Sunday School

Released in 1971 as the second track from Willie Nelson's Yesterday’s Wine album, In God's Eyes has a timeless message from both its performer and songwriter. This simple and easy listening song reflects the Christian values Nelson once taught as a Sunday School teacher.

The first verse is about reusing to think evil against people. As sung by Nelson, an evil thought is just an evil word unspoken, in God’s eyes, He sees it this way. The second verse speaks of lending an unconditional hand to strangers, never worrying if they can repay. In the last verse, Nelson uses the biblical analogy of sheep in a meadow where now and then a lamb goes astray, but open arms should await its returning, in God’s eyes, He sees it this way.

While Yesterday’s Wine never appeared on the charts, in part due to RCA’s lack of promotion and misunderstanding for Nelson’s ‘imperfect man concept,’ even so, Nelson had no regrets and still considers it one of his best albums.

Sources: Country Thang Daily + Luke Stackpoole + Henning Witzel + Roman Nguyen + Mart Productions

Bethel Music & Molly Skaggs

Initially released by Bethel Music in 2019, Ain’t No Grave was as one of four promotional singles from their Victory album. It was the lead-up to the album’s release. Molly Skaggs shared the story behind the song, saying:

“The song is rooted in old-time Appalachian gospel music. It is a marriage of the old, with Brother Claude Ely’s original chorus and the new, my personal testimony of overcoming fear and shame, woven into each verse. For me, this song is steeped in the reality of Jesus and what He has done for me and my community. This is an anthem for anyone who is ready to follow Jesus and walk out of the graves in their daily life. Ain’t No Grave is a testimony of faith, a song for those who are ready to shake off the victim mentality and stand up in the truth of who they really are.” — Molly Skaggs

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Sources: Wikipedia + Daniela Turcanu

Stuart Townend & Keith Getty

This popular Christian song was written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty in 2001. Both men are well-known songwriters of Christian hymns and contemporary worship music.

In Christ Alone was their first collaboration together. The two men initially meet at a Worship Together Conference in Dearborn, MI. After the meeting, Getty offered to send Townend some of his work.

The CD Townend later received had three melodies on it. After hearing the first one, Townend realized how brilliant is sounded, giving him an impression of an eternal, enduring quality. The same impression which became Townend’s inspiration for his credal lyrics. They tell the story of Christ Jesus and what He’s done for believers. That by God’s grace, our hope is not dependent upon what we’ve accomplished in this world. It stands on what Christ alone has accomplished for all of us.

Praise God!

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Sources: Wikipedia + Mission:Worship

Aretha Franklin

Amazing Grace by Aretha Franklin is considered by many critics to be one of the finest gospel albums ever recorded. On it Franklin, a 29-year old at the time and five-time Grammy Award winner, along with Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir produced a double platinum release.

Graced with her piano playing and five-part harmonizing, Wholy Holy was the first hymn Aretha preformed on the biggest selling disc of Franklin's entire career. It was all recorded live over two nights at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in January 1972. On it, Aretha's soulful voice and backing choir are a powerful reminder of the church meetings from a previous generation. This two-CD set is Aretha's amazing tribute to her gospel roots and her dynamic God given instrument.

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Sources: Rolling Stone + Boston Review + Wikipedia

Elder David Ross

He Gave Me A Heart To Love, by Elder David Ross was recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 2, 1954. It can be heard on Music From The South, Volume 9: Song And Worship.

The performer and presumed author of this song, Elder David Ross was an itinerant preacher, singer and guitar player. Both he Blind Willie Johnson, another well known itinerant singer can be heard in the Folkways Jazz Series. Elder Ross was a man of devout faith, who may have weakened his health with his many extended fasts. He was often heard on the streets of New Orleans, strumming his guitar and singing his songs on its’ busy city sidewalks.

I’m thankful this type of music has been preserved by Folkways and Steven Lance Ledbetter’s wonderful box set compilation, entitled Goodbye, Babylon. These performers and their songs were from a time long ago, in our well-worn past and remain as true today for the believers in Christ Jesus as they were back then.

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Sources: Folkways Recordings + FreeStockTextures

Robert Lowry

This well-known hymn was written by Robert Lowry, in 1876. In addition to being an established hymn writer, Lowry was also a sought after Baptist minister and professor at Bucknell University. Over the years, he pastored a number of churches in New York, Pennsylvania and Plainfield, New Jersey. Lowry always regraded his preaching as the most important contribution to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even so, it's as a hymn writer that his ministry is best remembered today.

