Saying grace before meals with extended family - looking for some ideas

[Anonymous]

We hold hands and say:
Want what you have
Do what you can
Be who you are
Thank you”

[Anonymous]

I always say something like thank you for the food, bless the hands that prepared, thank you for letting us all gather together as a family to enjoy it and keep us all happy and in good health. Amen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you bringing the news into your prayer? That’s disturbing.

It’s “disturbing” to pray for the victims of floods, or wars, or vindictive megalomaniacs? Huh.

[Anonymous]

Bless this food to our use, and ourselves to your service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We hold hands and say:
Want what you have
Do what you can
Be who you are
Thank you”

That’s stupid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We hold hands and say:
Want what you have
Do what you can
Be who you are
Thank you”

That’s stupid

Could you explain? What do you think is stupid about this prayer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We hold hands and say:
Want what you have
Do what you can
Be who you are
Thank you”

This is sweet but I would hate the holding hands part

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the food before us, the friends beside us, and the love among us.

[Anonymous]

Or the at serenkty prayer is always good.

Or this psalm—
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is unity, your pardon
And Where there is darkness let me bring your light
(If you’re not theistic, you could take out the “your”).


Good food, good meat
Good God, let’s eat

Bless us with good food, the gift of gab, heart laughter
May the love and joy we share be with us ever after

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We hold hands and say:
Want what you have
Do what you can
Be who you are
Thank you”

This is sweet but I would hate the holding hands part

Same. We'd all have to get up and wash our hands afterward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is part of a religious tradition that uses consistent language for ritual prayers (e.g. Catholicism, at least some sects of Judaism, Islam), I guess I'd want to know what you find "lame" about the "generic" prayer.

Is it that it references something you no longer believe? Or that you want to use this opportunity to express opinions? Or you feel aligned to a tradition that isn't so liturgical? Or that you feel that choosing your own words will be more meaningful?

Knowing that would help me think of how to advise you.

I was wondering this too. I’m Catholic. I do the generic prayers and go through the motions even during times I’m highly questioning my faith. Sometimes that’s literally all I have.
If that’s where you are, OP, do the generic thing.

[Anonymous]

Variant of serenity prayer.

May we have the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you bringing the news into your prayer? That’s disturbing.

It’s “disturbing” to pray for the victims of floods, or wars, or vindictive megalomaniacs? Huh.

It’s grace, it’s a specific prayer of thanks for the meal. You can, and should pray for those in need throughout the day, but this is a time specifically for praying thanks.

I am not the one who said I would be disturbed by it, but I wouldn’t do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Variant of serenity prayer.

May we have the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

That’s a beautiful prayer. It’s not grace. Grace is a time to say thank you, not to ask for things, even good things.

[Anonymous]

What's the point?