Talking to God

In the early 1960s many of us changed the way we prayed -- talked to God. We got rid of "thee" and "thou" and substituted "you" instead. No more "thine" -- it became "your".

Were we rebels? I don't think so. The older folks still prayed using the King James English, while we youngsters were using our everyday language. We believed that since God knows all languages he would understand us just as well if we used out contemporary English instead of King James English, and it was something with which we were more comfortable.

I believe there were some folks who thought we were being irreverent, but, I don't believe we were. It was so much easier for us to pray using "you" and "your" instead of "thee", "thou", and "thine".

However, it all backed up on me one morning in church. The music director had changed the words to an old standard "Great is Thy Faithfulness". Get it? There it is "Thy" in the title. Well, now it was called "Great is Your Faithfulness." I'm singing away, because I knew the words to the KJV of GITF and didn't realize I was almost the only one in the audience singing it using the King James words instead of the "today" words. That one other person? Our Pastor Emeritus.

Seems like we both learned it at the same time. I'm still quoting scripture using King James English because that's how I learned it. But prayer?

Praying is talking to God and since I speak in non-King James English, that's how I pray.

Just a little note, here. This does have something to do with Runnemede, because in our youth group meetings we always used our own English not the "old folks" English. In that respect, I believe, we were irreverent -- not to God but to our elders.

ttfn