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus was introduced at a camp meeting in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Ocean Grove was established by a group of Methodist clergymen who formed the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. It became a place of retreat, worship and communion on the New Jersey seashore. Other famous hymn writers have visited Ocean Grove over the years; including Fanny Crosby, William Kirkpatrick, and Eliza Hewitt, in addition to Lowry. Today, Ocean Grove remains a go-to destination for many famous preachers, speakers and music artists.

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Sources: Liz Tolsma + Wikipedia + AFK

Broken Praise

Elevation Worship is a music ministry of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, led by Pastor Steven Furtick. Pastor Steven, along with lead vocalist Chris Brown are credited with writing the title track on the Hallelujah Here Below album.

In an interview with CCLI, Chris covered how the original concept for the title track came from their interest in the ancient Christian Doxology and how it seemed to relate to our heavenly Father’s desire for the imperfect praise of broken people. That imperfection being held in comparison to the praises of His heavenly host.

Musically, this lengthy track (7:03) has a slow building and solemn melody of vulnerable praise with its repeating Hallelujahs in equal sets of three. Each set representing the Doxology’s proclamation for the trinity. The last stanza ends by naming Jesus Christ our King enthroned, All the praise is Yours forevermore, Hallelujah here below, All the praise is Yours.

The entire album was recorded over a night in March 2018 at Elevation Church's Ballantyne campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, where other Elevation Worship projects have also been recorded.

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Sources: CCLI + Wikipedia + Pixabay

Isaac Watts’ Poem

While some wouldn't consider this popular hymn a true Christmas Carol because its’ stanzas refer more to the second coming of Jesus Christ than to his birth. Nonetheless, it has remained one of the most-published Christmas songs in North America. Isaac Watts based the text on Psalm 98, 96:11–12 and Genesis 3:17–18 with the lyric, “Let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare Him room,” encouraging the listener to receive Jesus Christ as both Savior and King.

Joy To The World was first published in 1719 in Watts’ collection of poems entitled, The Psalms of David: Imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and worship. Intended as a paraphrase of his Christological understanding.

A century later a Boston music teacher named Lowell Mason discovered the poem and set it to music. Because he released this song at Christmas, it quickly became a holiday favorite.

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Sources: The Complete Book of Hymns + Wikipedia + CBN

Unknown?

Just a Closer Walk with Thee was probably the favorite southern gospel song of the twentieth century, yet no one knows who wrote it or when it was written. It’s history most likely goes back to an unknown writer in the slave fields of the South before the Civil War. Southern black church choirs kept the hymn alive until World War II.

The first known recording of this song was by the Selah Jubilee Singers on October 8, 1941, Decca Records 7872, New York City. By the end of the 1970s, more than a hundred artists had recorded this humble prayer.

The beautiful duet by Willie Nelson and Patsy Kline can be found on the album entitled That Good Old Gospel Music, Vol. 2, released in 2007.

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Sources: The Complete Book of Hymns + James Minchin + History In Ink

Kanye West

Kanye West, one of the most well known hip-hop MCs in the music industry, released a surprising gospel album, entitled Jesus is King. The release was on October 25, 2019, a year after Kanye served as creative director for the Pornhub Awards. So, it should carry some weight that in recent interviews, Kanye has been openly honest about his addiction to pornography and the negative impact it causes in popular culture today.

Some critics have wondered if this album was somehow Kanye’s attempt to revive his music sales or possibly atone for his past support for President Trump. While it did revive his music sales by becoming the first to ever top the Billboard 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Rap Albums, Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums all at the same time, his favorable opinion about Trump didn't change in the slightest. Could it be Kanye’s motivation is displayed within the album itself? Consider the separation between hip-hop and the Christian music industry as a whole and you’ll realize all Kanye stood to lose with his release of Jesus is King.

As an artist, you have to admire Kanye for being fully transparent about what he believes and has created throughout his career. On the album, he covers his belief in God, his family relationships and his criticism for Christian's who have doubted the sincerity of his new found faith. And as with past albums, Kanye collaborates with a host of producers, from Benny Blanco, E*vax, Finatik N Zac, Francis Starlite, Labrinth, Mike Dean, Pièrre Bourne, Ronny J, Timbaland, and Warryn Campbell, among others.

While there’s not a throwaway song on the album, for me, the gospel-soul God Is has become the shining jewel off Jesus is King. On it, Kanye gives a heartfelt confession of his faith which is altogether beautiful.

