• Español
  • Historical Archives
  • Convention
  • Contact Us
Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA
  • About
    • What We Believe
      • Statements and Resolutions
      • Confession of Faith In a Mennonite Perspective
    • History
    • FAQ
      • FAQ about Mennonites
      • FAQ about MC USA
    • Executive Board Members
    • Executive Board Staff
    • Church Structure
      • Area Conferences
      • Racial Ethnic Council
  • Ministry
    • Church Vitality
      • For Credentialed Leaders
      • For Congregations
      • Interested in Ministry?
      • Kineo Center
      • Safe Church
      • Women in Leadership
      • Church Planting
    • Faith Formation
      • Children and Families
      • Faith Formation with Youth
      • Faith Formation with Adults
      • Christian Practices
    • Peacebuilding
      • Learn Pray Join
      • Israel/Palestine Initiatives
      • Promoting Peace
      • Undoing Racism
      • Undoing Sexism
      • Climate Justice Ministry
    • The Corinthian Plan
      • The Corinthian Plan Staff
      • History of The Corinthian Plan
      • Why Mutual Aid Matters
      • The Corinthian Plan Subsidies
      • Wellness Incentives
  • Agencies
    • Mennonite Education Agency
    • Mennonite Mission Network
    • MennoMedia
    • Everence (Ministry Partner)
    • MHS Association (Ministry Partner)
  • Events
    • Follow Jesus 25 (Convention)
    • Hope for the Future
    • Event Calendar
  • Resources
  • News & Blog
    • News & Media
    • Menno Snapshots Blog
    • MenoTicias
    • Publications and Newsletters
  • Store
  • Give
Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA
  • About
    • What We Believe
      • Statements and Resolutions
      • Confession of Faith In a Mennonite Perspective
    • History
    • FAQ
      • FAQ about Mennonites
      • FAQ about MC USA
    • Executive Board Members
    • Executive Board Staff
    • Church Structure
      • Area Conferences
      • Racial Ethnic Council
  • Ministry
    • Church Vitality
      • For Credentialed Leaders
      • For Congregations
      • Interested in Ministry?
      • Kineo Center
      • Safe Church
      • Women in Leadership
      • Church Planting
    • Faith Formation
      • Children and Families
      • Faith Formation with Youth
      • Faith Formation with Adults
      • Christian Practices
    • Peacebuilding
      • Learn Pray Join
      • Israel/Palestine Initiatives
      • Promoting Peace
      • Undoing Racism
      • Undoing Sexism
      • Climate Justice Ministry
    • The Corinthian Plan
      • The Corinthian Plan Staff
      • History of The Corinthian Plan
      • Why Mutual Aid Matters
      • The Corinthian Plan Subsidies
      • Wellness Incentives
  • Agencies
    • Mennonite Education Agency
    • Mennonite Mission Network
    • MennoMedia
    • Everence (Ministry Partner)
    • MHS Association (Ministry Partner)
  • Events
    • Follow Jesus 25 (Convention)
    • Hope for the Future
    • Event Calendar
  • Resources
  • News & Blog
    • News & Media
    • Menno Snapshots Blog
    • MenoTicias
    • Publications and Newsletters
  • Store
  • Give
Home / Menno Snapshots / Voices Together #801, “I’m Gonna Eat at the Welcome Table”
Oct 05 2020

Voices Together #801, “I’m Gonna Eat at the Welcome Table”

This article is part of our series on Voices Together, a new worship and song collection coming fall 2020 from MennoMedia, in partnership with Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada.

The following essay will be included in a forthcoming collection of notes about Voices Together songs, which will be available at VoicesTogetherHymnal.org. The content of this particular essay grew from discussions among the committee and a group of African American consultants. It was written by Shannon Dycus, Bradley Kauffman, and Katie Graber.

“I am grateful to the work of the Voices Together team and Shannon Dycus in particular for flagging the history of this African American song and how it was co-opted. We at MennoMedia plan to update the song in future printings of Sing the Journey to match how it will appear in Voices Together,” said Amy Gingerich, MennoMedia publisher and executive director.

