Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Lead Me Gently Home, Father. This is followed by The Charlie Daniels Band with Softly and Tenderly. This hymn was written Will Lamartine Thompson. As well as writing gospel songs Thompson also wrote quite a few secular songs and parotic songs. When the songs he wrote were rejected by publishers he created his own company, Will L. Thompson & Company. This company would not only publish music by sell musical instruments. Softly and Tenderly first appeared in 1880's Sparkling Gems, Nos. 1 and 2, a collection of songs from the company. This version of the song comes from CDB's 2001 gospel album, How Sweet the Sound. Unlike earlier Christian albums from the band, this album featured no original songs, instead relying on traditional gospel numbers. Next comes Kris Kristofferson with Burden of Freedom. This version of the song comes from Kris' 1972 album, Burden of Freedom. He would later make another version for his 2006 album, This Old Road. A year before Kris wrote this song he had responded to an alter call and this song and Why Me Lord were responses to what that spiritual experience, one that Kris himself admitted he didn't fully understand yet. Around this time a resurgence was happening with Christian music. A lot had happened in recent years and as many young people had turned to God, they brought along their own types of music, that meant something to them personally. Therefore much Christian music was no longer hymns but mire contemporary sounding music that payed tribute to God while reflecting the world these young Christians had grown up in. Johnny Cash would often play before these audiences as part of concerts mostly made up of the younger artists. Feeling it would be good for Kris to be in such an environment, John invited Kris and his wife Rita Coolidge to perform as well. Kris would play his own songs like Burden of Freedom or Why Me Lord. Yet Kris felt decidedly uncomfortable at these concerts. He would say about the experience, "I was singing songs, I thought were spiritual but people wanted to hear more songs specifically about Jesus. Eventually I had to tell John that I couldn't do these type of shows anymore I felt like a hypocrite." Next comes Billy Cate with Christian Cowboy. This is followed by Dwight Yoakam and Ralph Stanley with Miner's Prayer. The music continues with Tennessee Ernie Ford singing I Love to Tell the Story. When recovering from a sickness, Arabella Katherine Hankey wrote a poem about the life of Christ. This poem was broken into two parts the first being called The Story Wanted (published in January, 1866) and the second called The Story Told (published in November, 1866). I Love to Tell the Story comes from this second part. In 1869 William G. Fisher put this text to music and that is the version we know today. Still it is worth noting that Hankey wrote her own music for these words, but her music was seldom used and is now forgotten. Today's musical selection ends with The Purple Hulls with What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Despite being Joseph Medlicott Scriven's most famous composition, when he made a collection of his writings entitled Hymns and Other Verses it did not appear. It has been assumed that the reason for this is that he probably wrote it for his mother when she was sick and not for the public. It is believed that it is through his mother that the hymn reached the public. It first appeared in 1865's Social Hymns, Original and Selected credited as anonymous.
Here is an episode of Roy Rogers' radio show. It guest stars Sara Berner (who did voices for quite a few Looney Tunes cartoons and appeared in live action in Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954)).
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18
The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1
Let the words of my mouth Meaning either his speech in common conversation, which should not be filthy and foolish, rotten and corrupt; but such as ministers grace to the hearer: or else his address to God, both in prayer and thanksgiving; and the meditation of my heart. Psalm 19:14
Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:11
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29
Thank you for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Resources Used
The Man Called Cash by Steve Turner
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-softly-and-tenderly-jesus-is-calling
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-i-love-to-tell-the-story
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus
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