Country music warms to heavenly hits.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Howard Cohen

"A farmer and a teacher, a hooker and a preacher/Ridin' on a midnight bus bound for Mexico."

That is the opening line from Randy Travis' recent No. 1 country hit, "Three Wooden Crosses." It sounds like the start of one of those classic Playboy Party Jokes in which the ribald payoff will assuredly earn the speaker much laughter at the next mixer.

Country music certainly has given us enough of those: "Beer for My Horses," the current chart-topping duet from Toby Keith and Willie Nelson, to name one.

The story arc and ultimate revelation of this Travis song, however, is in keeping with the latest trend in country music. Songs with religious themes are swelling the airwaves at unprecedented levels. We may take a nip now and then with good ol' Willie and Toby, and patriotism still reigns, but God is good, God is in.

Country artists like Nelson, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash often have included overtly spiritual songs on their albums; the difference this time is that these songs often are becoming hit singles.

"I don't remember a time when we've had as many singles with religious overtones released as we do now," said Lon Helton, country director for the trade paper Radio & Records, on the phone from his Nashville office.