Several weeks ago, I announced that we would be substituting the Ecumenical Text of the Lord’s Prayer for the version we have traditionally said to help us think about what we were actually saying instead of praying it by rote. Apparently, not everyone heard me when I said that this change was not permanent. But I did say that. We’ll be switching back very soon.

In the meantime, I need your help. The version of the Lord’s prayer we normally use includes the line “lead us not into temptation.” The idea that God would lead us into temptation is problematic; it implies that God is tempting us to sin. This translation runs face first into James 1:13: “No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one” (NRSV). The good news “lead us not into temptation” is not at all what Jesus meant. The translation “save us from the time of trial” of the Ecumenical Text far more accurately communicates the original sense.

My question: is there a way to convey this more accurate meaning while using our traditional version of the Lord’s prayer? Is there something we could put in brackets on screen, etc.? I’m asking in earnest and would be grateful for any suggestions you have.