Cowboy Church #180

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus in the Morning. There is no better way to start your day than by talking to and praising Jesus. If you do this, it has a tendency to make a good day even better and a bad day much easier to make it through. 

This is followed by Don Gibson with his 1958 recording of Where No One Stands Alone. Singing background vocals here are the Jordanaires. This is a group that Elvis fans will be very familiar with as they backed him up on some of his finest gospel and pop recordings. The group would later remember that after performing Peace in the Valley on the Eddy Arnold Show in 1954, a young man approached them saying, "If I ever get a recording contract with a major company, I want you guys to back me up." That young man was Elvis Presley. Hearing this kind of thing often, the group assumed they would never hear from Elvis again, but they certainly did. 

  Next is Randy Travis with O How I Love Jesus. This is a song that shows us how something beautiful can come out of something tragic. This song was written in 1925 by John Braselton Fillmore and came out of the death of his son three years earlier at the age of five. John would later state, "’Precious Memories’ was born in the midnight hours as I bathed by pillow with tears, likewise all my songs came through life’s severest tests.” Even though this song was and is one of the most popular hymns, Fillmore lived his life as a poor janitor struggling to get by. He would only get $36 for writing this song, not even much for the 1920's. 

Afterwards comes Gene Autry's 1946 recording of When it's Roundup Time in Heaven. 

Then comes The Gatlin Brothers with I Have Not Been About My Father's Business. Christianity should not be something passive that we believe in and do nothing with. Instead it is something we should be living each day from when we wake up to when we go to sleep. 

Now we join everybody's favorite hippie/cowboy Willie Nelson with Can't Have Your Hate and Jesus. This wonderful song comes from Willie's 1994 gospel album, Peace in the Valley. About singing gospel music Willie has stated “I don’t ever remember not playing and singing gospel music. My grandparents were music teachers and they were gospel singers. The first music that I heard was gospel music, so it’s not that unusual that I would be so much into it.”

Next comes Johnny Cash singing Let the Lower Lights Be Burning. In the notes for the box set Unearthed, John wrote, "This is a very special song for me, and I'll tell you what it means to me now. When my father was dying, he was in a coma, and all my brothers and sisters and I were gathered around the bed, and we felt like telling him goodbye. But my oldest sister Louise said, 'Let's sing to him.' So we started singing 'Let the Lower Lights be Burning.' At some point I looked at him and, though he had been sound asleep in a coma for days, his lips started moving and he started singing that song along with us. The more we would sing it the more he sang. And he opened his eyes and he looked around at us as we were singing. Ad of course everybody had a good cry as watched him and listened to him as he sang 'Let the Lower Lights be Burning' with us."

Today's musical selection ends with a favorite of mine to use on these posts, The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began 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.

Today's trailer is for an all time classic from the great director George Stevens, Shane (1953). Before becoming a director, George Stevens had worked as a cinematographer at Hal Roach Studios working on many Laurel and Hardy films and other classic comedy shorts. 

Paramount World, 1958

Now for the C.S. Lewis essay, Evil and God.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  Colossians 3:23-24

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. Deuteronomy 20:4

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of classic cartoons. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Resources Used

https://stillisstillmoving.com/willienelson/willie-nelson-album-peace-in-the-valley-re-released/

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

http://www.jordanaires.net/about/us.htm

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-leaning-on-the-everlasting-arms

Johnny Cash: Unearthed Box Set