The Washington herald., 1914-09-27
Plans for Peace Sunday
UppernlOSt in All Churches

4 tary Of the Federal Council; Rev. Charles
E. Jefferson. chairman of executive com
mittee Of Church Peace Union, and Rev.
Frederick Lynch, secretary of the Church
Peace Union.
The following appropriate prayer is
suggested by the Federal Council and thH
Church Peace Union, for use on Peace
Sunday:
Father of mankind, in whose hands
is the destiny of men and nations. we
bow before Thee in shame and humilia-
ton that the passions, the tollies, the
blindness, the wickedness Of men shoulc
strike athwart Thy purpose that Thy
Kingdom should come, and Thy VIII be
dcne in earth as in heaven.
I'VE beseech Thee in Thine infinite
mercy to shorten the agony Of the ma
tions in deadly strife. Soon may the
sword be sheathed, and may the hands
that are lifted against other in war soon
clasp each other in lasting friendship.
Out of the encircling gloom Of war may
Thy light shine, and may men see more
clearly than ever before that In Thy
peace and Thine obedience is the veal OF
the nations as well as the rest Of the
soul.
I'VE implore Thee on behalf Of the
men in the field, of all the nations en-
gagged in strife. Even while they are
bravely doing their duty to their coun-
. tries, may they remember that they are
Christian men, and that the honor OF
their religion as well as of their country
is in their keeping. May those who
|, fall in the field fall as men whose
/ ouenchless faith is in the Captain OF
their salvation For those who are
wounded we pray that kind hearts and
gentle and skillful hands may minister
to them. and soon restore them to health
and strength.
I'VE would pray for all who are taken
, prisoners, that they may be kept and
treated by captors who will remember
Him who bade US love our enemies, and
may the captors treat the captives as
: they themselves would wish to be treated
!. For those whose hearts will bleed
. and whose homes will be shadowed by
J the loss Of loved ones, most merciful
Father, we would especially pour out our
fervent petitions. In their sorrow may
they feel that the compassionate Saviour
is very near and very dear to them
and may their greatest comfort be In
Him who said: I am the Resurrection
and the Life; because live ye shall live
also"
: Grant, o Heavenly Father, all wis.
l dom to our rulers and governors, that
: they may wage war with the desire tc
effect a speedy and lasting peace, when
those who are now our enemies shall
be again our friends, and may this wal
be the last between nations who cal
themselves Christian, and who are al
l members Of the one great family OF the
common Father.
We would offer a last petition fol
: those who in our own and other coun-
) tries, are called upon to suffer hardship
, through the interruption of peaceful in
dustry. Grant them the grace of pa
5 tience; open the hearts and the hands oi
5 the stewards Of Thy wealth that they
may help to the utmost of their power
4 their less fortunate brothers and sisters
May our nation at this time be a united
t family, cheerfully bearing one another
E burdens, and so fulfilling the law Of
Christ.
I'VE ask all in His name and for Hi'
t sake Amen"
=, The Methodists appear as the first o.
: the denominations to open a war relieI
y fund for stricken Europe. The call, sign
l. ed by the president and corresponding
h secretaries OF the Board of Foreign Mis-
D sions reads, in part, as follows:
Z The present war disaster is the mos
stupendous in the history OF mankind
s The men Of the warning armies are count
4 ed by millions. Already the dead anC
wounded numbers tens Of thousands. II
l countless homes prosperity and content
I ment have given place to penury anc
S misery. Famine and desolation are fol
lowing fast.
r THE burning question Of the hour Is
! How can Christendom give relief?
. IF other great wars more or less ade
r quate steps have been taken by tn,
D churches for relief work and for spiritua
ministry. During our own civil war th
4 Christian commission was organized. J.
Y the Japanese-Russian war. in addition 4
e the Red Cross work, the Young Men
;, Christian Association sent a strong stat
I Of workers with the armies to the front
1T is reported that IN France TIVE
!, hundred and fifty Protestant pastors hav,
l. shouldered their rifles and marched T.
' the front. Nearly all the Methods
preachers in Germany are bearing arms
n Men who might be performing spirit:a
n ministries are forced to serve in tn
: ranks of opposing armies. rhe churche
E are disorganzed and Methodist commUni
d ties are torn and impoverished.
That the Methodist Episcopal Church
d through its Board of Foreign Missions
: may be in a position to act promptly.
: Methodist war relief fund has been open
ed"
e That the war is but the natural out
:, hatreds. is the assertion of the Lutheran
o which concludes:
n How impotent peace sentiment. an
d peace movements of the Carnegie typ
e are, has been demonstrated again an
y again. Why? Simply because they pro
: ceed on the assumption that the conduc
: OF men and nations can be regulated b,
e reason and common sense. These ar
e great helps; but how are they going I
d create in men and nations a clean hear
: and renew a right spirit within them
e Right here is where our peace theorie
= and ideals fall to pieces. The spiritua
4 law in the mind Of nations is not We
: strong enough to resist the fleshy law
= nor is the sense of justice and righteous
= ness equally strong in all nations. Henc
= when religion. common sense and reasol
n have exhausted their resources, the onl
recourse is to force. That is why "
have war. 1t is a favorable sign that 4
e the present instance each nation is seek
n ing to justify its course with an ethics
II motive; but God and history will scrutin
a ize that motive and then the full trut
e will be made plain as It cannot now. n
e categorical answer to the question a
to whether this present war was just
: fable can be given, though II is easy I
g see that it was inevitable"
: FUNDS ASKED FOR HOSPITAL.
q American Ambulance of Paris AP
It peaIs to United States for Aid.
d.