The Smoke of the Brandin' Fire

Helen and I now make it a habit to be in Alpine, TX, each February for the Annual Cowboy Music/Poetry Symposium. We park the Texas Molly II on Donna and Manning Davis’ ranch. Donna and Manning helped us build our last church before we retired to travel fulltime in our RV.

The morning the Symposium begins, we eat breakfast out of the back of a real chuck wagon, standing in the smoke of the biscuit baking and coffee making campfires. At Sol Ross University in Alpine, Texas, large crowds gather to hear the original music and poetry of cowboys and cowgirls from ranches all over the southwest. These are cowboys and cowgirls who are regularly riding, roping, branding, mending fences and sleeping under the stars. We have met and talked with many of these ranchers and one of our favorites is Allan Chapman. Allan a man in his 60’s whose family has been riding, roping, branding and mending fences for decades. Allan is a sixth generation cowboy whose Presbyterian family immigrated to America from Scotland. His ancestors fought beside Sam Houston when Houston went up against the Mexican army of General Santa Ana after Santa Ana killed everyone at the Alamo.

This year at the music/poetry gathering, Allan presented a new song; it is a kind of love letter and it is entitled “Standin in the Smoke of the Brandin’ Fire”.

I am writing you tonight, dear, from east New Mexico…
where the grass is getting’ greener…
and the Rio Frio flows.

I guess you gave up on me some time ago, while I was standin’ in the smoke of the brandin’ fire.

I know this cowboy life I lead, never appealed to you.

There’s always something needin’ doin’, before another thing gets through.

Well, I hear you’re getting married and this letter’s overdue…

‘Cause I’ve been standin’ in the smoke of the brandin’ fire.

I’ve been keepin’ my pony fed… and stretchin’ wire.

Wish I could tell you somethin’ different, but I’m not that good a liar.

‘cause all I know is punchin’ cows … and smoky brandin’ fires.

The nights are gettin’ warmer… and it rained just yesterday.

I’m starting three new mares this week, the best one is the bay.

Well, I’m wishin’ you…and yours a good life… that’s what I mean to say…

while I’m standin’ in the smoke of the brandin’ fire.

I’ve been keepin’ my pony fed… and stretchin’ wire.

Wish I could tell you somethin’ different, but I’m not that good a liar.

‘cause all I know is punchin’ cows … and smoky brandin’ fires.

The song tells of a cowboy who could not give up the lure of the cowboy life and its culture long enough to claim the heart of his lover. The smoke of the brandin’ fire was just too alluring for him to turn away, even for the love of his life.

Some of us have been standing in the smoke of the brandin’ fire. We have allowed the lure of our culture to pilfer our hearts while our first loves – Jesus Christ and his church – have been stolen from us by the lure of the culture. Our commitment, courage and loyalty are not what they used to be. Core values are quickly eroding. Our first love is still out there. The core values which we first embraced are still out there. Jesus, church and country still call to us to come back to our first loves. Our calling is to commitment, courage and loyalty in the face of great testing. But the smoke of our culture is blinding many, even in the church.

Many of us have been blinded by the lure of today’s culture. For some the things of this world and the bottom line are more important than living by the grace of Jesus Christ. Some have given up their first loves. Some of us are standin' far too deep in the smoke of the brandin' fire. We try to be like everyone else. We think like the world thinks. We act like the world acts. We are indistinguishable from the world around us. There is little or no difference between us and the world. We’ve been standing far too long in the smoke of the brandin’ fire.

God’s grace and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit provide the only way out of the smoke. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ lead us out of the smoke and keep us clear of the brandin’ fire.