Be Present At Our Table, Lord
The end of the summer is nearing and all the kiddos, ages 18-22,
have come home. Two were overseas volunteering with The
Salvation Army. One was in Singapore, Malaysia and Borneo and
the other in Chile. One boy worked as a camp counselor at our church
camp about a nine to ten hour round trip drive. Only one kiddo stayed
home and worked for our local baseball team.
have come home. Two were overseas volunteering with The
Salvation Army. One was in Singapore, Malaysia and Borneo and
the other in Chile. One boy worked as a camp counselor at our church
camp about a nine to ten hour round trip drive. Only one kiddo stayed
home and worked for our local baseball team.
All back together again, we sat down for supper and the camp
counselor son asked for us to sing the grace they sang before each meal
at camp. We all knew the song so we diverted from our usual grace
and started to sing
counselor son asked for us to sing the grace they sang before each meal
at camp. We all knew the song so we diverted from our usual grace
and started to sing
“Be present at our table, Lord.
Be here and everywhere adored.
These mercies bless, and grant that we
may … and this is where our unison ended.
The kiddos ended with “may learn to live and love in thee”and my sister
and I sang “...may live to fight and die for thee”. We looked around at
each other and I think we were all thinking that no one knew there were
different endings. Of course, this made me curious about the origins of this
song and which is the original ending. Thank you Google because I typed
in the first line of the song and voilà, up popped a number of sites. I
also logged into Facebook and posted a request for information from a
group called “Salvation Army Chorus Time” I belong to. This generated
over one hundred responses and I learnedthat this song is sung around
the world. These posts and links led me to see that there are more than
just the two last lines my family knew about. These are some of the
“last lines” I discovered:
and I sang “...may live to fight and die for thee”. We looked around at
each other and I think we were all thinking that no one knew there were
different endings. Of course, this made me curious about the origins of this
song and which is the original ending. Thank you Google because I typed
in the first line of the song and voilà, up popped a number of sites. I
also logged into Facebook and posted a request for information from a
group called “Salvation Army Chorus Time” I belong to. This generated
over one hundred responses and I learnedthat this song is sung around
the world. These posts and links led me to see that there are more than
just the two last lines my family knew about. These are some of the
“last lines” I discovered:
-May spend our lives in serving thee,
-May strengthened for the service be,
-May feast in Paradise with thee,
-May live in fellowship with thee,
-May live in harmony with thee,
-May learn to live and love in thee,
-May live to fight and die for thee,
-May feast in fellowship with thee.
Along with different last lines, this song is sung to a multitude
of different music. There are seemingly more tunes to this song
than there are different “last lines”. Many Christian denominations
sing this song to the tune of the hymn “Old 100th”, also
written as “Old Hundreth” which many are familiar with as the
Doxology. I have a feeling that if you mention a hymn or chorus
tune, this prayer has been sung to it. “Duke Street”, “Montreal
Citadel”, “Sweet Hour of Prayer”, and “Amazing Grace”, are just
a few of the tunes used from church hymnals. Many summer
camps sing this song to secular music which makes it fun for
the young campers. Songs that range from the Adams Family
theme song, “The Irish Washer Woman”, “House of the Rising
Sun”, “Home on the Range”, and “Fernando’s Hideaway” have
been borrowed and used as music to sing our grace.
of different music. There are seemingly more tunes to this song
than there are different “last lines”. Many Christian denominations
sing this song to the tune of the hymn “Old 100th”, also
written as “Old Hundreth” which many are familiar with as the
Doxology. I have a feeling that if you mention a hymn or chorus
tune, this prayer has been sung to it. “Duke Street”, “Montreal
Citadel”, “Sweet Hour of Prayer”, and “Amazing Grace”, are just
a few of the tunes used from church hymnals. Many summer
camps sing this song to secular music which makes it fun for
the young campers. Songs that range from the Adams Family
theme song, “The Irish Washer Woman”, “House of the Rising
Sun”, “Home on the Range”, and “Fernando’s Hideaway” have
been borrowed and used as music to sing our grace.
I still had one more bit of research I wanted to do and that
was to find to the 1700’s in England. In 1717 a man by the name of
John Cennick was born in Reading, Berkshire. It is located at the joining
of the River Kennet and the River Thames.It’s also on the M4
motorway and the Great Western Main railway line. This made the
town a major trading location. It was also a center of religion and the
Reading Abbey was a major influence. This twelfth century medieval
abbey ruins remain in Reading and draws many a visitor.
was to find to the 1700’s in England. In 1717 a man by the name of
John Cennick was born in Reading, Berkshire. It is located at the joining
of the River Kennet and the River Thames.It’s also on the M4
motorway and the Great Western Main railway line. This made the
town a major trading location. It was also a center of religion and the
Reading Abbey was a major influence. This twelfth century medieval
abbey ruins remain in Reading and draws many a visitor.
John Cennick didn’t become involved with the Abbey and in fact
spent time drifting between London and his home looking for work
and getting involved in bit of a questionable lifestyle. It wasn’t
until he was a teen that he had a life changing experience and
became involved with the Methodist Church. While searching for a
church that aligned with his beliefs he settled with the Moravians.
He ministered in Dublin and the north of Ireland. This is the man
who wrote the song, “Be Present at our Table Lord”. John Cennick
died in London, in his late thirties in 1755 from a fever.
spent time drifting between London and his home looking for work
and getting involved in bit of a questionable lifestyle. It wasn’t
until he was a teen that he had a life changing experience and
became involved with the Methodist Church. While searching for a
church that aligned with his beliefs he settled with the Moravians.
He ministered in Dublin and the north of Ireland. This is the man
who wrote the song, “Be Present at our Table Lord”. John Cennick
died in London, in his late thirties in 1755 from a fever.
This song was actually three verses not just the one
that is most familiar. At hymntime.com and a few other websites
I found all three verses in this song.
that is most familiar. At hymntime.com and a few other websites
I found all three verses in this song.
1.Be present at our table, Lord;
Be here and everywhere adored;
Thy creatures bless, and grant that we
May feast in paradise with Thee.
2. We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food,
For life and health and every good;
By Thine own hand may we be fed;
Give us each day our daily bread.
3.We thank Thee, Lord, for this our good,
But more because of Jesus’ blood;
Let manna to our souls be giv’n,
The Bread of Life sent down from Heav’n.
On a personal note. My mom and dad taught all of us kids
the prayer we say before each meal. The prayer is actually the
third verse of this song. I never knew until I did this research
that our family prayer was the third verse to a song. My parents
did change one word of the third verse. The first line of the third verse
ends in “good” and they changed it to “food”. The prayer I was
taught to say for grace and the prayer I’ve taught my children
to use is:
the prayer we say before each meal. The prayer is actually the
third verse of this song. I never knew until I did this research
that our family prayer was the third verse to a song. My parents
did change one word of the third verse. The first line of the third verse
ends in “good” and they changed it to “food”. The prayer I was
taught to say for grace and the prayer I’ve taught my children
to use is:
We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food,
But more because of Jesus’ blood;
But more because of Jesus’ blood;
Let manna to our souls be giv’n,
The Bread of Life sent down from Heav’n.
Amen
In the end, some of the words of Cennick’s song change
and the tune people sing it to varies but the importance of
giving our Father thanks for all we are provided is still strong
and the young people that learn this song, no matter the
words or tune, are learning that it is important to remember
that we are all blessed for what we have.
and the tune people sing it to varies but the importance of
giving our Father thanks for all we are provided is still strong
and the young people that learn this song, no matter the
words or tune, are learning that it is important to remember
that we are all blessed for what we have.
