Cowboy Church #188

 

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 1935 recording of One More River to Cross. In a 1976 interview Betty Cox Larimer asked Bob Nolan (one of the founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers), "Bob, talking about the uniqueness of the Sons of the Pioneers, I would have said it was the style. What do you think about the direction of the younger generation of country entertainers? A lot of them really don’t have a style anymore. In fact, a lot of country music itself does not have a style. What do you think about that?" Bob's response was "Well, I think the only thing that they’ve left out is our determination for perfection. You mentioned our breathing. This was marked on the music. See, they don’t pay attention to those little details like we did. That’s the only thing that they’ve forgotten about and if they would take care of a few of the little details they would come up with a style. Towards the last, we were working on slurring our voices all at the same time and trying to get a way of dragging the timing to it, see?"

This is followed by Hank Snow singing I'm in Love with Jesus. 

Now we join The Petersens with Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior.  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 Roy Rogers singing 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.

Afterwards is Bill Monroe with Walk in Jerusalem Just Like John. Though it is unknown who wrote this song, it is believed to be of African American descent. Lizzie Williams, who was a slave during that very dark time in American history, recalled this song being sung at a river baptism. This belief is also supported by the fact that the hymn has been including in quite a few collections of African American spirituals including 1867's Slave Songs of the United States and 1940's American Negro Songs and Spirituals. This song has also been believed to be what was known as a railroad song. This is a song that was sung by railroad workers or other similar workers. The reason for this being that it is structured in a similar matter. The railroad song, Get on Board Little Children was another song Lizzie Williams recalled hearing at the baptism. 

This is followed by Randy Travis with Baptism. 

Next is The Carter Family with a 1941 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 musical selection ends with Johnny Cash singing Land of Israel. Recently I went to Israel, and it is a truly magical and life changing experience for a Christian to see the places where Jesus walked and where so many of the Bible stories actually took place. If any of my fellow Christians get a chance to go there, it is an opportunity that definitely should be taken. 

Today's movie trailer is for Disney's Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956). Not even Walt Disney had any expectation that Davy Crockett segments on the Disneyland TV show, would be such a major success for the studio. Walt would later recall, "We had no idea what was going to happen to 'Crockett.' Why by the time the first show got on the air, we were already shooting the third one and calmly killing Davy off at the Almo. It became one of the biggest overnight hits in TV history and there we were with just three films and a dead hero." This naturally could not be the end of Disney's version of Davy Crockett (played wonderfully by Fess Parker). These episodes were edited into a feature length film that was released to movie theaters. As well as this Disney made more Davy Crockett adventures for their TV show under the name, The Legends of Davy Crockett. These adventures told of legends involving Davy that may or may not have happened during the times not covered by the original three episodes. Two of these TV adventures were edited into the feature film, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates released in movie theaters.

To read the following article click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in.

Radio-TV Mirror, 1955

Next is S.M. Lockridge with his sermon, The Lordship of Christ.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

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 

Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Luke 6:46

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

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

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-pass-me-not-o-gentle-savior

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-i-want-to-be-ready-walk-in-jerusalem

https://www.tumbleweedtrail.net/

https://mediahistoryproject.org/