Cowboy Church #138

 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 Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began creation with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887. Up next is Johnny Cash with I Shall Not Be Moved. In the liner notes for the Unearthed box set, John states about this recording, "It's the same song as the black gospel song, We Shall Not Be Moved. I guess mine steams from the white church, the church I was raised in, but that's not something I ever thought about. As a boy I would hear these songs at church or on the radio, and radio was wonderful back then. It played everything - The Louvin Brothers, The Carter Family, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Sometimes there might be a morning show where it was all country - or hillbilly as they called it then - but otherwise the music was all mixed up. And the black station played what they called 'race music' all day and night. Radio was my lifeline. I was always the one in the family running the radio and getting the stations and finding the songs that I wanted to hear coming over the air, and I was the one singing along."  Next comes Hank Williams Jr. singing one of his dad's best gospel songs, House of Gold. This recording comes from Hank Jr's 1969 gospel album, Sunday Morning. Next comes a (sadly low quality) 1960 recording of Bob Dylan singing Jesus Christ. This song was written by Woody Guthrie, who at this time was very much Bob Dylan's hero. This becomes clear when you listen to Bob's vocal performance where he tries to sound as much like Woody as possible. This is followed with Billy Cate singing The Place Where I Worship. This recording comes from his 2017 gospel album, A Cowboy's Prayer. Next is Leadbelly singing a medley of Every Time I Feel The Spirit, Swing Low Sweet Chariot and They Hung Him on the Cross. Afterwards comes Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Open Up Your Heart (And Let The Sunshine In). This song was written by cowboy music legend, Stuart Hamblen (This Ole House, It Is No Secret What God Can Do, The Lord is Counting on You). Hamblen had acted in the Roy Rogers film, The Arizona Kid (1939) before Roy recorded any of his songs. Cartoon fans might recognize this song from its use in The Flintstones episode,  No Biz Like Show Biz (1965), where Pebbles and Bam Bam sang it. Roy and Dale's version of the song comes from a 1954, Little Golden Record. Today's musical selection ends with The Charlie Daniels Band, Awesome God. 

Next is an episode of Gene Autry's Melody Ranch radio show (that aired January 29, 1956).

Next is Billy Graham on The Johnny Cash Show.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it. Ezra 10:4

In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work like you are working for the Lord, not for people. Colossians 3:23

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

 Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 1 John 3:23

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,  who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5:2

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. Joel 2:32

Thanks for joining me come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.