Shootin' straight about God

Churches these days are finding ways to make worship relevant to the people in the pews. And it is working. Churches with alternative worship styles are growing and building across the country. That's certainly the case in this area too.

Now a new come-as-you-are church is being developed. Services will be held at 6:30 p.m. starting Jan. 8 at the Fruitland livestock auction barn on U.S. 61 north of Fruitland.

The new church will be the Cape County Cowboy Church.

Thanks to assistance from the Cape Girardeau Area Baptist Association and its member churches -- Red Star Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, Perkins Baptist Church in southern Cape Girardeau County and Fruitland Community Church in particular -- the new church will aim to combine a love of horses and religion.

Cowboy churches have cropped up elsewhere in the nation, mostly in the Southwest where rodeos and horse shows are often scheduled the same time as traditional church services.

This is another example of using creative ideas to make religion both serious and meaningful for those who otherwise might not be involved in a faith community.

A good deal of national attention has been focused on cowboy churches in recent months, and one of the most popular developments is the wide circulation of the Cowboy's Ten Commandments. This cowboy version of God's laws is attributed to the Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, Texas.

It is the simplicity directness of the Cowboy's Ten Commandments that appear to make them so relevant and endearing.

You don't have to be a cowboy to get this simple and straightforward message:

COWBOY'S TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Just one God.

2. Honor yer Ma & Pa.

3. No telling tales or gossipin'.

4. Git yourself to Sunday meetin'.

5. Put nothin' before God.

6. No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.

7. No killin'.

8. Watch yer mouth.

9. Don't take what ain't yers.

10. Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.