Prayer Update
The updated wording of the Lord’s Prayer (Feb. 21) is wonderful. For this age, it is more user-friendly (and I challenge anyone to say that that was not the Lord’s intention), as well as more on point theologically.
I would make one additional change to eliminate the sexism: “Our father in heaven” should read, “Our loving parent in heaven”; it would be unscriptural to suggest that the creator is exclusively male.
Bishop David Stancliffe says his own diocese would be satisfied with the old version but that the new one is easier to teach, especially to those new to the faith. Hooray on both points: clergy consulting their flocks and reaching out to bring the good news of the Gospel to all.
JOHN C. NANGLE
Los Angeles
*
As a victim bloodied by 40 years of radio, movie and TV rewrites, I deplore the proposed butchery of the Lord’s Prayer, warping the inspiration of the original by switching “thy” to “your” and “trespasses” to “sins.”
It’s as if we decided to upgrade Hamlet’s soliloquy with “to exist or not to exist, such is the quandary.”
LARRY RHINE
Los Angeles
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
