Cherishing stillness in our hearts on a meeting for worship in the troubled time, Ukrainian Friends recalled that peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18) and prayed for such a good harvest that all Governments in the world perform their duty to deliver peace. We held in the light victims of numerous recent attacks of Putin’s army on Ukrainian cities and the conscientious objectors to military service persecuted in Ukraine, including a pastor Oleksandr Solonets from Kherson forcibly conscripted and detained for a month in a military unit. Later, members of the Meeting of Friends of Ukraine joined the Global Quaker Online Worship hosted by FWCC EMES and contributed with a vocal ministry.
Yurii Sheliazhenko:
Friends, this week, explosions were heard all over Ukraine: in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Odessa, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, and other cities and regions. Ukrainians are being brutally killed by the Russian army.
These explosions are not heard in Washington, but the negotiations between the United States and Russia have not yet brought the just peace to Ukraine. The talks between Zelensky and Trump have not brought peace to Ukraine. It is sad that they have not been able to find a common ground. Perhaps a more serious conversation will take place in Europe.
There is a lot of fear of war and preparation for war right now. It is unlikely that this will bring peace.
Every day of Putin’s dictatorship should begin with countless demands to stop the criminal war.
In every corner of the world, people should pray for peace and prepare for peace, and constantly remind political leaders that people have the right to peace. Not to be afraid of war, but boldly remind all governments of their duty to deliver peace.
As the Gospel of John 14:27 and the Epistle of James 3:18 says: do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Friends, I ask you to hold in the light and keep in prayers a young pastor Oleksandr Solonets of Reformation Church “Hram Vidnovlennya” in Kherson, he is a conscientious objector forcibly mobilized by military recruiters at checkpoint when he cared a group of children traveling for rehabilitation to Western Ukraine. His faith community recorded a video asking for his release, but he remains detained in a military unit, and his commanders deny all appeals and ignore human right to conscientious objection to military service.
I am glad to welcome Mykhailo Pryhodko to the Meeting of Friends of Ukraine.
I also invite you to the Global Quaker Worship hosted by EMES today online at 3:30 p.m. Kyiv time. The link is published on the website of the Meeting of Friends of Ukraine.
Mykhailo Pryhodko:
Thank you.
Farooq and Mary Javed:
We welcome all Friends to this meeting.
It would be great if more people in European countries could join us in prayer for peace.
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After the meeting for worship:
Artem Denysov, Yurii Sheliazhenko, Serhii Yamkovenko, and Mykhailo Pryhodko joined the Global Quaker Online Worship hosted by FWCC EMES.
In his ministry, Yurii told about our weekly meetings for worship, asked to keep praying for peace in Ukraine and in the world so blessed will be the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and to hold in the light victims of Russian aggression and all people suffering from wars and other injustices, including persecution, arbitrary detention, imprisonment, inhumane treatment and torture of conscientious objectors to military service in Ukraine (see the UN report, para. 90, 91). Yurii specifically asked to hold in the light prisoners of conscience Dmytro Zelinsky and Vitalii Kryushenko, a forcibly conscripted pastor Oleksandr Solonets, and Valentyn Adamchuk, an Evangelical Christian sentenced for three years of prison for his refusal to kill.
Artem noted that participation in the global meeting for worship with more than 130 Friends from many countries has been a joyful and interesting experience, and he feels inspiration.