Be known to us in breaking bread

Be known to us in breaking bread. James Montgomery* (1771-1854). First published in The Christian Psalmist (Glasgow, 1825) with the title ‘The Family Table’. It was published in the Wesleyan Methodist Collection of Hymns for the use of the People called Methodists (‘Wesley’s Hymns’, 1876), and, although not used in the Primitive Methodist or United Methodist Churches’ traditions, it was retained in MHB and HP. It was printed in CP and RS. In BHB it was preceded by three stanzas from American books (see below). The original two-stanza hymn is very similar to a ‘grace before meat’, treating the Holy Communion as a family supper (as the title suggests): Be known to us in breaking bread,  But...