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Sources: Rolling Stone + CBN News + Charles Platiau + Janine Joles

Emmylou Harris

Precious Memories is a traditional gospel song written by J. B. F. Wright in 1925. It’s fitting that as a native Tennessean, Wright's creation has long been recorded by several of Nashville’s finest country artists. My personal favorite being the tender soul-filled rendition by Emmylou Harris.

Emmylou Harris’ 1987 album Angel Band, originated with her producer and later husband Paul Kennerley, after finishing up the semi-autobiographical and psychologically exhausting album, The Ballad of Sally Rose.

It was Kennerley, who told her, “I really think you should do some singing just for the heck of it. ‘Let’s get some people over to my house and do some old traditional songs and record them. We won’t make a record. It’ll be just for ourselves.’”

The friends invited were Vince Gill, Carl Jackson and producer-musician Emory Gordy Jr. A year passed, before she and Kennerley got around to listening to the home recordings with their friends, but when they did, Harris was more than a little surprised.

“It was phenomenal,” she says. “The vocal performances, the sweetness, the purity of it... we said, ‘Boy, that should come out on a record.’” A year later the album was released. To this day, Angel Band remains one of Harris’ more obscure albums, but easily one of her best as well, having mostly traditional songs with a spiritual expression rarely matched.

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Sources: Chicago Tribune + Veronique Rolland + Randy Fath

Everything Glorious

“I Stand Amazed in the Presence,” also known as “How Marvelous” or “My Savior’s Love,” was written, both lyrics and melody in 1905 by Charles Gabriel. He was an Iowa native, showing a talent and love for music at an early age.

Gabriel’s profession became editing gospel song books and contributing numerous hymns for various publications. He’s credited with between 7,000 and 8,000 songs, thirty-five gospel song collections, Sunday school song books, collections for men’s and women’s choirs, numerous cantatas, including 41 Christmas cantatas, and music education texts. He also wrote under numerous pseudonyms, making it challenging to determine the exact number of songs he wrote.

Chris Tomlin would later popularize his arrangement of this hymn, entitled “I Stand Amazed.” Tomlin’s contemporary approach couldn’t be more fitting, knowing that Gabriel's own hymns had reflected a significant change from the gospel music of the 1800s.

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Sources: Discipleship Ministries + Kingdom Pastor + Jason Blackeye

Valley High, Mountain Low

Yolanda Adams is a 5 time Grammy Award winner and has been recognized as the Gospel Artist of the last decade by Billboard Magazine. She practices the gift of preforming praise that both heals and inspires others to trust in more than themselves. And to know what her powerful encouragement feels like, take a moment to listen to her performance of John Bond’s, “In The Midst Of It All.”

This single was off her album “Valley High, Mountain Low,” which stands as Adams's best-selling to date, having sold more than 2,374,000 copies and being certified double-platinum by the RIAA. It also won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.

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Sources: Yolanda Adams + Wikipedia

Songs In The Key of Life

Like most of us in 1976, when I first heard Stevie Wonder’s pinnacle album “Songs In The Key of Life,” immediately I knew it was special work of art by a legit master of his craft. The entire album was like a guided tour through a beautiful kaleidoscope of musical styles and feelings.

Stevie spent two long years crafting this double album and it starts with his openly spiritual lament within the first two songs, “Love’s In Need of Love Today” and “Have A Talk With God.” The former has become almost prophetic these days, warning of love growing cold in too many hearts. The later is Stevie’s recommendation for prayer in anyone’s time of need, co-written with his brother Calvin.

In 2005, this album was fittingly inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, which deemed it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” 

Take my word for it. If you’ve somehow been living on another planet and still haven’t heard it by now... You’ve been missing out!

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Source: StevieWonder.org.uk

Way Beyond the Blue

This old time spiritual and children’s song “Do Lord,” will be remembered by many from their childhood. Johnny Cash preformed it on ‘My Mother's Hymn Book’ in 2003, toward the very end of his life.

Surely the hymn’s title and meaning can be understood in Luke 23:39-43, where a discussion takes place between two criminals and Jesus at the crucifixion... One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus said to this man, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

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Image Sources: Wallpaper Abyss + Anton Atanasov

The Spirit of Power

Mike Scott is the founding member of the rock band ‘The Waterboys.’ Mike’s artistry as a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician is undeniable. Even though his songs have always been deeply spiritual, he attends no church and professes his own version of new age spiritualism.

