Where did the ecumenical version of the Lords Prayer come from?
A. There has never been one standard version of the Lord’s Prayer for English-speaking Christians. If you have visited other denominations in past decades you know that some churches have used “debts” instead of “trespasses;” some churches conclude with the words “for ever” while others say “for ever and ever.” Still others leave off the entire concluding doxology (“for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever”) which is not included in either Matthew or Luke’s accounts of the Lord’s Prayer. In 1975 the International Consultation on English Texts published the ecumenical version of the Lord’s Prayer that Christians of various denominations might use a common text in their liturgies. Most recent worship books since then provide this text, although many include the traditional version next to it. In addition to ecumenical considerations, many parents and teachers find that the ecumenical translation is much easier for children (and adults) to understand. The “th
A. There has never been one standard version of the Lord’s Prayer for English-speaking Christians. If you have visited other denominations in past decades you know that some churches have used “debts” instead of “trespasses;” some churches conclude with the words “for ever” while others say “for ever and ever.” Still others leave off the entire concluding doxology (“for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever”) which is not included in either Matthew or Luke’s accounts of the Lord’s Prayer. In 1975 the International Consultation on English Texts published the ecumenical version of the Lord’s Prayer that Christians of various denominations might use a common text in their liturgies. Most recent worship books since then provide this text, although many include the traditional version next to it. In addition to ecumenical considerations, many parents and teachers find that the ecumenical translation is much easier for children (and adults) to understand. The “th
