Let us prayThe Lord’s Prayer as used in the Church of England
Over the past thirty years or so there has been a bit of a muddle over the wording of the Lord’s Prayer and I don’t think this serves either the regular congregation or the occasional worshipper at all well. It is only a small point but it is a part of the service which is most recognisable to the majority of people brought up in a nominally Christian background.
The reasoning for changing it is presumably to bring the language up to date, maintain a degree of continuity and keep the “poetry” of the familiar old version. I think that, after a few attempts, this has now been achieved. We should now go with it consistently and not keep changing our minds back to earlier versions because we think that people don’t know it.
There is a fallacy that the regular members know all the versions and that occasional or new worshippers are more likely to be familiar with older style versions. What is actually the case is that the regulars get muddled up between all the versions (I certainly do) and, although the basic form may lurk in the memory of the visitor, they certainly do not know the words any more and would be far more comfortable with a version they could understand. What is even more weird is quite often, the “traditional version” supplied is nothing of the sort.
These are the versions that are in common currency—some of the dates of introduction may be a bit out but I leave that to the liturgy pedants.
Book of Common Prayer 1662
This is the real traditional one—read it! How many people are really familiar with these exact words?
Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
[The last sentence is omitted at some places in the book.] Ever since I have been a regular worshiper (35 years) small changes have been made e.g. “which” to “who”, “in earth” to “on earth” and “them” to “those”.
Now, with Common Worship (2000) we have FOUR versions.
Order 1(v1)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
This version was introduced and is unchanged from the Alternative Service Book 1980—Rite A(1), including retaining the Oxford Comma for some reason. We have used this for a long time and certainly our congregation likes it. It is clear and understandable; it flows and can be set to music if required.
Order 1(v2)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
This version has only changed the punctuation from the Alternative Service Book—Rite A(2) , mostly adding semi-colons. It is this one that is often substituted in Weddings and Funerals when a “more traditional version” is required. It is not, it is a mangled mixture of archaic and modern language.
In addition there is Order 1(v3) which I first met in the experimental Series 3 Communion booklet in about 1975. It is similar to v1 but in place of “lead us not into temptation” it has “save us from the time of trial”—a totally different meaning and rather unbiblical (in my opinion). I don’t know why it was retained.
There is also Order 2 which uses the 1662 version but with small changes to the punctuation.
Webmaster