While Mike and I would disagree on the origin of the spirit of power, as a Christian, I would agree with the truth found within Mike’s “Spirit” lyrics on ‘The Waterboys’ third album, This Is The Sea.

Man gets tired
Spirit don’t
Man surrenders
Spirit won’t
Man crawls
Spirit flies
Spirit lives when man dies

Man seems
Spirit is
Man dreams
The spirit lives
Man is tethered
Spirit is free
What spirit is man can be

---

As Jesus himself has testified: 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” — Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)

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Sources: Songfacts, LLC + Paul McManus

The Bluegrass Album Band

Considered a supergroup by fans and followers of bluegrass music alike, The Bluegrass Album Band was founded by Tony Rice and J.D. Crowe in 1980. The band itself featured J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, Tony Rice, Bobby Hicks, and Todd Phillips. The initial reason for the this ensemble was to help Tony Rice with his solo album. Although, once they began to work together and were so pleased with the result, The Bluegrass Album was born. This aforementioned album was released in 1981, with 5 more volumes of music to follow.

The song, “Model Church,” off this album was written by a NY Meth­od­ist min­ist­er named John H. Yates in 1896. It’s a gospel song about an old man visiting and recounting a meeting place not built for show. Telling his wife about the glorious singing and simple sermon he witnessed, he joyfully reassures her that though their race was nearly run, their victory would soon be won.

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Sources: AllMusic + Cyberhymnal + Timothy Meinberg + Harlan J. Berk

Good Friday

With Jesus Christ and his followers, Easter is all about death and resurrection. This Easter, I wanted to share one of the clearest descriptions of God’s purpose on Calvary’s hill, Gordon Jensen’s beautiful song “Written In Red.”

In letters of crimson, God wrote His love
On the hillside so long, long ago;
For you and for me Jesus died,
And love's greatest story was told.

I love you, I love you
That's what Calvary said;
I love you, I love you,
I love you, Written in Red

Down through the ages, God wrote His love
With the same hands that suffered and bled;
Giving all that He had to give,
A message so easily read.

I love you, I love you,
That's what Calvary said;
I love you, I love you,
I love you...

Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood,
The blood of Jesus.

I love you, I love you
That's what Calvary said;
I love you, I love you,
I love you, Written... In Red

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Sources: Adventistasant + Gorden Jensen

Hamblen’s Witness

This well know gospel song was written by Stuart Hamblen, who’s regarded as one of radio’s first “singing cowboys.” He was the son of a Methodist minister in Texas who had a lot of trouble handling his newfound fame. Much like others before and after him, Hamblen’s drinking and the destructive behavior that followed, would often land him in jail.

His troubles changed shortly after meeting Billy Graham. They were both appearing on Hamblen’s show to publicize the event. While on the show, Graham invited Hamblen to attend his crusade, and he accepted. After the show Graham asked if they could meet together and talk. It was then, Hamblen committed his life to Jesus Christ.

After a period of time, one of Hamblen’s Hollywood friends asked him about the rumor going around that Hamblen had changed his ways. Hamblen then replied, it was no secret what God had done for him and what God could do for his friend. That friend’s name was John Wayne, who then encouraged Hamblen to turn those lines into a song. Following Wayne’s advice, Hamblen wrote “It Is No Secret,” becoming the first song to reach #1 on the Gospel, Country, and Pop charts. Later, it was recorded by such greats as Mahalia Jackson and Elvis Presley.

Coming from his own painful experience of too much whiskey and women, George Jones recorded my personal favorite of Hamblen’s gospel gem.

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Sources: BreakPoint + Woodward Backer + Elijah Henderson

Blind Willie Johnson

Blind Willie Johnson was an American gospel blues singer, guitarist and evangelist. His landmark recordings included thirty songs from only five recording sessions completed between 1927 and 1930. Johnson was known for his powerful ‘chest voice’ singing and masterful slide guitar skills.

Throughout his life Johnson was able to combine the gospel and blues into original music which elevated him to legendary status among other musicians like Eric Clapton. Some of Johnson’s gospel blues included “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” “Church, I’m Fully Saved Today,” “Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed,” “I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole,” and “Praise God I’m Satisfied.” His records sold well, but as a street performer and preacher he had little wealth in his lifetime.

Of the many biblical references for Johnson’s “Let Your Light Shine On Me,” perhaps my favorite comes from the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:6 — For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

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Sources: Wikipedia + No Depression (The Journal of Roots Music)