A year spent in Cortez left a lasting impact on Christian author Donald Brown.
Brown was brought to the Cortez area by his father’s ministry work prior to his senior year of high school in 1948. He became connected to the area not only because he enjoyed the hunting, mountains and outdoors activities the area offered, but because of several experiences that impacted his faith.
Prior to moving to Cortez, Brown had been living in Portales, New Mexico, and had begun giving sermons during his sophomore year of high school. Cortez welcomed his call to ministry, and he was invited to give an early Easter service at the football stadium in 1949. Brown continued to minister during his time in Cortez and later pursued degrees in theology.
While community support encouraged his desire to minister, Brown’s faith also was impacted by his first experience with a Native American religious ceremony.
When his father, Solon Brown, heard that the Ute tribe was conducting a Sun Dance, which was illegal to perform in the United States at that time, his interest was piqued. They set out in the evening, along with two of their neighbors, in search of the ceremony.
With no directions, only rural dirt roads to follow and car trouble that nearly left them stranded, the group had a difficult time attempting to locate the ceremony by following the sound of the drumming, Brown says.
The group was found near their overheated 1937 Pontiac by a Ute man on horseback. They were surprised when he left without a word, but they braved the dark and unfamiliar area to follow him and ask for help. Their request was answered, despite some difficulty communicating, and the car was soon running again.
Although the Sun Dance was not open to the public, the group was allowed to watch the ceremony. For Brown, who had met Ute students at school and had previous interactions with Native American culture in New Mexico, observing the ceremony was a new experience.
Even though their religious views differed greatly, Donald was struck by the Utes’ belief in a higher power who blessed them with crops and their desire to give thanks and worship that power.
The experience led Brown to contemplate the time and energy he and others put into giving thanks for the essentials enjoyed every day. The account is detailed in his book “Experiences of a Lifetime” and is followed by a life application to be more mindful and thankful on a daily basis.
When asked what inspired him to write the book, Brown discussed how an episode of endocarditis left him hospitalized in intensive care for two weeks, providing him the opportunity to reflect on his life and faith.
Those reflections, and a poignant reminder of his own mortality, inspired him to share the experiences that led him to value the variety created by God, become more aware of His creations and see the purpose behind those creations. After recovering from his illness, Brown left a lucrative job in pharmaceutical sales and returned to the ministry.
Brown, who will turn 89 years old in October, hopes his book will leave behind a continuing ministry of his faith. He hopes to inspire people to “see where God is at work in their lives” and be more aware “of the purpose behind His creations.”
