Cowboy Church #153

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing Pass Me Not. This hymn was written by Fanny Crosby (Blessed Assurance, Near the Cross, Take the World, But Give Me Jesus). The song first appeared in Christian Associations' Songs of Devotion in 1870.  Hymnologist, William J. Reynolds told the story how this song was written during Fanny's visit to a prison in 1868 with fellow gospel songwriters, William Bradbury, William Doane, Robert Lowry and Ira Sankey, “After she had spoken and some of her hymns had been sung, she heard one of the prisoners cry out in a pleading voice, ‘Good Lord, do not pass me by’; Following [William] Doane’s suggestion, she wrote a hymn that evening incorporating the line, “Pass me not, O gentle Savior.” Pass Me Not is said to be her first hymn to reach this level of fame. Next is Ray Price with Jesus is My Kind of People. This song comes from his 1974 album, You're the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me. Afterwards is The Marshall Family with Waiting for the Master to Come. For many bluegrass fans, The Marshall Family just seemed to appear one day. The first time the bluegrass world became aware of them was when they appeared in 1974 on Ralph Stanley's Bluegrass festival. Ralph Stanley hadn't even heard of them until a few days before they performed. One of the band members had simply showed up at his door with a tape and a request to perform at the festival. This worked and the group wowed audiences. Thier bluegrass career was very short lived, only four years. However, they left quite a bit of great music and influenced many future bluegrass and gospel artists. Next comes Johnny Cash with his 1974 recording of My Ship Will Sail. This is followed by The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of The Touch of God's Hand. The song was written by Bob Nolan, who was one of the founding members of the band. Next is Charley Pride and Willie Nelson with Family Bible. This song was written by Willie Nelson, when he was an aspiring songwriter hoping to make it in the country music industry. Yet when this song was first recorded Willie did not receive any credit for writing it. The credit instead went to Claude Gray, Walter Breeland, Paul Buskirk. Paul Buskirk was a guitar instructor and when he and Willie were having dinner together Willie could not pay for the check. Willie then sold this song to Buskirk for the check plus $50. Buskirk would give the song to singer Claude Gray. Claude would have the first major hit of this song in 1960. Willie himself would not record it until his 1971 album, Yesterday's Wine. Today's musical selection ends with Gene Autry and Dinah Shore singing Old Rugged Cross. The song itself dates back to 1913 and was written by evangelist, George Bennard. Actually, the first verse was written in 1912. It was written while Bennard was a part of a series of revival meetings in Albion, Michigan. He was worried about the complete disregard for the gospel around him and wrote this verse as a repose. Of writing it Bennard said, "I seemed to have a vision ... I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable." The song wouldn't be completed for several months, when he was leading meetings at a local church in Pokagan, Michigan. He played it for Rev. Leroy (the sponsoring pastor) and his wife, Ruby Bostwick, both of whom found themselves moved to tears. It was then incorporated into a service at that church on June 7, 1913. 

Next is an episode of Bob Hope's radio show with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans as guest stars. This episode originally aired on June 10th, 1952. This was the same year that Bob and Roy co-starred in the feature film, Son of Paleface. Roy sings a song from that movie here. 

Next comes the Cowboy Preacher, Jason Taylor with his sermon, The Horse Bit. 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Luke 6:35

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:28

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. Ephesians 1:18

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