I’ve been reading Ed Bastain’s book on InterSpiritual Meditation as part of a e-course I’m taking through SpiritualityandPractice.com, and I ran across this simple and beautiful Family Prayer. I could see it being used at dinner or as part of a bedtime ritual.

We give thanks for our variety of skills and interests;
For our different ways of thinking, moving, and speaking;
For common hardships and common hopes;
For this family gather here;
For living together and eating together;
For all our good times and not so good times;
For growing up and growing older;
For wisdom deepened by experience;
For rest and leisure;
For the privilege of work;
For time made precious by its passing;
For all that has been,
And all that will be;
For all these blessings, we give thanks.

Ed says that the source is unknown, which seems fitting for the beautiful sentiments this prayer expresses.

At any rate, I shared this prayer with the wonderful group of Pacific Northwest District religious educators I had the privilege of spending the day with yesterday at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Vancouver, Washington. We spent our time going over the Seven Tools for Building a UU Home I’ve blogging about here for the last week or so. Great conversations ensued. Here’s the group photo I took of them at the end of our time together:

Gratitude for time well spent among colleagues!

Advertisement