Picking the Faith features Travis-style thumbpick guitar, and so it only seemed appropriate to include a Merle Travis song or two on the album. In addition to the thumbpicking standard, I Am a Pilgrim, the album contains Preacher Lane, a song from Merle’s Songs of the Coal Mines album about those preachers who worked in the coal mines and still found time to preach on Sundays, hold revival meetings and go to pray with the sick any time of day or night.
Preacher Lane was recorded during the Picking the Faith release concert at Southport Christian Church in Indianapolis and includes Jim Eads on drums, Scott Nelson on bass and vocals, and Holly Smith on fiddle and vocals.