Cowboy Church #219

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing The Lord is Counting on You. This song is directed heavily at the duo's younger fans and is about the importance of Sunday school. This is appropriate because Roy had long been an advocate for Sunday School. In the early 1940's the rules for the Roy Rogers Riders Club included "love god and go to Sunday school regularly." This rule is especially interesting considering that it was before Roy gave his life fully to the Lord. After that of course his support for Sunday school grew even stronger. One time when he and Dale were taking part in a rodeo at Madison Garden, Roy spoke to his audience, "I heard some kid say it is sissy stuff to go to Sunday school. Don't you believe him. Sunday school is for he-men."

This is followed by Chosen Road with Are You Washed in the Blood.  While I believe that water baptisms are important in the life of a believer, nothing matters more than being washed in the blood of Jesus. This means to let Jesus be Lord of your life and to live said life for him. As wonderful as water baptisms are they mean nothing if you are not also washed in the blood of the lamb.

Then comes Ricky Van Shelton with To the Mansion in the Sky. This recording comes from Ricky's 1992 gospel album, Don't Overlook Salvation. 

Afterwards is Johnny Cash with I Won't Have to Cross Jordon Alone from his 1962 gospel album, Hymns From the Heart.

Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1947 recording of The Sea Walker. This song was written by Tim Spencer, one of the group's founding members. Music was a major part of Tim's life from very early on. In fact, when he was only 3 years old, he was already singing at the church he grew up in. His love of things cowboy and western related also began very early as he had grown in awe of western movies and screen cowboys like Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, William S. Hart and others were his boyhood heroes. With this it is no surprise that in 1931, he went to California to see how his talents could be used in Hollywood. Yet music always remained a major passion for him. As he worked in a warehouse, he would spend his weekends and time after working going around to all the country music radio shows, getting to know all the people he could. This is how he met fellow founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers, Bob Nolan and Leonard Slye (later Roy Rogers). The Sea Walker as well as being written by Tim also features him as the lead singer. The great Bass vocals in this song are courtesy of Hugh Farr.

Now for a great old country tearjerker, here is Vernon Dalhart with his 1927 of The Dying Girl's Message. 

Afterwards is George Hamilton IV 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. 

Today's musical selection ends with RaeLynn with Praying for Rain. This song was released on her 2018 album, Origins. 

Now for an episode from the Gunsmoke radio show. 

Now for a sermon from Martin Luther King Jr. 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Luke 3:8

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Titus 2:7-8

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

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