Not long ago I heard the Ukrainian carol "Good Evening to you, dear host" performed by the well-know Ukrainian group "Picardy Third". The lyrics include the phrase "Because three feasts will visit you...". A similar story took place in the Christmas festivities of Salvation Church. But we did not have three "feasts", but three interesting and important events: a festive evangelistic service, a church service celebrating the new year and joyful traditional Christmas caroling. But let's take them in order. We'll call this improvised report:

 

THE CHRISTMAS TRILOGY

The Evangelistic Service

 

 

The people of central Ukraine aren't in the habit of going to church every Sunday. To them people who go to church that often are fanatics. This insulting evaluation of committed believers is certainly not founded on biblical teaching ... But that's not what we want to talk about now ... There are only two times in the year when "normal Christians" (those who believe somewhere deep down in their hearts) join the so-called "fanatics" for fellowship. One of these two times falls on Christmas, which gives us a wonderful opportunity to tell Ukrainians about the reason for this holiday, about how God became incarnate and was born to the Jewish virgin, Mary ... This is the day on which it is possible to touch on many important questions concerning the relationship between God and Man. Thanks to the investigation of these questions the "deeply spiritual" faith of the Ukrainians begins to correspond to the Bible.

Salvation Church made very good use of this wonderful opportunity. In fact, we had two opportunities, since we celebrate Christmas according to both the western and eastern traditions. On December 25 Andrey Khudyakov called the congregation to pause and stake stock of the path they were on, and on January 7 Valery Antonuk proclaimed that the center of the universe is Almighty God, and not man with his concerns and needs.

We hope that after these Christmas services the number of "fanatics" will increase and the use of this insulting moniker will disappear from the Biblically enlightened Ukrainian society.

 

 

 

The Church New Year Service

 

We can't forget the wonderful and long-anticipated celebration of the New Year for the entire church. We observed it, in keeping with our blessed custom, on our knees - in prayer. For us this church tradition is not just a need, but an absolute necessity. Without God's blessing in the coming year all our efforts will be pointless and fruitless.

Of course, we also had the celebration. Through his Holy Spirit God gave us an atmosphere of joy, sincerity, love and fellowship. "How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1).

Christmas Caroling

"Now joy has come. The Bright Nativity star has shone." With this and many other carols the merry singers from Salvation Church greeted the residents of Poltava's Levada neighborhood, the town of Chutovo and the village of Zavorskla. People were happy to see us, though not everyone - some were hesitant to open their doors to a crowd of sober young people and a choir of adults merrily singing traditional Ukrainian Christmas songs. Maybe they were afraid they would be obliged to "reward" us with something? "We didn't need anything", we said, "we have gifts for you." At which point those people who were bold enough to open their doors received a New Testament, a 2012 calendar and a Christmas card. Therefore, dear Poltavans, if next year you hear traditional Ukrainian Christmas carols being wonderfully sung at your door, don't hesitate! "Good Evening to you, dear host! Be joyful, be joyful, o Earth, God's Son is born!"

 

Tanya Varyanitsa