Years and years ago, I made an attempt to have Thanksgiving at my house with as many extended and blended family members as possible, in hopes of reconciliation and maybe a small miracle.
Earlier that autumn, I had seen The Blind Boys of Alabama perform "The Welcome Table", among other rousing and moving gospel songs. So I called around to various libraries, finding one that had an old recording on vinyl by some unknown singers, collected as part of a Black History Gospel Traditions Project that was never finished. I drove about 45 minutes to the library, signed a few forms, then brought the record home and had my husband transfer it onto a cassette tape.
The original recording was poor at best, scratchy and the singers sounded old and tired, but sang as if the words had special meaning in their lives. I listened to it over and over until I knew the words. I'm no singer but the rhythm was catchy and easy to follow.
Long story short, after all were seated, to cut the tension without using a knife, I played the first verse, sang along and clapped and hallelujahed all alone. Okay, so my crowd was Catholic, Protestant, atheist, confused, and white. I turned off the tape player rather dramatically and said, "you will now all join in because this is grace tonight and we're not eating until we sing the song, all verses."
Sad to say, not everyone sang dutifully; the food was good, but there was no miracle on my street, no happy ending to this story. I asked my-husband-who-never-throws-out-anything-because-someday-there-might-be-a-use-for-it and he didn't even recall the meal, much less the events: (a guest's badly behaved German Shepherd, a frightened, shrieking parakeet that had to be hidden in my purple room, and too many minor wars of words).
I leave you with the lyrics, which vary historically depending on who sang them, at what time, and for what reason. If you are so inclined, it is on youtube and these are my favorite versions. You might want to check out at least one, so you can hear the following words in the upbeat cadence intended. These are the lyrics I remember using that day:
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table, hallelujah
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table one fine day, hallelujah
Sit at the welcome table one of these days, one of these days, oh Lordy!
I'm gonna feast on milk and honey
Oh yes, gonna feast on milk and honey, one of these days, hallelujah
I'm gonna feast on milk and honey, oh Lordy!
Feast on milk and honey one fine day, one of these days
I'm gonna to tell God how you treat me
Yes, I'm gonna to tell God how you treat me one of these days, hallelujah
I'm gonna to tell God how you treat me
Tell God how you treat me one fine day, one of these days, oh Lord!
I'm gonna put on my silver slippers
I'm gonna put on my silver slippers, one of these days, hallelujah
I'm gonna walk the streets of glory, oh Lord!
I'm gonna walk the streets of glory, one of these days, hallelujah
All God's children gonna sit together
Yes, all God's children gonna sit together one of these days, hallelujah
All God's children gonna sit together, my Lord!
All God's children gonna sit together, one fine day, one of these days
Yes, I'm gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days, hallelujah
Feast on milk and honey, put on my silver slippers, walk the streets of glory,
One fine day, oh Lord, one of these days, one of these days
Sit at the welcome table one of these days, one fine day
Sit at the welcome table one of these days, one of these days
Yes, gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days, one of these days
Thank you Lord, hallelujah!