Movies With Michael : Cowboy Church #244

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Cowboy Church #244

Hello my friends and welcome back to another service of Cowboy Church.

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with the medley Remember Whose Birthday It Is/Happy Birthday, Gentle Saviour. There is no problem at all enjoying all of the presents, decorations and movies that come with Christmas (and no one loves them more than me), but we must always remember that Christmas is all about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and it is important every Christmas to remember what Jesus gave up by coming down from heaven to be a human here on Earth. Most importantly it is important to remember why he did it. He did it because of his love for us and his desire for us to be able to spend eternity in heaven with him. This wonderful recording comes from Roy and Dale's 1967 Christmas album, Christmas is Always.

This is followed by Brenda Lee with Papa Noel. This 1958 recording was the B-side to Brenda's biggest hit, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

Afterwards is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1947 recording of The Sea Walker. This song was written by Tim Spencer, one of the group's founding members. Music was a major part of Tim's life from very early on. In fact when he was only 3 years old he was already singing at the church he grew up in. His love of things cowboy and western related also began very early as he had grown in awe of western movies and screen cowboys like Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, William S. Hart and others were his boyhood heroes. With this it is no surprise that in 1931, he went to California to see how his talents could be used in Hollywood. Yet music always remained a major passion for him. As he worked in a warehouse, he would spend his weekends and time after working going around to all the country music radio shows, getting to know all the people he could. This is how he met fellow founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers, Bob Nolan and Leonard Slye (later Roy Rogers). The Sea Walker as well as being written by Tim also features him as the lead singer. The great Bass vocals in this song are courtesy of Hugh Farr.

Then comes The Chuck Wagon Gang with It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. The song was written by Edmund H. Sears. This hymn first appeared in Boston's Christian Register, on December 29, 1849 (yes after Christmas). That version has a verse that does not appear in this version, "But with the woes of sin and strife the world has suffered long; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled Two thousand years of wrong; And man, at war with man, hears not the love-song, which they bring: O hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing!" This verse reflects the state if America at the time this song was written. The Civil War was approaching, and Sears found himself concerned with the division in our country. Unlike many Christmas songs, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear is not a song about peace on Earth but rather a plea for it. With the division and anger that is so prevalent today, this is a perfect Christmas song for our time as well. This song has been put to different tunes over the years and the two most prevalent are Carol (by Richard Storis Willis in 1850) and Noel (by Sir Arthur Sullivan in 1878). Carol is the preferred version of this song in the U.S. This recording of the song comes from The Chuck Wagon Gang's 1970 album, Going Home for Christmas.

Next is Mississippi John Hurt with his 1928 recording of Blessed be the Name.

Now for Doc Watson with What a Friend We Have in Jesus. This hymn still has an important message for us today. When it seems like there is no one to turn to at any moment of our lives, Jesus is always there. He is always there to listen to us, no matter what. More than that though he deeply cares about every single one of us. A better friend than Jesus could never be found no matter how hard we try. What a friend we have in Jesus indeed.

Today's musical selection ends with a true Christmas classic, Gene Autry's 1949 recording of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. After Gene had a hit with Here Comes Santa Claus, it seemed natural that he needed a Christmas follow-up. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ended up being that follow-up. Rudolph as a character made his debut in a children's book by Robert L. May, that was a free booklet that was handed out to kids at Montgomery Ward. The song was written by May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks. Marks would later say about writing this song, "I thought about it for a while and sat down to write a song about it. That song was easily one of the worst songs ever written. Then about a year later I was walking down the street when a new melody came to me. It's the only time that ever happened to me, and I have to admit it is a great melody." When this song was sent to Gene, he was originally hesitant to record it. He was not a fan. However, his wife Ina loved the song. It is widely believed that Ina talked Gene into recording this song. With all the recordings of this popular Christmas carol over the years, Johnny Marks said Gene's version was his favorite. In 1961 he told Gene, "What I sent you in 1949 were ink dots on a piece of paper. You had to translate this into a sound, lyrically and musically, that people would like. How many great songs have been lost because of the wrong rendition? Many people have said 'Any one could have had a hit with Rudolph.' My answer has always been: 'We'll never know. I only know that Gene Autry did do it, and that all the other followed." (quotes from Public Cowboy no.1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry by Holly George-Warren)