Cowboy Church #255

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers with Let There Be Peace on Earth. This recording comes from his and his wife, Dale Evans' 1967 Christmas album, Christmas Is Always.

This is followed by Carly Pearce with her 2021 recording of Mary, Did You Know. This song's creation began in 1970 when the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. They planned to put on a Broadway-style Christmas show that was known as The Living Christmas Tree. This play would be different every single year. For the 1984 production Dr. Jerry Falwell asked Dr. Jerry Falwell, one of the church's members Mark Lowry to write that year's production. Yet he had a trouble thinking of anything that would capture the sense of awe and wonder of the first Christmas. When his mother started talking about Jesus' mother Mary in a causal conversation, he started to have many thoughts about what must have gone through Mary's mind during Jesus' life and ministry. From this the words of this song poured out. However, it wasn't until 7 years later that the music we know, and love came to be. Lowry gave the lyrics to his friend and gospel songwriter Buddy Greene. Not long afterwards Buddy Greene called Lowry and played the music for him, which Lowry thought was perfect for the lyrics. By this time Lowry was a member of The Gaither Vocal Band. He felt that the song was not right for his voice, so he gave it to his friend Michael English. The song first appeared on English's 1992 debut album and become a true hit. 

Then comes The Blue Sky Boys with their 1938 recording of Old-Fashioned Way. 

Next is Johnny Cash with Hark the Herald Angels Sing. This hymn was written by Charles Wesley. Wesley stated that what he hoped to achieve through his hymns was to teach sound doctrine to the poor an illiterate, who may not be able to read the Bible for themselves. His brother John Wesley, who was a famous theologian and one of the founders of Methodism, stated that Charles' hymnal was the best book on Theology there was out there. Charles wrote the words to this hymn as he heard the church bells ringing on his way to church on Christmas Day. He intended this to be a poem that would be read in Church on Christmas Day. This poem first appeared in print in 1739 in Hymns and Sacred Poems. In 1753 George Whitefield, put these words to the music we know today. Whitefield also added the term “newborn king.” 

Now for Gene Autry with The Night Before Christmas (In Texas, That Is).

Afterwards is Marty Robbins with O Little Town of Bethlehem. The lyrics to this hymn were written by Phillips Brooks in 1865. He wrote the words this hymn after taking a group of Sunday school children on a pilgrimage to Bethlehem. The music was written by Louis H. Redner, the church organist. There was originally another verse to this hymn, "Where children pure and happy pray to the blessed Child. Where misery cries out to thee, son of the undefiled; where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door, the dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more." However, Redner objected to the words "son of the undefiled." Brooks briefly changed the line to "son of mother mild" before dropping the verse all together. This hymn appeared on a small leaflet in 1868 and in The Sunday School Hymnal in 1871.

Now for the Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937recording 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 music selection ends with Tex Ritter's 1945 recording of Christmas Carols by the Old Corral. 

Now for a 1946 Christmas episode of Gene Autry's radio show. 

Now for a Christmas message from Billy Graham.

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

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known;

    in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power. Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels. He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His were the everlasting ways. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord? Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation? You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped at the flash of your glittering spear. You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger. You went out for the salvation of your people,

    for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,

    laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors,

    who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret. You trampled the sea with your horses, the surging of mighty waters. I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom,

    nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. Habakkuk 3:1-19

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