Cowboy Church #195

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

Today's music selection begins with Gene Autry's 1946 recording of When It's Round Up Time in Heaven. This song was written by Jimmie Davis, former governor of Louisiana and writer of You Are My Sunshine and I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes. Gene recorded this song on June 4, 1946. The same day he recorded another cowboy gospel number, Rounded Up in Glory.  

This is followed by Merle Haggard with Softly And Tenderly. The song was written by an Ohio businessman named Will Thompson in 1880.  As well as writing gospel songs Thompson also wrote quite a few secular songs and parotic songs. When the songs he wrote were rejected by publishers he created his own company, Will L. Thompson & Company. This company would not only publish music by sell musical instruments. Softly and Tenderly first appeared in 1880's Sparkling Gems, Nos. 1 and 2, a collection of songs from the company. When evangelist Dwight L. Moody was on his death bed he told the songwriter, "Will, I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling’ than anything I have been able to do in my whole life." This was appropriate as Will decided to make songwriting his career while at a meeting held by Moody.

Next is The Charlie Daniels Band with a wonderfully country blues filled version of Just a Closer Walk With Thee. This version of the classic hymn comes from the band's 2002 album, How Sweet the Sound. Unlike their previous Christian albums, that consisted mostly of original songs, this album found the band performing old gospel songs and hymns. It is probably the band's finest album of the 21st Century. 

Then comes Glen Campbell with I Love to Tell the Story. When recovering from a sickness, Arabella Katherine Hankey wrote a poem about the life of Christ. This poem was broken into two parts the first being called The Story Wanted (published in January, 1866) and the second called The Story Told (published in November, 1866). I Love to Tell the Story comes from this second part. In 1869 William G. Fisher put this text to music and that is the version we know today. Still it is worth noting that Hankey wrote her own music for these words, but her music was seldom used and is now forgotten.

Afterwards comes The Blue Sky Boys with their 1936 recording of Where the Soul of Man Never Dies.

Now for Anne Wilson with Scatter. This song comes from her 2022 debut album, My Jesus. 

Now for The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power In The Blood. I love the Sons of the Pioneers' gospel recordings of this time period. The meaning of the word gospel is "good news", and these songs perfectly match that description as the are filled with joy and fun. Being a Christian should be a joyous thing that brings us much happiness and these recordings are full of pure joy and fun. 

Today's musical selection ends with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing I'll Fly Away. This version of the classic southern gospel song comes from their 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet By and By. 

Today's movie trailer is for The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958). This is the second feature film, released to movie theaters, based off of the Lone Ranger TV series. Like the first film, this movie is in full color and features Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels playing The Lone Ranger and Tonto. The movie was directed by Lesley Selander, who also directed the previous film and before this had a long history of B-westerns including some Hopalong Cassidy and Red Ryder movies. After this there would be no more feature length Lone Ranger films until 1981.

Now for a message from the Reverend Billy Graham.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

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