Returning Thanks AFTER Meals

[C. M. Sheffield]

I would be curious if anyone on the board practices "Returning thanks after Meals."

This is a practice that features prominently in many devotional guides in church history but one that I have never seen or heard of being practiced by anyone today.

Luther's Small Catechism:

Likewise also after the meal they shall reverently and with folded hands say:

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. He giveth food to all flesh; He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse; He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.

Then the Lord's Prayer and the prayer here following:

We thank Thee, Lord God, Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for all Thy benefits, who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.​

Calvin's Thanksgiving After Meat:

Let all nations praise the Lord; let all the people sing praises to God. (Ps. cxvii. 1.)

We give thanks, O God and Father, for the many mercies which thou of thy infinite goodness art constantly bestowing upon us; both in that by supplying all the helps that we need to sustain the present life, thou showest that thou hast a care even for our bodies, and more especially that thou has deigned to beget us again to the hope of the better life which thou hast revealed to us by thy holy gospel. And we beseech thee not to allow our minds to be chained down to earthly thoughts and cares, as if they were buried in our bodies. Rather cause that we may stand with eyes upraised in expectation of thy Son Jesus Christ, till he appear from heaven for our redemption and salvation. Amen -- Calvin, Tracts & Letters, Vol. 2, p. 98.​

There is a similar form of prayer in the Psalter of 1912.

 

[Peairtach]

We often (almost always?) did when I was brought up in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and I believe it is the usual/ widespread practice in that denomination.

I haven't heard so much of it in the FCoS, and I don't usually practice it myself now.

I'd be interested in any discussion of it, as I believe it has some biblical basis, beyond general thankfulness to God.

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[Tim]

We often (almost always?) did when I was brought up in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and I believe it is the usual/ widespread practice in that denomination.

This sounds familiar regarding a Free Presbyterian family that I visited once in England for dinner. I had forgotten about the practice until reading this thread.

 

[TexanRose]

Yes, we generally return thanks after meals.

Before the meal, we ask a blessing. After the meal, we return thanks.

Sort of a "please" and "thank you" if you will.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

This is from Matthew Henry's A Method for Prayer:

After Eating
In Returning Thanks After Our Meat

Now we have eaten and are full, we bless thee for the good land thou hast given us. Thou preparest a table for us in the presence of our enemies, thou anointest our head, and our cup runs over. Thou, Lord, art the portion of our inheritance and of our cup, thou maintainest our lot, so that we have reason to say, The lines are fallen to us in pleasant places, and we have a goodly heritage. Especially we bless thee for the bread of life, which came down from heaven, which was given for the life of the world: Lord, evermore give us that bread and wisdom to labour less for the meat which perisheth, and more for that which endures to everlasting life. The Lord give food to the hungry and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared. Let us be of those blessed ones that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God and shall eat of the hidden manna. Amen.

 

[Jack K]

We did when I was growing up. We said thanks both before and after. I'm pretty sure my dad got that from his Dutch Reformed ancestors. Now in my house we only do before. But we have family devotions after dinner, and a mention of thanks for the meal is often part of our prayers.

 

[ProtestantBankie]

Sadly our culture of ever-longer-graces has led to an incorporation of thanksgiving for a fully belly into the initial prayer - as a result the returning of thanks seems to have been done away.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

our culture of ever-longer-graces

Is that the culture of Scotland? Increasingly protracted prayers? I could wish that were a problem on this side of the pond.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

I would also be interested in knowing the history of this practice. Is it unique to the Reformation and Puritan era? Was it practiced by the early church?

 

[earl40]

Yes, we generally return thanks after meals.

Before the meal, we ask a blessing. After the meal, we return thanks.

Sort of a "please" and "thank you" if you will.

Excellent and well stated. I like how you phrased the "please" and "thank you" for this puts the proper perspective on the blessing before a meal. So much superstition is in the church today on "blessing our food" as if it sprinkles magic grace over it, like when some bless a house or a ship.

 

[JOwen]

We do in our home. Before and after the meal. It's not just a Scottish thing. Most, if not all the FRCNA also does this.

 

[Cymro]

Having visited the Isle of Lewis annually for the last 40yrs during the communion seasons,it is always
the practice to attend different homes for lunch and dinner over the 5 days in each church. One might
be asked to pray for a blessing on the meal, and someone else called upon to give thanks when the
meal is finished. This is still true amongst FCS, FPS, FCC, and the RPCS. But it is also common at daily
meals.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

It seems to me a very fitting way to conclude a meal. It formally marks the conclusion to the meal with prayer. It is not only a challenge to get everyone to sit down for dinner at the same time, it can also be a challenge to keep them there for any length of time; with certain members of the family itching to get back to what they were doing before. It is helpful to have an intentional way of marking the end of the meal in the same manner it began.

 

[kvanlaan]

I think it is a Dutch thing - we were raised that way and continue to this day. There are no better bookends to a good meal than prayer.