St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

In our "Questions to the clergy" slot, John will try to answer any query you throw at him, without hesitation, deviation or repetition...

"Tired and trite" modern services?

Q. I see that modern-language services, prayers and bibles have been criticised as “tired and trite” by a senior clergyman. What do you think?

(The criticism is by Canon Glyn Webster, of York Minster, in the Church of England Yearbook 2006.)

A. I think there are some people who find the old language of the Book of Common Prayer and the Authorized Version of the Bible very helpful, and we should continue to have some churches where this is available. And locally there are such places: the 8am Sunday Service at the Cathedral is one such.

But I think the vast majority of parish churches in England should provide modern-language services, prayer books and bibles, for these reasons:

1. The bible was written in the modern language of its time, Jesus taught his disciples to pray in the modern language of his time, and early Christians prayed in the modern languages of their time. And we should be faithful to these in our time.

2. It’s possible to find out how Jesus wants us to pray, because the bible tells us (for instance, in Matthew 6:5-15 and Luke 11:1-13). When we read these passages, it’s hard to duck the obvious fact that he wanted us to pray informally and naturally to our heavenly “dad”, in the same way that we would talk to a “dad” on earth. This simply doesn’t fit with the formality of using ancient language.

3. Most people find ancient language a real turn-off. It says to them that the church and faith are old-fashioned and out-of touch. That’s a wrong and unhelpful impression for them to get.

4. If you use old-language versions of the bible, you constantly having to check that you really have understood what it means, as words change their meanings over the years. As a preacher I notice that I almost have to translate the words of the bible before I can preach my sermon - this is an awkward thing to have to do.

5. Part of the Protestant Reformation of the church was the demand that people should have things in their own language. The bible is clear enough for us to understand it for ourselves, and we need to be able to weigh up the meaning for ourselves and check that the preacher is not pulling wool over our eyes!

I think all these things mean we need modern language services, prayers and bibles in churches today.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. January 2006, Page 8.
Home Page. Index of articles: by subject, by date. In this issue: (January 2006) Fifty, Budget, Question. Other questions.	In our "Questions to the clergy" slot, John will try to answer any query you throw at him, without hesitation, deviation or repetition... "Tired and trite" modern services? Q. I see that modern-language services, prayers and bibles have been criticised as “tired and trite” by a senior clergyman. What do you think? (The criticism is by Canon Glyn Webster, of York Minster, in the Church of England Yearbook 2006.) A. I think there are some people who find the old language of the Book of Common Prayer and the Authorized Version of the Bible very helpful, and we should continue to have some churches where this is available. And locally there are such places: the 8am Sunday Service at the Cathedral is one such. But I think the vast majority of parish churches in England should provide modern-language services, prayer books and bibles, for these reasons: 1. The bible was written in the modern language of its time, Jesus taught his disciples to pray in the modern language of his time, and early Christians prayed in the modern languages of their time. And we should be faithful to these in our time. 2. It’s possible to find out how Jesus wants us to pray, because the bible tells us (for instance, in Matthew 6:5-15 and Luke 11:1-13). When we read these passages, it’s hard to duck the obvious fact that he wanted us to pray informally and naturally to our heavenly “dad”, in the same way that we would talk to a “dad” on earth. This simply doesn’t fit with the formality of using ancient language. 3. Most people find ancient language a real turn-off. It says to them that the church and faith are old-fashioned and out-of touch. That’s a wrong and unhelpful impression for them to get. 4. If you use old-language versions of the bible, you constantly having to check that you really have understood what it means, as words change their meanings over the years. As a preacher I notice that I almost have to translate the words of the bible before I can preach my sermon - this is an awkward thing to have to do. 5. Part of the Protestant Reformation of the church was the demand that people should have things in their own language. The bible is clear enough for us to understand it for ourselves, and we need to be able to weigh up the meaning for ourselves and check that the preacher is not pulling wool over our eyes! I think all these things mean we need modern language services, prayers and bibles in churches today. John Hartley
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