For Everyone Born

A Place at the Table

11

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,
and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace:
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!
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 thats fair,
and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace:
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!
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,
and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace:
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!
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,
and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace:
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!
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,
and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace:
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!

Shirley Erena Murray

Words 1998 Hope Publishing Company

A Place at the Table was evoked by the UN Declaration of Human Rights and my involvement with Amnesty International. It should be sung at a spirited pace. Its a matter of choice
whether the refrain is sung between stanzas 2-4, or not.

11

For Everyone Born

A Place at the Table
Unison

1
2
3
4
5

For
ev
For
wo
For young
For just
For
ev

for
re
a
a
to

a
with
the
in
to

ery one
man and
and for
and un
ery one

ev
ery
vis
ing
voice to
bus
er,
live with

one
the
be
a
out

born,
man,
old,
just,
born,

born,
roles,
heard,
bused,
fear,

shel ter, a
wis dom and
hands of
a
an ger, in
work, to speak

WORDS: Shirley Erena Murray

MUSIC: Joy F. Patterson
Words 1998 Hope Publishing Company
Music 1999 Hope Publishing Company

space,
grace,
child
hurt,
out,

a
a
a
a
a

clean
de
a
with
and

a
di
in
a
to

place
place
place
place
place

ble,
ble,
ble,
ble,
ble,

at
at
at
at
at

the
the
the
the
the

ta
ta
ta
ta
ta

wa ter
cid ing
part in
need to
sim ply

and
the
the
for
to

bread,
share,
song,
give,
be,

safe place
vid ing
hands that
mind set
wit ness

for
the
are
of
and

grow
pow
wrin
mer
wor

ing,
er,
kled,
cy,
ship,

A PLACE AT THE TABLE

for
for
for
for
for

ev
wo
young
just
ev

ery
man
and
and
ery

and God will de

joy,

com

we

are cre

one
and
for
un
one

born,
man,
old,
just,
born,

a
a
the
a
the

star
o
sys tem
right to
new
way
right to

light when we are cre

pas sion and peace:

tors

of

yes,

jus tice,

ver
thats
be
to
be

a tors of

God will de

head,
fair,
long,
live,
free,

jus

light

jus tice and

tice and

when

joy.