Prayer: And Forgive Us Our Sins

To many Protestants, the phrasing of the Lord's Prayer in the King James Version is almost as sacred as if God himself had composed its stately English prose. Last week, at its sixth General Synod in Cincinnati, the reform-minded United Church of Christ defied tradition and became the first U.S. church in this century to adopt a modernized rendering of Christianity's most famous invocation.

Intended for worshipers to whom "traditional language has become something of a barrier," the up-to-date, idiomatic version of the Lord's Prayer was approved for experimental use by United Church congregations. Although the translation was based on a scholarly study of the Greek Biblical texts, United Church President Ben Herbster cautiously conceded that "esthetlcally, it may jar some people." It was certainly apt to evoke mixed reactions.

The new wording:

Our Father in heaven,

Your name be honored.

Your kingdom come

And your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today the food we need;

And forgive us our sins As we forgive those who have wronged us.

Keep us clear of temptation, And save us from evil.

For the kingdom and power And glory are yours forever. Amen.