Write About Now

Wow, I think my last post scared some people. Okay, for something lighter from the “in non-essentials, liberty” department (and I dare you to find a better first line to a news story):

Norco church lets worshippers bring their horse to service

The Rev. Alton Vance’s 8:30 a.m. Sunday worship service is punctuated with the sound of snorting, the odor of manure and the sight of congregants decked out in cowboy hats and spurs.

The outdoor “cowboy service” at Norco Christian Church is not for those who prefer button-downed services in a hushed sanctuary, but it fits well into the lifestyle of many residents of the city that calls itself “Horsetown USA.”

Horse owners can tie up their animals at metal hitching posts or a wooden fence. Dogs are welcome. Pastor Vance preaches in front of an Old-West wooden façade and sings bluegrass hymns, sometimes while playing the banjo.

“Some people didn’t come to church because they wanted to ride their horses instead,” Vance said. “We decided we’d give them a good reason to ride their horses to church.”

The cowboy service at the 53-year-old church began in 1989 on patches of artificial grass laid out on a dirt lot. The façade and six small Western-style buildings — all doing double-duty as aesthetic touches and storage sheds — were added later.

Most worshippers sit on metal folding chairs on concrete, while the horses watch from an adjacent grassy fenced area, some with their owners beside them.

On hot or rainy days, only two or three horses might be there. With the sunny, unseasonably warm weather on Sunday, 25 horses attended, some munching grass or neighing as Vance preached. A few owners had to calm down animals that were restless or weren’t playing nice with their equine neighbor.

Becky and Len Conway were a few feet away from their two 5-year-old horses — Tryggur and Katherine Hepburn — during the whole service.

“We need to sit in front of them to make sure they behave,” Becky Conway said. “If they start messing with each other, we can take care of it. They sometimes start to bite each other or kick one another or make too much noise.”

And to think I’m annoyed by a few children in worship.