Stampede!

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV). A good friend of mine, Glynn Beaty, shared the following story recently. There is a ranch where a very distinctive herd of cattle are kept. He wrote: They stand out in the pasture, maybe 100 head or more, nonchalantly chewing on cud as cattle are wont to do. There’s nothing spectacular about the place—normal weather, typical ranch setting—just a pastoral setting of no real consequence. Then the bell rings. Suddenly, an idle herd of cattle is now a crazed mob of massive animals sprinting through the fields as if their very lives depended on it. The sound of the thundering hooves is deafening as a large cloud of dust begins to rise into the once pristine sky. On they rush, unstoppable and unwilling to stop, ignoring the few obstacles in their way, running over anything that stands before them. A horn blasts a mighty, long note. The stampede stops, and the once crazed cows are once again docile. Within minutes, the once serene setting is restored, save only for the cloud of dust that still hangs air, slowly dispersed by the gentle breeze. The cattle, though slightly winded, are at peace, content to bide their time and enjoy the grass at their hooves. JT Oberdorf looks at me, bemused. “You’ve got that look, you know.” “What look is that?” I ask. “The same look everyone gets the first time they see the stampede.” JT is a rancher, with over 30 years of experience. His weathered features, lanky build, rugged hands fit the stereotype of a cowboy out of a Western novel. He’s worked the ranch for as long as he can remember, following in his father’s and grandfather’s steps. He knows every inch of his ranch, the lay of the land, every post, every building, every animal. But JT is more than a rancher. JT Oberdorf is a trainer of thoroughbred cattle. Thoroughbred cattle are a cross between longhorns and other beef cattle. Unlike most beef cattle, the quality of the meat is secondary to the ability and desire to run, as well as the lean, somewhat battered look of the cattle that have been on long drives from Texas to Kansas. The training regimen consists of daily workouts of regular stampedes. How they look and how they run is important, because there is a very small and very unique market for thoroughbred cattle - Hollywood. Thoroughbreds are must-haves if a film needs a stampede. “If there’s been a stampede on film, it’s a good bet the hooves were ours,” JT boasts, “From the first to the most recent, almost always our herd.” If a western is being produced, the producer contacts JT, and the negotiations take place. Once an agreement is reached, the cattle are loaded into specially designed cattle cars and sent by rail to the designated film shoot site. (Usually, the train is followed by trucks, since most sites are not on rail lines, but there is a special rail section to the ranch.) While on the set, the cattle are pampered like most other movie stars—their own specially constructed barns, climate controlled, with massages and other amenities available as needed. The cattle are gathered for their shot, placed on their “mark,” where they wait for the bell to ring, signaling the start of a stampede. They run until the horn sounds, just as they’ve been trained to do at the ranch. Generally, it takes one, maybe two takes before the stampede is filmed to the satisfaction of the director. Once their stampede is completed, the cattle remain to “play the part” of the herd being driven or for atmosphere. I asked JT if times were getting harder since westerns weren’t in such demand anymore. He begrudgingly admitted that times had been better, but that there was always a need for the cattle. He wasn’t willing to give up the trade, believing that it only takes one good western to turn things around. He’s convinced that next great western is just around the bend. As with any agribusiness man, JT Oberdorf was dependent on forces out of his control but not willing to surrender to the voices that called for the end of thoroughbred cattling. “One day soon, there will be a call for a cattle stampede, and when it happens, they’ll need a well-trained herd of thoroughbred cattle. They’ll need Oberdorf’s, and we’ll be ready.” Sometimes I wonder if most of what we call “church” is nothing more than training for a fake stampede that is unlikely to come. Jesus’ directive to us is to make disciples “as we are going” our way in the world. We would do well to remember we are not called to be actors on the stage of life; but, to live our lives in the world so that others can see the reflection of Christ in us. A lot of the excitement we conjure up in church looks like the ringing of a bell and sounding of the horn for the start and finish of stampede practice. Let’s get real!