So I promised if we got to 75% of our $250k goal (you can still give here!) that I'd share a new song and I thought this was the most appropriate song that I could share.  It's a song that helps me to articulate our new vision.  It's a song that challenges me to keep creating space at the table for others.  It's a song that's not too complex and  sounds like a bunch of working class Irish drinking after a long day at work.  It's a song that is aspirational.  It's a song that I hope lingers on our lips and lives in our hands and feet.

If you want to read more about the story behind the song you can head over to my blog.  Lyrics are below.

Lyrics by Shirley Erena Murray:

For everyone born, a place at the table,
For everyone born, clean water and bread,
A shelter, a space, a safe place for growing,
For everyone born, a star overhead

For woman and man, a place at the table,
Revising the roles, deciding the share,
With wisdom and grace, dividing the power,
For woman and man, a system that’s fair,

CHORUS
and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, (justice and joy)
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace

For young and for old, a place at the table,
a voice to be heard, a part in the song,
the hands of a child in hands that are wrinkled,
for young and for old, the right to belong,

For just and unjust, a place at the table,
abuser, abused, with need to forgive,
in anger, in hurt, a mindset of mercy,
for just and unjust, a new way to live,

For everyone born, a place at the table,
to live without fear, and simply to be,
to work, to speak out, to witness and worship,
for everyone born, the right to be free

I didn’t include this verse on the demo because I was alerted to it later via a post on the Liturgy Fellowship FB group:

For gay and for straight, a place at the table,
a covenant shared, a welcoming space,
a rainbow of race and gender and colour,
for gay and for straight, the chalice of grace

May we be people who continually create space at the table for others