______________________________

Songs, like verses from Scripture, emerge from specific times and places, and also speak beyond their immediate contexts. Many melodies hold deep yearnings for justice and holy entry into divine unity.

Intercultural competence invites us to listen for context, acknowledge social location and power, and humbly engage others toward understanding.

The first known record of this African American spiritual, commonly known as “Welcome Table,” is a 1922 recording by the Florida Normal and Industrial Quartette:

I’m gonna eat at the welcome table (Hallelujah) . . . some of these days.
I’m gonna shake glad hands with Jesus (Hallelujah) . . . some of these days.
God’s gonna set this world on fire (Hallelujah) . . . some of these days.
I’m gonna walk and talk with Jesus (Hallelujah) . . . some of these days.
I’m gonna drink at the crystal fountain (Hallelujah) . . . some of these days.
I’m gonna eat at the welcome table (Hallelujah) . . . some of these days.

As with many songs from African American traditions, these verses proclaim the power and truth of God’s justice.

“Welcome Table” has been sung, recorded, and published in various forms for over a century. The 1930 publication The Negro Sings a New Heaven includes a verse “I’m gonna tell God how you treat me.” During the American (USA) civil rights movement the song took on contemporary potency, confronting white supremacy. One of the more famous adaptations of the song during this period was the verse “I’m gonna sit at the Woolworth counter.” This proclamation confronted the individual and systemic discrimination that were prolonging racial segregation of public spaces and denying access to services and human dignity.

Composer Alice Parker included this tune in her 1976 folk opera The Family Reunion, in which she adapted the language to “you’ve got a place.” In Sing the Journey (2005), the song (#4) is presented in Parker’s (unattributed) adaptation, and while the text may seem to make an inclusive statement, it actually establishes one person or group as having power over others. Singing welcome is important, but misrepresenting this song does not reach this goal. It both undermines the call for justice and erases the vision and voices of those proclaiming God’s welcome.

The alteration of the words in Sing the Journey has harmed some African American communities. We lament this, and in response, offer this historical version that is used in African American congregations. By returning to a version sung in African American communities, all can join in singing directly to God, claiming God’s welcome, and demanding justice for God’s people. In this text the singer proclaims, in the first person, their own birthright to sit at God’s abundant table of welcome.

 

Voices Together #801 “I’m Gonna Eat at the Welcome Table”:

I’m gonna eat at the welcome table (Hallelujah!) . . . some of these days.
God’s gonna set this world on fire (Hallelujah!) . . . some of these days.
I’m gonna walk and talk with Jesus (Hallelujah!) . . . some of these days.
I’m gonna drink at the crystal fountain (Hallelujah!) . . . some of these days.

For songs that emerge from enslavement and sustained disenfranchisement, a version chosen for worship should amplify historical sources and current use in African American congregations.

Here are practical suggestions for songs from African American traditions:

  • Honor African American history regardless of whether it is the central theme of the worship context
  • Include songs from African American traditions as a regular part of worship, and not as an occasional “novelty”
  • Intersperse songs with stories of civil rights work or other historical context
  • Learn from conversations with communities of origin
  • Listen to historical and contemporary African American recordings of this song

For more information on Voices Together, visit voicestogetherhymnal.org.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog belong to the author and are not intended to represent the views of the MC USA Executive Board or staff.

  • October 5, 2020
  • No Comments
  • Menno Snapshots
  • Civil Rights Movement, MennoMedia, Mennonite Hymnal, racial justice, songs, Voices Together, white supremacy, Worship
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-Mail

Interested in submitting a blog for Menno Snapshots? Please see our blog guidelines here.

Elkhart, IN 46517

Newton, KS 67114 Phone: (866) 866-2872
  • News & Media
  • Español
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Convention
  • Resources
  • Give
  • Staff
  • Employment
  • Transparency in Coverage
©2020 Mennonite Church USA   |   Subscribe to PeaceMail to receive news and blogs compiled into one weekly email.   SUBSCRIBE