Table Grace (August Newsletter)

Dear Friends,

         “I love summer.”

         My wife says this almost every evening between July and late September when our table is laid with fresh vegetables and summer fruits that she has just picked from her garden or bought at the farmers’ market.

         “I love your cooking,” I say, regardless of the season.

         We both love not just to eat, but to eat well. And we do recognize that the bounty that fills our plates – be it animal or vegetable – was once a living creature whose life now sustains our lives. And we do express our gratitude for that which we cannot live without, but which we cannot create for ourselves.

         I offer, then, the following table prayer to you. Use it if you like. Share it with others if it seems appropriate to do so. Remember, too, the true measure of gratitude lies not in the words we say, but in the generosity it inspires. So, may your own recognitions of God’s grace lead you to new expressions of generosity toward others.

                                                               Peace,

                                                                        Allen

     Table Grace

Our hungry dependence

     upon the earth

     is our prayer to you, O God.

In its abundance

     we hear your

     gracious reply.

So we receive this meal

     in humble gratitude.

And as we season our food,

     by your Spirit,

     season our thanks

     with generosity,

          that all may eat

          and have enough.

Amen.