“Music Makes Words Speak”

Noble Ray Price (1926-2013) was a country music singer, songwriter and guitarist.  His unique baritone voice was among the best male voices of country music.  He was a favorite of mine from early boyhood which is why I purchased his album “Faith” back in 1960 while stationed on the island of Crete.  (I still have the original album—but as the years have passed—I’ve moved from the LP to the cassette and finally to the CD version).  I’ve listened to the album over and over again for almost 60 years and always at Easter.  I listened yesterday and I will do so again today.  

Two songs in the album have shaped my theology and have carried me through the years.  When I had the privilege of meeting Ray Price a few years ago, I told him how much his singing had meant to me, especially his album “Faith.”  His humble response was “It’s the music.  It’s the music that makes words speak.”  I send the words without the music and without Ray Price’s wonderful baritone voice and I hope they will still speak to you as they have spoken to me.

[Faith] You must have faith

In everything you do

Faith will help you find the way

Faith will see you through

Faith can move mountains

And change the tide of the seas

You can follow this guiding light

Wherever you may be

Like the darkness comes at the end of the day

There must be an end to the night

And from the depths of your darkest moment

Faith will show you the light

Yes, you must have faith

In everything you do

Faith will help you find the way

Faith will see you through.  

[How Big Is God] Though men may strive to go beyond the reach of space

To crawl beyond the distant shining stars

This world’s a room so small within my Master’s house

The open sky’s but a portion of his yard.

How big is God, how big and wide His vast domain

To try to tell these lips can only start

He’s big enough to rule his mighty universe

Yet small enough to live within my heart…

Ray Price continued to tour into his mid-eighties.