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 1948 recording with Rounded Up in Glory.
This is followed by Loretta Lynn with He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. It is unknown who exactly wrote this song because it had been passed down through oral tradition long before it was ever published. However we do know that it was first published in 1927 in a Hymnal titled Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New. In 1933 Frank Warner, a folk art collector and singer, heard Sue Thomas sing this in North Carolina. Frank Warner then preformed and introduced this song throughout the U.S.A. In 1941 Robert Sonkin recorded a version of this wonderful hymn. This version of the song comes from Lorretta's 1968 album, The Gospel Spirit.
Now for Randy Travis with Open the Eyes of My Heart.
Next is Guy Penrod with Nothing But the Blood of Jesus. This hymn was written by Robert Lowry who wrote more than 500 hymns. About his hymn writing Lowry stated “Music, with me has been a side issue… I would rather preach a gospel sermon to an appreciative audience than write a hymn. I have always looked upon myself as a preacher and felt a sort of depreciation when I began to be known more as a composer.”
Afterwards is Kris Kristofferson with They Killed Him. This song (written by Kris) pays tribute to three heroes of Kris. Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. and our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. It is a shame that in this world, people who preach a message of love can often get killed for doing it. As Christians though love for others should be a major priority. After all God us love and it is through love that we can best see him. Despite Kris writing this song he was not the first to record it. Kris would record the song in 1986, but Johnny Cash had already recorded it in 1984. In 1986 Bob Dylan also recorded the song for his Knocked Out Loaded album.
Next Gene Autry sings the cowboy gospel classic The Last Roundup in a clip from the movie, The Last Round Up (1947). This isn't the first time he recorded this song. He made a studio recording of it on October 9, 1933. Though the song had previously appeared in Ziegfield Follies of 1933, it was Gene's recording that made this a cowboy music standard. He would also sing it again in the movie The Singing Hill (1941). With how popular this song was for Gene, it is no surprise that it would become the title tune for one of his movies. This song was written by Tin Pan Alley songwriter Billy Hill. Billy Hill had also written the cowboy music standard, Empty Saddles which was recorded by such great artists as Bing Crosby, Sons of the Pioneers, Roy Rogers, Dean Martin, Sons of the San Joaquin and even Gene himself.
Now for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing, It is No Secret. This song was written by cowboy singer and actor Stuart Hamblen. Before turning to God, this man's life could hardly be considered Godly. He often drank and fought and this often landed him in jail. When in 1949 Hamblin went to a Billy Graham crusade, he turned his life over to God. The drinking and fighting were put behind him and his whole life changing. One day he was talking about this change to his good friend John Wayne (yes that John Wayne) and that it was no secret what God had done for him. John Wayne said, that he should write a song with those lyrics. Stuart Hamblen had also had a brief movie career and appeared in the Roy Rogers movie, The Arizona Kid (1939).
Today's musical selection ends with Alan Jackson singing Standing on the Promises of God. This hymn was written by Russell Carter in 1886. Working as a sheep herder he developed a heart condition. This led him to pray much more often, and he began to get closer to God every day. When he was healed, he vowed to "stand on the promises of God" and wrote this song.
Today's movie trailer is for the wonderful Howard Hawks western, Rio Bravo (1959). This film has a fantastic cast including John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Ward Bond and Walter Brennen and has rightful gone down in film history as a truly great western. For cowboy music fans, this movie features the wonderful song, My Riffle, My Pony and Me which is sung as a duet between Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson. This film has become a favorite of many great filmmakers with Quention Tarantino even once stating that if his date didn't like this movie there will be no relationship.
The following is a 1959 article from American Cinematographer, talking about the cinematography for Rio Bravo. If you have any trouble reading it click on the pages and use your touch screen to zoom in.
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Next is a short message from the Rev. Billy Graham.
Better to be a poor person who has integrity than to be rich and double-dealing. Proverbs 28:6
Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2
Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. Proverbs 28:27
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Resources Used
Public Cowboy no. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry by Holly George-Warren
https://dianaleaghmatthews.com/nothing-but-the-blood/#.Yucz4mPMK3A
https://mediahistoryproject.org/
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