STAY PRAYED UP

STAY PRAYED UP is a documentary about an 83-year-old gospel singer in North Carolina, Lena Mae Perry, her commitment to the Lord and the career of her and her gospel group, The Branchettes. STAY PRAYED UP is an inspiring documentary with wonderful gospel music, lyrics and many statements about Jesus, God and faith.

The movie follows Lena as she rehearses for a special gospel music recording at a local church. It contains many performances of gospel songs while Lena talks about her career and what faith means to her.

Lena Mae Perry formed the Branchettes formed in 1973 with Ethel Mae Elliott and May Ellen Bennett, who left the group, and is accompanied by musicians, including longtime pianist Wilbur Thorpe. Lena began singing in church at a young age with her sister. She remembers hearing her grandmother shouting from the back of the church, “Tear it all to pieces!” Lena says she also loved school and graduated as Valedictorian of her class in 1957. She remembers segregation and the tyranny of the KKK, but says, “All we could do was pray.”

Phil Cooke, Lena’s lead guitarist, says he grew up in Northern Wisconsin and didn’t hear any gospel music until he saw the second SISTER ACT movie. He says gospel music can transcend space and time.

The group gets together several nights a week and travels to churches Saturdays and Sundays. Lena has three sons and a daughter, but her eldest son joined the military and was killed overseas in 1997. Lena says you never get over the loss of a child, but she always casts her cares and woes on Jesus. Her mother taught her, “Keep yourself prayed up,” and that’s what she does.

The movie asserts that gospel music “has the tendency to go where the Gospel cannot go, because the Gospel is the power unto salvation.” “Gospel music can pull us into the church,” pianist Wilbur Thorpe says. “The church is a building, but church is inside of you.”

“I love people, because if I didn’t love people, everything I do would be in vain, and I don’t want it to be in vain,” Lena says. “The Lord has blessed us and kept us and given us the strength that we need to do what we need, and we are happy, so, so happy.”

STAY PRAYED UP is an inspiring documentary with many wonderful lyrics and statements about Jesus, God and faith. It stresses service, hope, joy, love, prayer, the Glory of God, and the blood of Jesus. The songs are great, and Lena Mae’s voice is still filled with Holy Spirit fire. So is her faith.