Keeping the Sabbath

MERCEDES - There may not have been any people on horseback herding cattle, but a handful of people came to the final day of the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show Sunday to attend cowboy church.
The livestock show fairgrounds hosted Catholic and protestant services back to back that morning as workers began setting up booths for the day and contest participants packed up their belongings.
During the non-denominational protestant service, Harold Parker, pastor of First Baptist Church in Santa Rosa, said he wanted to find scripture that would be fitting with the livestock show.
Thinking back to his youth when he competed in such events, he remembered how he would feel disappointed when he didn't win. But he learned through those experiences that win or lose, one has to be content however things turn out.
"Many folks kind of lose sight of why they're here," Parker said. "No matter where we are in life, we're not going to win all the time ... but we need to be content and satisfied in all those times."
During the service worshippers sang old hymns including "Amazing Grace," "Oh How I Love Jesus," and "One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus" as members of Parker's church played guitars.
Alamo residents Rick and Kathy Bonneville said they've been coming to cowboy church at the livestock show for years.
"We never miss cowboy church," Rick Bonneville said.
The event's final day wrapped up with an antique farm machinery demonstration, tractor pulls, shows, a silent auction as well as a host of other activities throughout the day.