Since early colonial days, North American communities have stopped for days of prayer and thanksgiving. Grateful for mercies received and sobered by harrowing conflicts, people have paused for a day to reflect upon life’s bounties and tragedies. In its current incarnation, however, it is sometimes a shallow splurge of food and football. Only vestiges of this initial community tradition of thoughtful reflection can sometimes be found.
This collection reflects an effort to revive the tradition of thoughtful reflection and contemplation of our role and responsibilities in today’s troubling and often violent world. Written year by year over the decades, each grace speaks to a moment in our nation’s passage through many elections, crises, disasters, and even triumphs. High moral purpose is balanced by a spirit of playfulness and an appreciation of the myriad beauties of our planet and universe. These graces have been shared at tables around the world for over three decades. Enjoy them and catch glimpses of our collective life as we moved from the twentieth to the twenty-first centuries.
