But the change from “Thou” to “You” was more than merely a change of words. It was also a change of style, of mood, even a change in doctrine. How so?
If an examination is made of the structure of the collects and prayers first in the BCP and then in the books of prayers composed to be used along with the BCP, there is much use of a special structure of sentence. This is the use of the relative clause, after the addressing of God, in order to recall some aspect of God’s nature, character, revelation or redemption that will become the basis of the petition to be made in that prayer. For example:
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And:
O God, who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here God is not being told what he already knows to perfection but rather we are reminding ourselves in God’s holy presence of what we have learned from him. It is a device by which one remembers, recalls and utters in a reverential way what is necessary to be said in order rightly to make the petition. And it is used very widely in the supplementary books of prayers, so much so as to allow one to make the general statement that this use of the relative clause is endemic to traditional, classic English public and private prayer.
Modern liturgists have judged that the use of the relative clause generally sounds odd in the “you” form of prayer, especially when God’s name is immediately followed by “who…”, and so they have used it infrequently. In its place, in their modern liturgies they have often chosen to go for the direct address to God in the form, “ O God, you have/you are….” This way of praying sounds as though the petitioner is telling the Lord God what he [the All-Knowing One!] needs to know in order for him to consider answering the petition! It runs the danger of lacking awe and reverence and also of changing the Christian doctrine of humility before God. One of the worst examples is the modern “Agnus Dei”. “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.”
Part of the reason why there has not been a greater attempt within modern liturgical writing to capture what is contained in the use of the relative clause in traditional liturgy and prayers is the general change in the perception of the nature and character of God. Today we are less aware of his transcendent glory than we are of his friendly local presence, and so we can talk to him much the same way as we talk to one another!
If modern liturgy and prayers are to stay with the “You-God” and not to make more use of the relative clause (however odd it may sound to untrained ears) then they surely – in the long term -- must find a grammatical, stylistic way to communicate reverence before the Majesty of the Holy Blessed and Undivided Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
[See further Neither Archaic Nor Obsolete: The English Language of Common Prayer by Peter Toon & Lou Tarsitano from the Prayer Book Society, 1-800-727-1928. Further, the Society is promoting a Godly Competition for the writing of prayers in the classic English language of prayer – details from 1 800 727 1928]
The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon M.A., D.Phil. (Oxon.),
Christ Church, Biddulph Moor & St Anne's, Brown Edge
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