The church of St Peter’s in Earley encouraged prayer for the enemy, despite their horror at the reports of brutality. Meanwhile, even the very poor were offering up eggs for the wounded who could eat no solid food.

Prayers for the War.

‘That men ought always to pray and not to faint’ is a divine direction which we greatly need our prayers concerning the war, both public and private. The enemy has been behaving with incredible neglect of accepted international obligations, such as restrain brutality in warfare. We are exasperated and embittered. At home there has been a good deal of complaining and mutual recrimination. Our temper is strained, and our power of holding together. Whatever else the Christian Church can do, it ought to be importunate and urgent in prayer. Prayer is our true weapon, not bitterness nor mutual reviling. We need to pray with all our soul –

1. For our country, and all classes in it, that they may behave worthily and in a spirit of thorough self-sacrifice: and that the spirit of penitence for our common and personal sins may be deepened in our approach to God;
2. For the good hand of our God upon us in the areas of war, guiding our leaders, inspiring the men, protecting them in danger, granting us victory;
3. For the wounded, the prisoners and the bereaved;
4. For our enemies and especially for the German-speaking church, that it may open its heart to the Spirit of Christ.
5. Let us commend to God those who have fallen, that He will so deal with them in the unseen world that ‘they may find mercy of the Lord at the great Day.’

I am sure, increasingly sure, that the best method of public prayer is that of bidding to prayer – with sufficient deliberation of speech – at the Holy Eucharist, and from the pulpit after sermon at Evensong, getting the people to kneel down, and allowing pauses for silent prayer. There is no special prayer for prisoners of war put out by authority. But there is the prayer in the Litany ‘for all prisoners and captives’: and before beginning the Litany we can from time to time call attention to this clause, and make a pause after the response.

Notice as to weekday services.

The celebration of Holy Communion with special Intention for the War will, as usual, be at 7am on Tuesdays, and may we remind our readers that at this Service our list of men serving in His Majesty’s Forces is always read, special prayers offered on their behalf and the collection given to the Prince of Wales Fund.

National Egg Collection.

In connection with the above, a small start has been made in Earley Parish, and during the past two weeks nearly 250 eggs have been sent to the central authority. A notification has been received stating that the first 100 were sent direct to the wounded soldiers in our immediate neighbourhood. The total number of donors last week was 25, a noticeable feature being the single eggs received from quite poor people living in Reading, and who keep but a few fowls. The eggs are collected and sent away every Thursday. Anyone who would care to help in this most useful work please communicate with Mr. H. J. Wooldridge, Earley Schools, who has very kindly undertaken the work of receiving and despatching the eggs.

List of Men Serving in His Majesty’s Forces.

The following additional names have been added to our prayer list:- Charles Chesterman, Alfread Broad, Frederick Mears, Thomas Mears, Arthur Lailey, Reginald Hawes, Elliot King, Thomas Ilott, Reginald Waite, James Auger, William Barton, William May, Hubert Shorter, Samuel Gould, Charles Phillips Groome, Harry Ching, Frank Aust and Eric Cook.

In addition to those already mentioned we especially commend the following to your prayers:-
Killed – Arthur Robb and Ernest Nickes; Wounded – Alfred Broad; Sick – Walter Jerome and Benjamin Bosley (gas poisoning).

Earley St Peter parish magazine, June 1915 (D/P191/28A/22)