When the announcement was made that the summer series at West Jackson was entitled God is Great, God is Good, my mind immediately recited the entire prayer from my childhood. There was no pause, the words flowed easily, which proves the importance of teaching children to Say Grace and other prayers early in life. Struggling this past year to memorize Psalm 139, I am fascinated that prayers, song lyrics, and Scripture that entered my brain in the 1970s and 80s are recalled so effortlessly. Just ask me the King James Version of Psalm 90:2 that I memorized in Mrs. Marinelli’s second grade class and I’ll nail every word! But ask me the reason I logged on to the computer to research a topic just now, and you will probably receive a blank stare.
If you are unfamiliar with the words used to teach children about the importance of Saying Grace, they are provided here: God is great, God is good/ Let us thank him for our food/
By his hands we all are fed/Give us Lord, our daily bread. Amen. Such a simple prayer, but when heard from the voice of a child, few things are more precious. Even two-year old Benaiah knows to bow his head and say “Amen;” he may not currently be aware of the reasoning behind these actions, but a Habit of Awareness is being instilled into his life. The awareness that there exists a Creator God who provides for us, not only daily meals, but everything, and we should be intentional about expressing our gratitude for all that He furnishes, because without Him, we are unable to have a truly flourishing life.
The purpose of Andy’s message, and the entire series, is to focus on the attributes of God which, for me, connects to my recent readings on intentionally expressing gratitude, not only to others, but especially to God. And in my opinion, simple yet profound actions like Saying Grace, even one as humble as God is Great, allows our hearts to shift to a state of gratitude. That tiny moment before a meal, that pause in activity, serves as a perfect opportunity for me to express my gratitude for all of the amazing characteristics of God, that He is indeed great and good.
In his book A Meal with Jesus, Tim Chester shares with readers the many purposes that God has for “the seemingly ordinary act of sharing a meal-how this everyday experience is really an opportunity for grace, community, and mission.” As a part of helping us grasp how meaningful shared meals are to our lives, he also challenges us to express our gratitude. “We need to rediscover the rhythm of Saying Grace before meals. Perhaps some of us need to discover this for the first time; others may need to refresh what has become a stale habit. What do we express when we say grace? Our daily dependence on God as creatures and sinners. Our dependence on others as we give thanks for those who grew, processed, bought, and cooked our food. The goodness of food, thereby transforming our food from fuel to a gift to be relished…[expressing] our gratitude to God, thereby reorienting ourselves away from self and back to God. Our gratitude for community as we ask God’s blessing on our fellowship over the meal.”
This idea of reorienting myself away from the perspective of food just as fuel and towards God’s goodness creates in me a Habit of Awareness that food is a part of all creation. I may not be responsible for hunting and gathering to provide the bounty on my table; I’m pleased with the convenience of grocery pickup; however, I still need to offer a focused thank you to all that the Lord provides to me. I can’t think of a better way to express gratitude than by Saying Grace.
So, whether you choose the traditional Catholic prayer: Bless us, O Lord/And these Thy gifts/Which we are about to receive/Through Thy bounty/Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen. Or you opt for the simple God is Great, please be encouraged to express your gratitude for our Lord and Creator…and even better, offer a Welcome to the Table to a friend or neighbor…you never know when a simple, humble prayer can speak to someone else’s heart!
References:
Neely, A. (2021, May 30). “God is Great, God is Good, Part 1.” [Video]. West Jackson Baptist Church. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwwirlmCCkg
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