Blessing the food/ saying grace

Sandra Piddock

Sandra Piddock

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A friend is a Mormon, and whenever we eat at her house, the food is blessed first. It's a bit like the grace that we all remember from school - 'For what we are about to receive ...' I'm just wondering if the saying of grace is common in all cultures, or if it's just something that Christians tend to do. Can anyone provide some input on this, please?
 
Im a devout evolutionist and do not mind others blessing food in line with their beliefs, but equally want others to respect mine which is not to bless food.
Out of curiousity, do you personally bless food or say grace yourself, or change how you behave if your mormon friend eats at your house?
 
Nope, not here and did not come across it in any of the homes we stayed in on tour (22 in total). I can vaguely remember my grandmother saying Grace before she served Sunday lunch but given the state of the food she served (think sprouts long since dead and cold, cooking for hours and water logged and mushy) it may have been more of a burial ceremony than Grace. (I jest obviously, but her cooking was seriously bad.)

The only other place I have come across it was at the home of some Jehovah Witness's who were briefly my friends whilst at uni, some 20 years ago. from what I understand it is more of a Christian think calling it Grace, but devot Muslims also say some form of thanks to Allah before eating, though I am a touch vague on this to be honest.

Even at the boarding school I worked in a CofE school with its own Chaplin (don't ask I know its the wrong term but that is what he was called) and its own Chapel it was not said before meals despite attendance in Chapel being compulasory for those who lived on site (staff included).
 
V for Vengedetta said:
Im a devout evolutionist and do not mind others blessing food in line with their beliefs, but equally want others to respect mine which is not to bless food.
Out of curiousity, do you personally bless food or say grace yourself, or change how you behave if your mormon friend eats at your house?
Click to expand...

I don't think most forms of grace aren't to do with 'blessing food', but with having gratitude (either being grateful to a specific God, or just generally) for having anything to eat and the value of food: a recognition that it could be very different - an attitude we should perhaps cultivate in all, religious or not.
 
V for Vengedetta said:
Out of curiousity, do you personally bless food or say grace yourself, or change how you behave if your mormon friend eats at your house?
Click to expand...

No, I don't say grace, and when our friends eat here, they don't bless the food either. My house, my rules - their house, their rules. On a couple of occasions, if it's been a special get together, my friend has asked if she can bless the food and I've refused, as I don't think it's right to impose her customs on my guests, none of whom are Mormons.
 
I have a cousin who is deeply religious. When he visits he will bless his own food, quietly and while the rest of us are just starting to serve ourselves. Seems to work well enough that way.
 
Sandra Piddock said:
No, I don't say grace, and when our friends eat here, they don't bless the food either. My house, my rules - their house, their rules. On a couple of occasions, if it's been a special get together, my friend has asked if she can bless the food and I've refused, as I don't think it's right to impose her customs on my guests, none of whom are Mormons.
Click to expand...

Does it matter that much? I mean, unless it takes so long that the food goes cold. Ideally, yes, she'd just do her own, but I don't see a problem with waiting a moment while she does whatever she feels necessary.

Might do a lot of people a bit of good to actually think about their food and how lucky they are to have enough, even if they aren't religious.
 
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