent a lot of time exploring your secret places with Father McFeely when you were a little altar boy.
Still waiting on you to stop talking in riddles, poe-boy.
John C:
That all sounds pretty cool, actually. But could you go into more detail as to:
A) What “it” is
B) Why “it” is “just too good for us”
C) Why we are unable to get our minds (and hearts) around “it”
D) What is a mind
E) What is a heart
F) What is the difference between a mind and a heart
G) How can one get a heart around something
H) What is love
I) What is power
J) Why is “love” a “power”
I) Why all of this is “one of our problems”
I can think of a few dozen more questions, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. And in any event I’m sure you’ll have no problem providing detailed answers for all of these. So, once you answer them, we can proceed from there.
Jimminy-
I’ve never been an “alter boy”, sounds kind of “religious”. Christ is my only “priest”. We do not need another.
I dont even know what a “poe” is, but whatever it is I am not one, neither am I a “troll” although I think I understand the terminology and what you are implying.
I can’t answer all your questions tonight Jimminy, besides I dont think you really want to know but I can tell you that the “Jim-IN-He” riddle was a reference to John Ch 14 where He says He will be in us and We will be in Him.
Christ In you…the mystery of the ages. Colossians 1:27.
JC
John C:
Good cop out. Come back when you are truly ready to honestly discuss and answer the questions posed to you, rather than make vague references to biblical scripture and touchy-feely semi-new-age references to your own personal (and heretical) interpretations of Christian dogma. Until then, go fuck yourself, troll…and I mean that in the nicest possible way ;)
HAHAAA! I just imagined everyone shooting their guns in the air after saying amen.
And random upward gunshot into the air throughout a powerful sermon.
“why not ‘try and speak in plain straightforward language rather than Yoda-esque wishy-washy new-age touchy-feely riddles that no one can make any sense of but you?”
Also, John C, please learn the proper use of ellipses.
There is one of these in my hometown (podunk TX) that, no shit, has a sign outside that reads, “Cowboy up with God’s Word!” I’m horribly embarrassed of where I was born.
Don’t feel so bad – after all, we can’t help where we’re from.
If you still live there, on the other hand ….
@Charlie-
Thx…you can be my designated english teacher…please feel free to correct my grammar…I want to know…seriously.
Take care…JC
I unfortunately still live in a place that has three (maybe more) of these in a 30 mile radius.
And as to a Vampire church:
google first church of the living dead
I’m serious.
“And as to a Vampire church:
google first church of the living dead”
You know, at this stage of my life I should be smart enough not to take these kinds of dares.
The really, really disturbing part is that it looks like he’s serious. The website is so bad that I thought it had to be a joke. But he’s using a snippet of Galatians in order to go goth.
I dunno, the Goth-Christian link almost seems to make sense. I mean, aren’t they both sort of centered around death? Christianity is a death cult, all the good stuff happens after death so don’t you want to get there quick-like? Goths are all into darkness and death. Seems like a match made in heaven to me.
Christians are nothing if not good at twisting things to fit their agenda.
Drag them kicking and screaming right out of the 1800′s.
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I know it’s late, but I couldn’t help it:
“Rick Warren’s new assignment: Pastor of Brokeback Church.”
@Metro
Wouldn’t that be Ted Haggard?
Jesus said come as you are, Christ will do what ever cleaning needs to be done. When the heart is not sincere, then it don’t matter what you wear or how you sing or what you think or believe. Man made rules is the reason church as ended up being what most have become today.