Saying Grace

[Magaz97]

I have been asked to say grace at our yacht club annual dinner dance and prize giving.
I am not a religious man (although I have no problem with those who are), and would like your suggestions on an appropriate 'grace'
Something short, unoffensive and appropriate would be great.

Thanks for your help.

 

[WoodyP]

Good Friends, Good Food, Good God

 

[TimBennet]

Past your teeth and round your gums
Watch out tum tum, here it comes!

Lord we thank you for this lovely food
We thank you for its taste
So get it down your greasy necks
and don't leave any waste.

 

[Nico]

I have been asked to say grace at our yacht club annual dinner dance and prize giving.
I am not a religious man (although I have no problem with those who are), and would like your suggestions on an appropriate 'grace'
Something short, unoffensive and appropriate would be great.

Thanks for your help.

For what we are about to receive may the lord make us truly thankful. (Amen).

I can't remember much from my C of E primary but that is one.

 

[Seajet]

Good luck !

Not grace exactly, but the old RN toast;

" To wives and sweethearts, may they never meet ! "

 

[DJE]

I had that job at our laying up supper a couple of weeks ago and went with:-

God of goodness, bless our food
Keep us in a pleasant mood.
Bless the chef and all who serve us,
From indigestion, Lord, preserve us. Amen.

It got a few chuckles and I haven't been asked to leave yet!

 

[lw395]

I have been asked to say grace at our yacht club annual dinner dance and prize giving.
I am not a religious man (although I have no problem with those who are), and would like your suggestions on an appropriate 'grace'
Something short, unoffensive and appropriate would be great.

Thanks for your help.

A previous commodore in our club said something short but opaque in Latin.
He had the voice for it, it always seemed to work without sounding pompous, offensive to religious/non-religious or lowering the tone.
If it fell to me I'd delegate it to SWMBO, as she can do assembly with primary school kids, must be pretty similar, except the kids are usually sober?

 

[ITH]

There's always the anglicised version of Burn's Selkirk grace:

Some have meat and cannot eat,
Some have none, that want it;
But we have meat and we can eat,
So let the Lord be thankit.

 

[Carduelis]

Or if you want to show off a bit ...

Benedic, Domine, nos et dona tua,
quae de largitate tua sumus sumpturi,
et concede, ut illis salubriter nutriti
tibi debitum obsequium praestare valeamus,
per Christum Dominum nostrum

 

[A1Sailor]

There's always the anglicised version of Burn's Selkirk grace:

Some have meat and cannot eat,
Some have none, that want it;
But we have meat and we can eat,
So let the Lord be thankit.

+1
You need to develop an Auld Scots accent & pronunciation, though:

Some hae meat but canna eat,
Some nae meat but waant it,
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
So may the Lord be thankit!

 

[reginaldon]

For what we are about to receive may the lord make us truly thankful. (Amen).

I can't remember much from my C of E primary but that is one.

I'm always tempted to ask, ' Well has He? with the rejoinder, 'Thank Him then!'

 

[DJE]

Benedic, Domine, nos et dona tua,
quae de largitate tua sumus sumpturi,
et concede, ut illis salubriter nutriti
tibi debitum obsequium praestare valeamus,
per Christum Dominum nostrum

Basic latin primer here!

 

[gordmac]

Rather than say something why not just have a moment for those with imaginary friends to say their own silently? That would cause less offence to those who don't believe.

 

[PhillM]

This is what we use at our daily meals:

Heavenly Farther we thank you for the good food that you have provided. Amen.

If you want, you could extend it with a second or third line to give more of a sense of occasion. However, believers should be happy with the content and non-believers with the brevity!

 

[Steve Clayton]

Lots of choice here:

http://home.pcisys.net/~tbc/mealpryr.htm#prayer11_9

I particularly like this one: to the tune of our National Anthem:

Thank you for toast and jam,
Thank you for eggs and ham,
We thank you, Lord (da, da, da, da)
Thank you for beans and spam,
Thank you for all I am,
Thanking you best we can,
We thank you, Lord.

 

[DJE]

For what we are about to receive may the lord make us truly thankful. (Amen).

Often intoned by my father in law when putting to sea in "less than perfect" conditions.

 

[mjcoon]

There's always the anglicised version of Burn's Selkirk grace:

Some have meat and cannot eat,
Some have none, that want it;
But we have meat and we can eat,
So let the Lord be thankit.

I suppose the vegetarians needn't be quite so thankful...

(I imagine Dr Johnson's gibe about Scots eating oats instead of feeding it to horses like the sassenaches was more relevant to breakfast and a different grace?)

Mike.

 

[NormanS]

If you want a very short one, try "Benedictus Benedicat".
I do remember something from school.

 

[Giblets]

Back in the dark ages at school one of my prefectural duties included supervising the border's mealtimes. Before the meal I had to say "Benedictus benedicat" and after the meal "Benedicto benedicatur"

Short and to the point.

 

[God]

Heavenly Farther we thank you for the good food that you have provided. Amen.

!

No problem.