God Our Father,

Please join us at the kitchen table, the center of our home where we come hungry every day. We bow our heads to give you honor. You are the Creator of chickens and artichokes and coffee beans. You give us the joy of flavors and color and variety. You give us daily energy and the satisfaction of enough.

Give us wisdom to value connecting with one another over our daily bread. We are imperfect, and we need the encouragement of each other, of those who know us best. Give us grace to extend to one another. Give us the salt and pepper of laughter and of tears.

May we not be greedy with our fullness. A warm meal and good conversation are simple, valuable gifts that anyone would enjoy, and many people sorely need. So may we gratefully share our table, knowing that guests bring to us the bounty of their life experiences.

Fortify us for life as we leave the table to go our separate ways. May your Holy Spirit protect us, inform us, empower us, be seen in us. Bless us to live fully and to come back again to this table, where we are nourished day by day.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.