With grace

Rhona Cathcart December 21, 2017 0 1

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1 Thessalonians 5: 23

23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Good friends of mine taught their children after every meal to say “Thank you for a lovely dinner. Please may I leave the table?” Sometimes, its true, the phrase - spoken at the speed of light - lacked total conviction. But it served to reinforce two things: the habit of thankfulness, and the importance of the shared table. 

They were also a family who began every meal by ‘saying grace’, a short prayer of thanks before eating.

Hebrew tradition includes the practice of blessing God for every detail of our daily experience. What would it be like if every bite we took, every choice we made, began and ended with thanks? 

The taste of grace is sweet on my lips

As sweet as this plate before me, 

filled with food to nurture my body and mind

Food I did not plant or prepare,

A gift from the hands of others

The taste of grace is sharp on my tongue

As sharp as the bite of hunger or loneliness, 

reminding me of those whose table is bare 

of food or companionship. 

Those awaiting my invitation. 

The warmth of grace is deep in my gut

As deep as my convictions, 

As deep as my soul. 

A soul that knows in thankfulness there is peace. 

God’s blessing begins at the table 

with grace.