The Meal Prayer

[KagomeShuko]

If I said "the meal prayer," I was wondering what you would say. I think many in the ELCA say the same prayer, but I was just wondering.

 

[tampasteve]

If I said "the meal prayer," I was wondering what you would say. I think many in the ELCA say the same prayer, but I was just wondering.

I have a prayer book written by Martin Luther that I use. We mainly use it on a Friday evening prayer in our family, but it has prayers for all sorts of happenings. I usually say the prayer of the day and the meal prayer before our Friday evening meal.

 

[Shane R]

My grandmother always said: Come Lord Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blest.

She was an ELCA member from the time the synod formed until her death. But she was raised in the old Norwegian synod.

 

[KagomeShuko]

That's pretty much what I learned, too. When I had just gotten out of college, I was a representative on a Thrivent board and learned more when we went out to eat and a person on the board said another part. I like to say the whole thing:

Come, Lord Jesus
Be Thou our guest
And let these gifts
To us be blest

And let there be
A goodly share
On every table
Everywhere

 

[Kalevalatar]

Most often, we sing ours.

The traditional Nordic Grace (1569), old French melody of 1543

Advent version, to the melody of Luther's Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (1539)

 

[BreadAlone]

We've been doing Luther's prayers out of the Holy Catechism as a family lately. So, we begin with the appointed Psalm verses, the Pater Noster, then "Lord God, Heavenly Father, bless us and these Thy gifts, which we receive form Thy bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord" when asking a blessing; then, returning thanks, the same Psalm-Pater-Prayer format, with: "We give Thee thanks, Lord God, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for all Thy benefits, Who lives and reigns forever rand ever."

 

[KagomeShuko]

Most often, we sing ours.

The traditional Nordic Grace (1569), old French melody of 1543

Advent version, to the melody of Luther's Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (1539)

I've never sang THOSE, but I know "Vom Himmel Hoch" as "From Heaven Above. . . "

I think there are tunes to which the meal prayer that I put was set, but I just can't think of them right now.

When I was in Youth Choir, we had a few different prayers we would sing. I can remember two: The Flintstones Prayer and the Johnny Appleseed Prayer.