Anniversary evensong for Ukraine

The mood was sombre and there were quiet tears when St Andrew’s Cathedral held a choral evensong to mark a year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, praying for peace and the welfare of Ukraine and its people.

“The Bible says to weep with those who weep, and so we wanted to stand in sympathy, and to express it in prayer, for the suffering people of Ukraine on the anniversary of the war starting,” said the Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant. “We want to lift our voices to God to appeal for the welfare of that nation.”

The music included two pieces by Ukrainian composers, played by Ukrainian Australian organist Alexandra Sidorenko (above), as well as the haunting anthem Prayer for Ukraine by John Rutter – which he composed shortly after the invasion. Its simple text says:

Дай

Good Lord, protect Ukraine. Give her strength, courage, faith, hope, our Father. Amen.

Said Dr Sidorenko: “When the country I was born in is torn by the brutal war – and people I love have to endure freezing nights without electricity or water in their apartments or sleep on a floor of a bomb shelter

– my heart breaks. There is not enough we can do to help.

“Music for me is the way to express this pain and maintain hope in the face of the incomprehensible horror of the war. The sounds of Ukrainian organ music and Ukrainian words beautifully sung by the Cathedral choir made me feel at peace, even if only for a moment.”

The service was led by the CEO of Anglican Aid, the Rev Canon Tim Swan, who preached from Psalm 90. He encouraged those present with the truths that God is our ultimate refuge, able to provide comfort now and into eternity – even amid war.

“[God] sees the iniquities in Ukraine,” Canon Swan said. “God sees – there is nothing secret. God sees all that Putin thinks, and he sees every arrogance, every bullet, every abuse by soldiers, every rape, every death... God is angry at sin, wherever it is.”

He ended with a description of the resurrected Jesus in Revelation 19, adding: “Who is King over Putin? The Lord Jesus. Who is King over Zelenskyy? The one whose robe is dipped in blood. Who is King over you and me and over this city? The king of kings and Lord of Lords.

“Here is the view through the window into eternity... and so we cry out, ‘Lord, be our refuge. Be the refuge of all peoples, though we are like grass. And come Lord Jesus, rescue us from sin... and destroy evil forever, that we might be satisfied with joy in your presence forevermore’.” SC

The Anglican Relief and Development Fund Australia is working in Ukraine through European Christian Mission and New Life Evangelical Free Church in Kyiv (see https://ardfa.org.au/ ukraine-crisis).

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