The theme for this Sunday’s service is Gentleness.

Grant Golliher is a cowboy who has been breaking horses since he was a child, but about twenty-five years ago, he changed his method. His old method was tried and true. “Make ’em do it, show ’em who’s boss. If they give you any grief, whack ’em with a two-by-four.” He admits to ruining many talented horses with that method, and one horse even strangled himself trying to escape from Golliher’s breaking method.

Golliher changed his methods when he met Ray Hunt, an original horse whisperer. Hunt taught Golliher to tame horses by building trust instead of fear. This six foot tall man, with rough leathery hands, is now a gentleman. He uses love and discipline, based upon Hebrews 12:6, which states that God disciplines those he loves. The discipline now takes the form of a white flag on a stick, which he uses to get the horse to overcome its fear.

As he pats Chestnut after a productive session, Golliher says, “See him lick his lips? That’s a good sign. That means he feels good about what just happened. Horses really love you when you help them get through their fear.” Golliher says what astounds him most is not the changes in the horses, but in the people who watch and practice horse whispering. Some abused women have told him they see themselves in the skittish horses. Some men begin to use gentleness rather than fear in their relationships.

In Matthew 11:29 Jesus said, ”Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentile and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

The full article about Golliher can be found at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93531003.