THE WEDDING BANQUET
Medical Mission Sisters
Music and Lyrics composed and sung by the Medical Mission Sisters, 1966.
REFRAIN:
I cannot come.
I cannot come to the banquet,
Don’t trouble me now.
I have married a wife,
I have bought me a cow.
I have fields and commitments
That cost a pretty sum,
Pray, hold me excused,
I cannot come.
Verse 1
A certain man held a feast
On his fine estate in town,
He laid a festive table,
And wore a wedding gown.
He sent invitations
To his neighbors far and wide,
But when the meal was ready,
Each of them replied…..
(REFRAIN)
Verse 2
The master rose up in anger,
Called his servants by name, said:
“Go into the town,
Fetch the blind and the lame,
Fetch the peasant and the pauper
For this I have willed,
My banquet must be crowed,
And my table must be filled.”
REFRAIN
Verse 3
When all the poor had assembled,
There was still room to spare,
So the master demanded:
“Go search ev’rywhere,
To the highways and the byways
And force them to come in,
My table must be filled before the banquet can begin.
REFRAIN
Verse 4
Now God has written a lesson
For the rest of mankind;
If we’re slow in responding,
He may leave us behind
He’s preparing a banquet for that
Great and glorious day,
When the Lord and Master callus,
Be certain not to say….
(REFRAIN)
I cannot come.
I cannot come to the banquet,
Don’t trouble me now.
I have married a wife,
I have bought me a cow.
I have fields and commitments
That cost a pretty sum,
Pray, hold me excused,
I cannot come.
*********
The Medical Mission Sisters have a website and there is a place hwere you can purchase teh DVD entitled "Joy is LIke the Rain". The "Wedding Banquet" is recorded on this DVD. Go to: mtwinter.hartsem.edu/joy.htm