Jim Dixon and Masato posted versions of 'What are they doing in heaven today?' in this thread: CLICK.

Phillips' version has only minor departures from the Tindley original as posted by Jim.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN HEAVEN TODAY?
(Charles Albert Tindley)

Spoken:
What are they doing in heaven today? I don't know, boy, but it's my business to stay here and sing about it.

Chorus:
What are they doing in heaven today,
Where sin and sorrow are all gone away?
Peace abounds (it bounds) like the river, they say
What are they doing there now?

I'm thinking of friends whom I used to know
Who lived and suffered in this world below.
But they're gone up to heaven, but I want to know
What are they doing there now?

Chorus

There's some whose hearts was burdened with care
They paid (for) their moment through fighting and tears,
But they clung to the cross with trembling and fear
But what are they doing there now?

Chorus

There's some whose bodies was full of disease
Their medicine and doctors couldn't give them much ease
But they suffered until death brought a final release
But what are they doing there now?

Chorus

There's some who was poor and often despised
They looked up to heaven with tear-blinded eye
While people was heedless and deaf to their cry
But what are they doing there now?

Chorus


Washington was not much fussed by grammar.   His pronunciation of the second word in line 2 of the penultimate stanza sounds like a mixture of 'citizen', 'medicine' and 'physician', but I reckon he was struggling to say 'medicine'.

--Stewie.