A family group from Maiden, North Carolina holds the number one spot on this month’s Texas Gospel Canada Top 20
Funeral arrangements announced for Aaron Wilburn
Friends and family of Aaron Wilburn are preparing to celebrate his life. Aaron passed away Friday following a battle with COVID-19. He was 70.
A life celebration will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, December 1 at Restoring Hope Church in Hendersonville, TN. Family will receive friends on Monday, Nov. 30 from 4-8 p.m. at Crestview Funeral Home and again from 12-2 p.m. at the church prior to the service.
Serving as pallbearers will be Jerry Salley, Dave Lehman, Olan Witt, Danny Jones, Jeff Easter, Jared Witt, Gary Casto, and Bobby Tomberlin.
Here is a link to his complete obituary.
ON THE WEB
Singing News Magazine: Remembering Aaron Wilburn
Southern Gospel Scoops: Please pray for the Wilburn Family
Les Butler of Old Time Preachers Quartet hospitalized
Jeff Turner – Music Reporter
Family and friends of Les Butler are asking for prayer after he was admitted to Stonecrest Medical Center in Smyrna, TN on Nov. 22 for COVID-19 and pneumonia.
Les has been a part of Southern Gospel Music for more than four decades. He’s a musician, producer and manager. He is also a former publisher of the Singing News Magazine and hosts a nationally syndicated radio program. The radio show isn’t the only place where you’ve heard his voice. Les is a member of The Old Time Preacher’s Quartet.
Les posted an open letter to his Facebook page Wednesday. In it he said he’s happy to have had “great worship services” while at the hospital. He’s been studying the Bible, reading books and watching Gospel music videos.
Les’ wife has also tested positive. He said this is the first Thanksgiving the couple has been apart in the past 40 years.
Aaron Wilburn passes away
Jeff Turner – Music Reporter
One of Southern Gospel’s most loved singers has died following a battle with COVID-19. A family member of Aaron Wilburn made the announcement on Facebook Friday evening saying, “Aaron made it home to the same heaven that he has written and sang about his whole life.”
Aaron will long be remembered for his humor, his time with The Happy Goodman Family, and the many Gospel songs he wrote.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Aaron Wilburn was 70.
Is it wrong to be wealthy?
FLOYD ROGERS – Texas Gospel Volunteer, Christian writer
A YouTube video titled, “Why most rich people will end up in hell” was brought up in discussion. For full disclosure: I did not watch the video. I’ve found that a person usually doesn’t really know what they’re talking about if they can’t make a point without telling me to watch someone else’s video. But the title piqued my interest. After all, the Book of Matthew does say, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The Bible uses a lot of metaphor. Its books are written in the common-person’s language. People back then were not that different from modern folks who use metaphors like saying my car died on the way to work. We know the person who says this doesn’t believe their car was alive. I think Matthew is using a similar metaphor here. I don’t think he’s saying it’s impossible for a rich person to go to heaven, but that it can be very hard for a rich person to do so. But why?
Our redemption is a gift from God. We don’t earn it, but we can reject it. We can also allow things to become more important than God and money can become a stumbling block. Too, other types of wealth can cause us problems. Consider that the book of Matthew says, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…” It’s not wrong to love your family, but it is wrong to love people more than God. The point I’m making is that a thing does not have to be intrinsically evil to become a stumbling block. Could this be why Matthew records Jesus asking, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”
What are your thoughts?
The Erwins Garner 2021 GRAMMY® Nomination
SPECIAL STOWTOWN RECORDS
Nashville, TN (November 24, 2020) – StowTown Records is thrilled to share that What Christmas Really Means by The Erwins has been nominated for a 2021 GRAMMY® award for Best Roots Gospel Album. Nominations were announced earlier this morning. The 63rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards show will be broadcast live on CBS on January 31, 2021, at 8:00 PM EST.
The Erwins are ecstatic about this nomination. Katie Erwin, the youngest member of the talented sibling group shares, “The only words coming to mind right now are THANK YOU, JESUS! A GRAMMY® nomination is something we’ve always dreamed about, but never expected. All of the praise goes only to Jesus! We love and admire all of the nominees in this category, and it’s an honor to be listed with them! We are about to start our “What Christmas Really Means” tour, where we will be singing every song from this album nightly, and now it’s going to be even more exciting and special. Thank you to the Recording Academy, our StowTown Records family and, once again, thank you, Jesus!”
StowTown President and CEO Landon Beene adds, “It’s exciting to see young artists like The Erwins nominated for such a prestigious award. This young family loves gospel music, and they present it in a youthful, refreshing style of their own. Our team is thrilled about this nomination and excited about the future!”
What Christmas Really Means, produced by Wayne Haun, Trey Ivey and Chris Chavez, is The Erwins’ first seasonal project and features an array of music that highlights moments from the prophet’s foretelling of the Messiah to the birth of the Christ child. It is a true celebration of what Christmas is all about.
What Christmas Really Means is exclusively distributed by Sony/Provident and is available at retail and digital outlets worldwide.
