But whether or not you're a believer, a pre-meal thanksgiving recognizes the dozens of people who did hard work to get food to your table—the farmers, the grocery store clerks, the friends or relatives or restaurant chef who transformed a pile of raw vegetables into a bowl of delectable soup. I'll admit to a certain squeamishness about saying grace in restaurants. Praying at home is one thing, but bowing my head at Wendy's or Jean Georges is quite another.
I never know what to do when a waitress appears as I'm praying. Interrupt myself? Ignore her? And yet increasingly, I try to overcome my discomfort and boldly say grace at restaurants precisely because I find it so easy, when I go out to eat, to take for granted the low-paid folks who set the table, wash the dishes, and generally make my night on the town possible. To pray before my meal, even if it's awkward, is to remind myself how privileged I am, how much I owe.
Saying grace suggests not only the grazie of thanksgiving but also the calm, gracious elegance of living fully and well. You don't find grace said when people are rushing around, scarfing food, eating over the sink or in the car, polishing off a meal in ten minutes flat. You find grace offered at tables where people sit still, where they're trying to pay attention.
Indeed, doctors will tell you that there are physiological benefits to saying grace before meals. I see you edited your question to ask a second question. You may get more success by asking that as a separate question rather than changing an already existing question.
I edited your question to remove the question, but you can view the question history to get your new question. SDA church certainly believes in saying grace before eating every meal. I am actually surprised to hear there are denominations that do not engage in this practise. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. The origin of the practice is from Scripture. Improve this answer. Moses also told the Israelites to thank God in prayer for their food. See Deuteronomy , although that verse suggests one should pray after the meal.
T-Rez, that's an interesting question; why do we typically use the term "grace" who will say grace and not "thanksgiving" who will give thanks. My guess is the historical answer lies in the usage of the word "eucharist" thanksgiving at 1 Tim. SLM Latin the origin of the word grace has a few words that can mean , if you like, the same thing from opposite sides.
Hostis , for example, can mean either "guest" or "host". Similarly gratia , the ancestor of grace , can mean either "a favor given" or "gratitude for a favor given". Thus one can "say grace" until the 16th century "say graces ", i. Some Christians may also say a short prayer after a meal.
My father's parents always said "Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endureth forever. While I don't know anyone else offhand that does so, I doubt this was unique to them. My guess, though, would be that before is most common, with before and after being less common, and I don't know of anyone praying only after eating. Andrew Shanks Andrew Shanks 4, 16 16 silver badges 21 21 bronze badges. Welcome to Christianity Stack Exchange.
When you have a moment, please take our Tour: christianity. Bless, O Lord, thy gifts to our use and us to thy service; for Christ's sake. Mockingbird Mockingbird 6 6 bronze badges. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. And that this happens not by magic, but by grace.
Lettuce, public domain via Pixabay. If grace at meals is new for you, the Table Graces standing booklet can offer visible encouragement. The Rev. Nadia Stefko is a recovering vegetable farmer and Episcopal priest. She lives with her husband and their two young daughters in Skokie, Illinois — in the Lake Michigan watershed. Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email. Thanks for catching that and commenting!
0コメント