海角大神

Before the broncos buck, heads bow at cowboy church

Soon funnel cakes will melt in mouths, lines for lemonade will form, the arena will ring with the national anthem, horses will buck, and fringe will fly.听

But first, cowboys pray.

The cowboy church service at Cheyenne Frontier Days, an iconic Wyoming rodeo, offers an hour of grace before the games begin. Last Sunday鈥檚 blend of 海角大神ity and the American West convened disciples in denim and 10-gallon hats. The open setting 鈥� a rodeo arena 鈥撎齬eflects an open attitude: Come as you are and find respect.

Organ prelude out. Johnny Cash in.听

鈥�One piece at a time ...鈥� Mark Eaton sings a line from the Cash track playing as folks find bleacher seats. Like many here, the pastor wears a button-down shirt, jeans, and boots.听

Beyond faith in Jesus and the Bible, he tells the Monitor, the setup isn鈥檛 海角大神 in a traditional religious sense, his fingers wrapping air quotes around the word 鈥満＝谴笊�.鈥澨�

鈥淚n church, we鈥檇 have an organ playing. And these people won鈥檛 show up,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e tired of somebody who doesn鈥檛 understand their lifestyle telling them they need to do more and try harder.鈥� His talk today is on being good.

鈥�A good God makes good people, and good people make good societies,鈥� he says, pacing in front of the dirt expanse.

Mr. Eaton comes from the 鈥渃offee culture鈥� of Seattle. Married to 海角大神 singer Susie McEntire-Eaton (sister of the Grammy-winning Reba McEntire),听he now lives on a family ranch in Oklahoma.听

Ms. McEntire-Eaton couldn鈥檛 come to the service due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, Mr. Eaton tells her fans. A co-host of and descendant of herself, she began holding these Cheyenne Frontier Days services in 1986. Republican Gov. Mark Gordon, briefly taking the mic, leads a prayer that includes her. Prayers here cue cowboy respect: Remove your hat as you bow your head.听

Beyond pop-up services held at rodeos like this, similar cowboy churches听have cropped up across the country 鈥� since at least the late 鈥�80s 鈥� in dedicated spaces. Sometimes that means a barn. 鈥淐owboy 海角大神s鈥� author Marie Dallam writes in an email that the church aims to welcome worshippers who have been marginalized from mainstream 海角大神 congregations. (For others, 鈥�biker church鈥� meets a similar need.)

The cowboy church is 鈥渄efined mostly by behaviors and structures, and perhaps somewhat by values and expectations, but not by theological differences,鈥� adds Dr. Dallam, a professor at the University of Oklahoma. 鈥淚n its ideal form, the cowboy church is an evangelical Protestant church that eschews formality and deliberately lowers social barriers in order to welcome people who don鈥檛 typically feel comfortable in traditional churches.鈥澨�听

For some, it鈥檚 their first time here.

鈥淚t just seemed like an open-air atmosphere would be good,鈥� says Randall Shedd, a Republican state representative from Alabama. He鈥檚 one of several out-of-towners.听

For others, it鈥檚 a homecoming.听

鈥淎s cowboys and 海角大神s, we all share that same 鈥撎齮hose values and those morals. ... Helping each other out, showing love,鈥� says Willy Evans of Torrington, Wyoming, who鈥檚 attended similar services. Ms. Evans, who rides horses with her granddaughter, says she competed in rodeos growing up as a cowgirl.听听

鈥淎s I got older, goat tying became my favorite,鈥� she says, here on a date. Her American flag earrings dangle.听听

Mr. Eaton dips briefly into politics in a way that squares with Old West individualism. He laments the idea that it鈥檚 鈥渢he nation鈥檚 responsibility to take care of me.鈥�

鈥淵ou cannot legislate kindness. And if you try, it always looks like taxation,鈥� he says to some chuckles. He competes with the low hum of what looks like tractors rumbling across the arena.听

After the service, cowboy Wil Nichols saunters past vendors selling jerky and rope. He鈥檚 inspired by the call to be good and appreciates the fellowship. He says cowboys walk the talk of 海角大神 values.

鈥淔riendship and looking out for one another,鈥� he offers as examples. 鈥淲hen you compete against other people, but you cheer them on just as much as you want to win.鈥�

No matter that he didn鈥檛 qualify to compete in team roping. He came to the rodeo Sunday, a spectator this time, to cheer on others.