Live Grace

Great God, we bow our heads in prayer
to thank you for the gifts you give:
our food, our home, our health, the air
we breathe each day so we can live.
And as we live within this world
may all our words and deeds be kind, s
o others know we love you, Lord,
with all our heart and soul and mind.

Amen.

Encompassing Grace

We praise you, gracious God, our King,
for you love every living thing.
Beasts and fish, and birds of air—
all are in your tender care.
We know, O Lord, you love us, too.
And now we thank you for this food.

Amen.

Shepherding Grace

God, we worship you with gladness, for you have made us and we are your people. You feed us and care for us as a shepherd cares for the sheep of his pasture. We thank you and praise your name for you are good and your love endures forever.

Amen.

Based on Psalm 100

Simple Grace

Dear God,
Thank you for the sun that warms us and for the rain that waters the earth. Thank you for this food.

Amen.

Living Grace

God,
May we not be so concerned with our own needs that we fail to see the needs of others—in our neighborhood, in our church, at work, even in our own family. Thank you for fulfilling our needs with this food.

Amen.

Incomparable Grace

Merciful God,
This grace we offer in thanks for our meal cannot compare to the grace with which you forgive us so freely and lovingly. Accept our thanks for your grace and for this food.

Amen.

Grace Like An Ocean

Everlasting God,
Like the waves of an ocean your love never stops. Day after day your blessings wash over us, enriching our lives. Thank you for this meal. May we live each day in worship of you.

Amen.

Grace for senses

Dear God,
For eyes to see, ears to hear,
for mouths to speak and chew,
for this food and all your gifts
we give our thanks to you.

Amen.

Sweet Grace

We thank you, God, for loving us
and for your grace so sweet.
Now we pray you'll bless this food
that we're about to eat.

Amen.

Respecting God's name

O God,
Everyone knows your name. May we always say it with reverence and respect, not when we are surprised or angry, for you deserve to be honored. We honor you now for your goodness to us, and we thank you for this food.

Amen.

Bountiful grace

Dear Master and Creator,
Everything in this bountiful land was given to us from your powerful hand.
For all of our blessings we thank you.

Amen.

Feeding the mind

Almighty God,
You have fed us with the harvest of the fields and nourished us with the fruit of the land. May we not forget to feed our minds by reading your Word and spending time with you.

Amen.

Overflowing grace

God of all creation,
What a beautiful world you have made. The earth is filled with your wonders. Every animal looks to you to be fed, and you feed them from your full hands. Thank you for also feeding us.

Amen.

Twinkle, twinkle

Can be sung to the tune of "Twinkle, twinkle, little star"

God of love and God of grace
now we come to you in praise
thanking you for all you give—
family, friends, and food to live.
Bless this meal and help us be
folks who serve you faithfully.

Praise God

God,
Trees of green, skies of blue,
all good things come from you.
For this food that we eat
we praise your name so sweet.

Amen.

Bearing fruit

Mighty God,
Humans prepare the soil and plant the seeds and work the land, but it is only because of the power and mystery of your creation that our work bears fruit. Thank you for providing a way for us to feed ourselves and keep ourselves living.

Amen.

Omnipresent Grace

Ever-Present God,
Be with us as we share this meal,
and bless each person gathered here.
Be also with our loved ones who
are scattered far or live real near.

Amen.

Good Seeds, Good Deeds

Gracious God,
The tiniest seed, when cared for properly, produces much fruit. May that wonder of your creation remind us that every good deed we do, no matter how small, might cause love to grow in the hearts of others. Thank you for this food. Bless those whose good deeds provided it for us.
Amen.

Unending Grace video

daily grace

April 9

God,
This food we are about to eat
will help the hunger inside
but only Christ can fill our souls
until we're satisfied.
So thank you for our daily bread
and for each day of life,
and thank you for the Bread of Heaven:
our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

supporting grace

April 7

Eternal God,
You are our refuge, and underneath are your everlasting arms.*
Thank you for loving us and supporting us and providing all we need.
Bless this food and our hearts, so we may serve you as best we can.
Amen.

* See Deuteronomy 33:27

HANGING ON

April 6, 2011

Today I awoke feeling extremely tired. Am I pushing myself too much? Am I depressed? Am I getting sick? Is it just the dreary weather? Not sure. I just know that I could have slept in for several more hours, which is not like me. Even yesterday I felt so tired at times that I almost closed my eyes while in the midst of working.

But I keep going. I keep hanging on, just like the leaf that is hanging on our maple tree.

One lone leaf has been attached to the tree all winter and into spring. Through all of the cold, the snowstorms, the blustery winds, the driving rainstorms, this leaf keeps hanging on, never giving up its hold on life, such as it is. The leaf is shriveled and brown, with little life left, but as long as it remains attached to the branch there is hope.

Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5, NRSV)

So I keep holding on to Jesus and to his promises. And I keep trusting that he will give me strength to make it through another day.

Give us this day our daily bread. Give me this day strength for today. Keep me holding on, Jesus, attached to your power and your love and your unending grace, for apart from you I can do nothing.

Living grace

For all your love and tender care
we praise you, gracious God above.
Be with us as this meal we share.
Then may our lives be lived with love.
Amen.

Sheltering Grace

April 1

Sheltering God,
We remember how you cared for your people wandering in the
desert after Moses led them from Egypt; and how you fed them
with bread and meat from heaven and quenched their thirst with
water from a rock*. We, too, are you people, God. Thank you
for this food and drink to satisfy our needs. Continue to guide us
and care for us.
Amen.

*See Exodus 17:1-6

Unending Grace

March 31

Almighty God,
Your mercies are new every morning. Fill us with your Spirit,
that we may always give thanks for your blessings and serve you willingly.
Amen.

Overwhelming Goodness

Good God,
Your goodness to us is overwhelming at times.
For all of your blessings and for this food we thank you with all our heart.
Amen.