Growing from spiritual roots in stillness of worship, the Friends of Ukraine reflected on the query how to bring warmth, truth, peace and justice to people, upheld in the light all who suffer from war and conscientious objectors to military service, whose fate is decided in legal proceedings. The worship was deepened by the announced progress in Quaker studies and the song “Jesus Christ is Waiting.”
Introduction:
Good day in autumn, Friends. There could be cold on the streets, but there is warmth in the soul today and every day from inward Light. How we could share the warmth with all our land and all our planet? With this query we are diving into worship for half an hour. Ministries are welcomed. As always, this worship will be recorded and published.
Yurii Sheliazhenko:
Friends, there is progress in Quaker studies and preparation for our yearly meeting. At this Meeting asked, the Institute of Peace and Law has started a research project entitled “Research and development of founding documents of organizations of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) using modern information technologies”. This research project underwent the state registration, the study is ongoing, I will keep you informed.
There are events happening now that will be decisive for our future.
There is a lot of talk that the Russian war against Ukraine may become more brutal and bloody. But some people hope that peace talks will help avoid this. Let us hope that the truth will be told about the talks and at the possible negotiations, and that the truth and love will bring a just and lasting peace to people.
The Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine are deciding the fate of conscientious objectors. Let us hold in the light Serhiy Ivanushchenko and Vitaliy Kryushenko, imprisoned for their faith, and Vitaliy Alekseenko and Dmytro Zelinsky, who are now free and have the courage to stand for justice.
I am concerned that the Court of Appeals in Kyiv has for months been unable to either allow the Evangelical Christian Valentyn Adamchuk to work the night shift in the Kyiv subway, or finally acquit him. Let us pray for justice and relief for all who suffer from war and refuse to fight.
Friends, during a weekly interfaith prayers for peace in Ukraine, I heard a wonderful spiritual hymn written by John Bell and Graham Maule. May this hymn in English with a little Friendly changes and in Ukrainian translation bring joy to our hearts today.
JESUS CHRIST IS WAITING
Jesus Christ is waiting, waiting in the streets;
no one is his neighbour, all alone he eats.
Listen, Lord Jesus, I am lonely too;
make me, friend or stranger, fit to wait on you.
Jesus Christ is raging, raging in the streets,
where injustice spirals and real hope retreats.
Listen, Lord Jesus, I am angry too;
in the Kingdom’s causes let me rage with you.
Jesus Christ is healing, healing in the streets;
curing those who suffer, touching those he greets.
Listen, Lord Jesus, I have pity too;
let my care be active, healing, just like you.
Jesus Christ is dancing, dancing in the streets,
where each sign of hatred he, with love, defeats.
Listen, Friend Jesus, I should triumph too;
for true peace and justice, let me dance with you.
Jesus Christ is calling, calling in the streets,
‘Who will join my journey? I will guide their feet.’
Listen, Friend Jesus, let my fears be few:
walk one step before me; I will follow you.
Margaret Tracy:
Slow me down, Lord. Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my hurried pace with the vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me amid the confusion of my day the calmness of the everlasting hills. Inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life enduring values, that I may grow toward the stars of our greater destiny.
Conclusion:
After such a wonderful meeting for worship with the song, Friends, I feel the energy and inspiration for peaceful work for the whole week. Good health and happy mood to everyone. Take care of yourselves. See you at the next meeting for worship.
After-worship conversation:
Margaret asked Yurii what’s going to happen on 28th October. Yurii answered that usually he calls the court at the day and an assistant to judge says whether there will be hearings or the hearings are to be rescheduled per request of the prosecutor or for other reasons.
Liudmyla Holchanska, Serhii Vedmediev, Artem Denysov, Volodymyr Dunaiev, Oleksandr Ivanov, Barbara Harrison and Farooq Javed exchanged greetings and wishes of blessed week.