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ken_sylvania wrote:

Valerie wrote:

Josh wrote:
Yes!! After a while, I took it on myself to practice a meal blessing song or two. I still often don't know the songs that are spontaneously sung.

Do Mennonites sing before they eat in addition to asking the Lord's blessing in prayer? Or is it a combination of both? Any examples?

In the circles I'm familiar with it is a common practice, if there are guests, to sing a verse of song before the blessing on the meal. For instance, if a family invites a couple other families from church over for the noon meal, the head of the household will often ask one of the guests (male >17yo) to lead in a verse of song by memory. The guest will choose and lead out in the song of his choice. Another guest would then be asked to lead in prayer.
There are some very safe choices for songs in this situation, but a person can find themselves in a slightly awkward spot when they begin a song that is very familiar in their home congregation but is not familiar to those they are visiting with (sometimes because of the hymnals used in each). I've had the experience of feeling like I was almost singing solo

I can see the awkwardness in this but at the same time it's a pretty 'neat' thing- I see how important singing is to the Anabaptists in all kinds of settings- but judging from another post there's WAY too many songs to be expected to learn-
I guess if I was in that position, since song is kind of like prayer, I just might close my eyes while the song is sung.

Valerie wrote:judging from another post there's WAY too many songs to be expected to learn

I only know 473 of the 1337, in case that's what you're referring to, and some of those are only somewhat familiar. We certainly wouldn't expect a visitor to have a vast repertoire, and quietly meditating on the words is always appropriate.

Our mealtime prayer is extremely varied.

Often I will pray aloud as the father, but they like to pray too, so they keep track and will take turns praying aloud if I decide not to lead out.

Sometimes two people will pray if two of them want to.
Sometimes we will sing a song or two or three and then one person will pray aloud.
Sometimes we will sing a prayer together.
Sometimes we will recite a prayer together.
Sometimes we will sing a few songs at the table after the meal.

When my young children are washing the supper dishes, I often require them to turn on the iPod on the counter and have hymns and songs playing. I've learned that they don't quarrel if the songs are on while they wash, instead they sing along and learn new songs.

RZehr wrote:Our mealtime prayer is extremely varied.

Often I will pray aloud as the father, but they like to pray too, so they keep track and will take turns praying aloud if I decide not to lead out.

Sometimes two people will pray if two of them want to.
Sometimes we will sing a song or two or three and then one person will pray aloud.
Sometimes we will sing a prayer together.
Sometimes we will recite a prayer together.
Sometimes we will sing a few songs at the table after the meal.

When my young children are washing the supper dishes, I often require them to turn on the iPod on the counter and have hymns and songs playing. I've learned that they don't quarrel if the songs are on while they wash, instead they sing along and learn new songs.

Awesome. One of my favorite Christian singers- Fernando Ortega, wrote a song dedicated to Amish (he actually was hoping it would be a song something like they would sing, but they informed him, it really wasn't their style) and he wrote this song inspired by an Amish woman where he was visiting in PA ,who was just singing away while washing dishes- I like your idea of playing the music while children are washing dishes.

These posts beg the question- is the food cold by the time y'all actually start eating? I'm painfully admitting here that sometimes if prayer gets lengthy over the food that I tend to feel a little concerned about 'lukewarm'- shame on me I know- but this thought popped in as I'm reading all these-

Josh wrote:I sometimes idly think about a plan for global domination of Hymns of the Church, perhaps sneaking into church houses under cover of night and replacing the old, well-worn hymnals they have with fresh, new "Purple Martins".

I could think of a few places that have old copies of "Zion's Praise" that would likely be willing to give you an address and keys.

J.M.

My church uses both The Christian Hymmnary and Songs of Faith and Praise.

We tend to only sing grace in public situations like reunions or school picnics and when we do it is always Praise God from whom All Blessings Flow. At weddings and funerals at the dinner table we will sing a song, mostly when we are present it will be Das Tische Leid.

Sometimes the food is set on the table so hot that singing beforehand is a safety measure.

We still use our un-noted metrical hymnbook in church for now; that could change if we ever have another split. But we sing out of 10 or 15 other hymnals regularly. For you Songs Of Faith And Praise users, that was one of the predominant "outside of church" songbooks at the time of our expulsion/reorganization in 2009, and became the de facto noted hymnal for most of our gatherings outside regular worship. Some of us are pushing to move away from it, however, due in part to the simple fact it has patriotic selections, due in part to the fact it was more designed for chorales and trained group singing, and due in part to its significant lack of hymnody towards several of our doctrinal specifics, such as footwashing, the salutation, baptism, etc.

People seriously fail to realize how vast of an influence our hymnody has on our theology and our practice.

Were I at liberty to select, we would use John D's Hymns of the Church and The Christian Hymnary. That's just little ole me, though.

Can't think of two better hymnals to choose than those.

Josh wrote:Can't think of two better hymnals to choose than those.

It's so refreshing when we agree.