"(Except for "Farther Along..." ;^)"..

well, **I** will sing "Farther Along",probably one of the most sanctimonious songs in existence...just because it is a good chorus song ...and...it allows me to add one verse a friend of mine collected at a Baptist church in Texas...seriously..

"If workin' and prayin' have any reward,
Surely, someday, I'll meet with my Lord.
'Cause workin' and prayin' are my greatest thrill.
If anyone makes it, Lord, surely I will."

...now THAT always gets a rise from the populace!

(and I really liked guest, Russ's post back up there about "properly categorizing" those who proselytize under the guise of 'singing'...it is not hard to tell who is emphasizing 'song' and who is offering a message. I don't care if they HAPPEN to believe as they sing, but "praise" songs have a certain 'pointedness'...just as an insurance salesman has a certain 'approach' when he is maniplating a conversation.

We have several avowed Christians in groups I attend who sing lots of gospel song...but I am never offended by how they present the songs, because they usually do them out of the sheer joy of music, and in a way that even an old curmudgeon like me can cope with.