Forma | A Ministry of ECF, is the Network for Christian Formation for the Episcopal Church and beyond. We have members from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and Europe. We work ecumenically with several denominations including the Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Presbyterian, and Catholic communities. Forma is a ministry of Episcopal Church Foundation, a 501(c)3, and is independent of the Episcopal Church, and yet, closely partnered with the Office for Formation Ministries at The Episcopal Church office.
Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and the gratitude I feel for all the blessings of my life spills over in ways I hadn’t expected even a few weeks ago. My heart is full, and the stories I hear daily of heartbreak and generosity astound me. We on the East Coast have become accustomed to some wild weather in recent years, but we have never seen the likes of Sandy. While my son missed a week of school and I missed a week of work (Manhattan truly became an island), we were largely unaffected by the storm, while just a few miles away, lives were lost or irrevocably altered, homes and neighborhoods, livelihoods and dreams were destroyed. The response from the communities of faith was immediate. This is what we do: gather together, feed the hungry, give water to those who thirst, bring candles and flashlights and batteries to those in darkness. We roll up our sleeves and start cleaning up. What else do we do? We pray. In the week of the stormâs aftermath, I had a request from a parish family for some table graces and a prayer for a baptismal anniversary. They are looking for sacred moments, simple ways to ritualize and make holy small moments in their lives. This is not extraordinary, but they are. It is in the context of learning that their youngest child is dying that they want to be mindful of the blessings they have received. We are called to give thanks to God “in all times and in all placesâ, and I now have a much better sense of what that truly means. I share with you this collection of table graces from traditional and international sources. Why do we wait for holidays or Sundays or company to mark our time together with God? Light a candle tonight. Ring a bell, gather around, hold hands, give thanks. God is good! Amen.
God our father, God our mother,
We thank you, we thank you,
For this food before us, for this food before us,
Amen, Amen! (to the tune of âFrere Jacquesâ)
Father, dear, for this good food we thank you and we pray
That all your children everywhere might have good food today.
For our food and those that prepare it;
For our family and friends to share it,
We thank you, Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blessed.
Each time we eat, may we remember Godâs love. (China)
O You who feeds the little birds, bless our food, O Lord. (Norway)
Give us, Lord, a bit of sun, a bit of work, and a bit of fun.
Give us in all the struggle and sputter a bit of bread and a bit of butter. (England)
The bread is warm and fresh, the water is cool and clear.
Lord of all life, be with us. Lord of all life, be near. (Nigeria)
Be present at our table, Lord,
Be here and everywhere adored.
These morsels bless and grant that we
May feast in paradise with thee. (Moravian)
The eagles give thanks for the mountains.
The fish give thanks for the sea.
We give thanks for our blessings
And for what we are about to receive. (Native American)
Us and this: God bless. (Quaker)
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything thy goodness sends. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Wendy Claire Barrie is the Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City and the Vice President of Forma.
