The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-12-04
Religious
A Prayer Against War.

"90u'oe v0I
o Lord, since first the blood Of Abel
cried to thee from the ground that
drank it this earth of thine has been
defiled with the blood Of man shed by
his brothers hand. and the centuries
sob with the ceaseless horror of war.
Ever the pride Of kings and the covet-
BUSINESS Of the strong have driven
peaceful nations to slaughter. Ever
the songs of the past and the pomp
OF armies have been used to inflame
the passions of the people. Our spirit
cries out to thee in revolt against it,
ana We know that u righteous anger
Is answered by thy holy wrath.
Break thou the spell of the enchant-
ment that make the nations drunk
with the lust of battle and draw them
on as willing tools Of death. Grant us
a quiet and steadfast mind when our
own nation clamors for vengeance or
aggression. Strengthen our sense Of
justice and our regard for the equal
worth of other peoples and races.
Grant to the rulers of nations faith in
the possibility of peace through Justice,
and grant to the common people a new
and stern enthusiasm for the cause of
peace. Bless our soldiers and sailors
Tor their swift obedience and their
Willingness to answer to the call Of
duty, but inspire them none the less
with a hatred of war, and may they
never for love Of private glory or ad.
Vancement provoke its coming. May
our young men still rejoice to die for
the country with the valor of their
fathers. but each our age nobler meth
DDS of matching our strength and more
effective ways Of giving our life for
the flag.
q thou strong Father of all nations.
draw all thy great family together
with an increasing sense of our COM
mon blood and destiny. that peace may
come on earth at least and thy sun may
shed its light rejoicing on a holy broth
erhood of Walter Rauschen-
busch IN "prayerS of the Social Awak-
ening,' Reprinted in Congregationalist.
Presbyterian Church Grows.
The Presbyterian church in the
United States, through it's general as
Sembly clerk. has made public it's tinan-
cial accounts for the year. together
with it's membership growths in va.
rious parts of the country. 1t appears
from these reports that financially and
i'll members the Presbyterian church
is largest in order named in the five
states of Pennsylvania, New York,
Ohio, Illinois and New Jersey and that
III these and almost all other states
steady growth obtains.
Iresbyterians in America give al
most S2S,Oo0,OOO a year, Pennsylvania
leading with $3,G24,OOO and New York
coming next with $3,351, 900. The fig
ures here are for congregational ex-
penses only and do not cover mission
gifts. When these are added New
York leads. New York presbytery is
the largest single one in money gifts,
but i'll membership Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia both lead it.
The number of PresbyterianS in this
the largest Of bodies in America Of the
name is now 1,45S,OS5, a net increase
of 42,213 last year. There is steady
increase in the number of ministers
and also in Sunday school pupils, there
being now 1,3lS.GoS pupils.
Missionaries Report Distress.
Belated reports from the outposts Of
the network of missions established
throughout the world by the Presbyte-
rian church. received and made public
here. tell of worldwide conditions UNI
narallplnl in the hiStnrv Of the church.