Праздничная часть богослужения началась торжественным внесением в зал горящего факела, символизирующего учение Христа, действующим пастором общины Владимиром Куцием.
Среди тех, кто держал этот огонь на протяжении всей христианской истории, были апостолы, вальденсы, Лютер и Миллер, Эллен Уайт и многие другие. Перед зрителями ожила седая древность — на сцене исторические персонажи передавали факел своим преемникам со словами Божьих обетований, записанных на страницах Священного Писания.
Последним, кто принял факел, был Юрий Кузьменко — первый пастор общины. Импровизированная эстафета продолжилась на экране, где фото разных лет рассказывали о жизни общины, ее служителей.
В ходе богослужения братья и сестры услышали поздравления от присутствующих служителей.
Трогательными были наставления Марии Петровны Крушельницкой, вдовы Павла Петровича. Она напомнила всем слова Иисуса Навина: «Да не отходит сия книга закона от уст твоих… тогда ты будешь успешен в путях твоих». В завершение пожелала быть друг к другу добрыми.
В своих выступлениях служители отмечали искреннее отношение братьев и сестер к ним, их деятельности так, что Игорь Корещук, секретарь Киевской конференции, пожалел, что ему не пришлось совершать служение пастора в этой общине. Конечно, он не мог ничего вспомнить из истории общины, но на интересный лад рассказал ее в свете библейского числа «20». Занавес в ветхозаветной скинии высотой 20 локтей открылся, и народ увидел 20 столпов — 20 лет назад Джеймс Гилли рассказал киевлянам о 20 доктринах вероучения Церкви. В центре двора стоял медный жертвенник 20 на 20 локтей с жертвенным агнцем. С 20 лет евреи приносили самостоятельную жертву, становились воинами, служили левитами в Соломоновом храме. Столько же лет строился храм. Захария видел летящий свиток в 20 локтей с вестью предупреждения. Эта весть по-особому зазвучала в наше время. Подытоживая, Игорь Корещук пожелал: «Необходимо знать, где мы, чтобы знать куда идти».
Уже истекло время аренды помещения, но еще долго люди не расходились, вспоминали прошлое, планировали будущее, и в холодном зале от улыбок и объятий становилось теплее.
Twenty years ago the fourth Kiev congregation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church was organized after series of evangelistic meetings held by James Gillie. On December 8th, the church gathered for a festive service, and there were no vacant seats in the hall, where the church has always been gathered for over ten years. Brothers and sisters who have not seen each other for years greeted each other. Among the guests were pastoral families to whom the Lord entrusted to serve in this congregation.
The service began with the solemn lighting of a torch (symbolizing Christ’s teachings) by acting pastor Vladimir Kutsiy. Among those who held this torch throughout Christian history were the Apostles, the Waldenses, Luther, Miller, Ellen White and many others. The audience came into contact with the depths of unrecorded time – standing on the stage historical figures passed the torch to their successors with the words of God’s promises recorded in Scripture.
Yuri Kuzmenko was the last one who took the torch, as he was the first pastor of the congregation. Improvised passing on the baton continued on the screen where pictures of different years showed the life of the church and its ministers.
During the service brothers and sisters heard many congratulations of the ministers present.
Yuri Kuzmenko read a verse from the book of Deuteronomy, “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness…” (8:2), and not substituting number forty by other figures, proposed not only to remember the past but also to look into the future, even twenty years from now. One may to foresee two scenarios: the Lord, keeping the winds of sorrows, will extend the time of peace and rest, so that Christians will still be able to proclaim the message of salvation. There is still great work to be done for its acceptance. We must prepare the soil of human hearts, if we want the grain of truth to fall on fertile ground. Another option is the age-old expectation of God’s people will come true at last, and the Lord will come a second time. Then the next 20-year anniversary we will celebrate with Him. Of course, it will be much grander than it is today, but how no one knows, for no eye has seen and no ear has heard.
Anatoly Buturlin served in this church ten years ago as a district pastor. He based his sermon on the Joseph story, ending with the words: “and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.” Together with his wife Victoria, they sang a wonderful song requesting that the Lord would fill each day with special meaning, joy and happiness.
Maria Krushelnytskaya, widow of pastor Paul Krushelnytskiy, provided a touching devotional. She reminded the congregation of the words of Joshua, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth … or then thou shalt make thy way prosperous.” In conclusion she wished believers to be kind to each other. Anatoly Antonyuk personally congratulated the church and passed greetings from Gennady Osipchuk, his successor and the next to last pastor of the congregation.
The ministers in their speeches noted the sincere attitude of the brothers and sisters to them and to their work, so Igor Koreschuk, secretary of the Kiev conference, wished he had serve as a pastor in this church. Of course, he could not remember anything from the history of the church, but in an interesting way described it in the light of the biblical figure of 20. The curtain in the Old Testament tabernacle of 20 cubits height opened and people saw 20 pillars – 20 years ago, James Gilley told the people of Kiev about the 20 fundamental beliefs of the Church. There was a brazen altar 20 by 20 cubits-sized in the center of the courtyard with sacrificial lamb on it. At the age of 20 every Jew could bring his own sacrifice to the Lord and become warrior, and the Levites could serve in Solomon’s temple. Same number of years was necessary to build this temple. Zechariah saw a flying roll of 20 elbows with the message of warning. Today this message began to sound in a special way. Summing up, Igor Koreschuk said: “In order to know where to go, we need to know where we are.”
In conclusion of solemn worship Vladimir Kutsiy thanked all the guests for having accepted the invitation, for the kind words addressed to brothers and sisters, and invited all those present to the following services. The allotted rent time of the hall expired, but people did not want to the special celebration to end. They remembered the past, mapped out plans for the future, and because of smiles and hugs the cold hall became warmer.
