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. 

Cowboy Church #194

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

Today's musical selection starts with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Lord You Made the Cowboy Happy. It is too often in life that we take the little things for granted. God has given us more blessings than we could ever count, and it is good to take a little time every day to thank him for those blessings. 

This is followed by Hank Williams and his wife Audery Williams with their 1948 recording of I Heard My Mother Praying for Me. This song was credited to being written by Audrey Williams, yet on an episode of the Mothers Best radio show a few years later, Hank Williams introduced the song saying he wrote it. Audrey was very adamant about wanting to record some religious songs with her husband and kept bringing it up to Hank until Hank finally agreed and then convinced his manager Fred Rose. Though Audrey often gets a lot of criticism for her singing voice, the truth is it is not too bad here and there two voice match quite well on this duet at least. This gospel songs the two recorded together were heavily inspired by the husband and wife evangelists that both were very familiar with.

Next comes Anne Wilson with Hey Girl. This is what she calls her "Kentucky Version," and although all of her music is very country inspired, this version is even more country than the original version. Hey Girl comes from Anne's debut album, 2022's My Jesus. 

Afterwards is Tennessee Ernie Ford with Blessed Assurance. This hymn came about when songwriter Fanny Crosby visited composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp. Knapp played a tune for Crosby and asked what came to her mind with that tune. Crosby said, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" She then immediately followed it with more lyrics that would be in the finished song. The song was published in 1873 and first appeared in a monthly magazine for which the editors were Joseph Fairchild Knapp and Phoebe Palmer Knapp (who were husband and wife). When it later appeared in 1887's Gospel Songs, No. 5 by Ira Sankey, this we lead it to greater fame as it would be commonly sung in the revivals of Dwight L. Moody and Sankey. By 1889, the hymn commonly appeared in Methodist hymnals. 

Next is Glen Campbell with a song he wrote himself, Less of Me.

Now for Roy Rogers with Peace in the Valley.  The hymn was written by Thomas A. Dorsey who later explained the origins of this song, “Peace in the Valley,” “It was just before Hitler sent his war chariots into Western Europe in the late 1930s. I was on a train going through southern Indiana and saw horses, cows and sheep all grazing together in this little valley. Everything seemed so peaceful. It made me question, “What’s the matter with mankind? Why can’t men live in peace?” Out of those thoughts came “Peace in the Valley.” 

It is time to join Willie Nelson and his sister Bobbie Nelson with Are You Washed in the Blood. This comes from their 1996 album, Just as I Am. This was an album made up of old gospel songs that the two had grown up with since childhood.  

Today's musical selection ends with the late Jerry Lee Lewis with My God is Real. 



 

Today's movie trailer is for The Lone Ranger (1956) starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. The 1950's Lone Ranger TV series was such a sensation that it spawned two full color theatrically released feature films. This is the first of those movies and it is simply a lot of fun. A couple of years later it would be followed by The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958). The Lone Ranger marks the last film appearance by Bonita Granville. My fellow B movie fans might know her from playing Nancy Drew in a series of four films. She also had a good sized role in the brilliant Bette Davis romantic film, Now Voyager (1942). 

Now a message from Pastor Greg Laurie. 

Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever. 2 Samuel 7:29 

 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:13

Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Matthew 6:25
Proverbs 
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Mark 13:11

Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Luke 12:24

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love. Ephesians 3:16-17

He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. Proverbs 28:27

Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. Proverbs 14:21

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