Towards Understanding of the Practice of Proclamation: The Core Element of Russian Baptist Worship, Timofey Cheprasov, 2015

ible was prohibited by the Soviet state, the adult members of the community hid their Bibles and studied them secretly. Their study often took place at night and outside of their homes — in the fields or in the forests, where they gathered in groups or in pairs to read and reflect on the Scripture. Maria Lesheva, whose father was the founder of the commune, said that she had never actually seen him reading the Bible. More than that, she had never seen the Bible in the house.”’ Nonetheless, the Bible was read and studied in groups. Biblical stories were preached and retold to children and to other members of the commune. Some stories were so vivid that even eighty years later, they are still remembered by those who heard them. The story of the second coming of Jesus meant that everyone was to be ready for His coming. Being ready did not mean to have right relationships with God, but, first of all, it meant living according to His Word. The life according to God’s Word included the fear of rejecting or betraying Jesus (the stories of Judas or Peter became the stories of many who rejected Christ when they faced a threat of being killed or robbed by communists), which was relevant at the time when Christianity was suppressed, when it was dangerous to be a follower of the Way. Following the narrow way that led to Eternal life was another story that was frequently told.** The way of Jesus required “purity of heart” which was a life of “° A. Cheprasova, personal interview (Voronezh, 01.10.2007), available through the author. “* M. Lesheva, personal interview (Voronezh, 02.10.2007), available through the author. “ Cf. The story of Ryaboshapka in Marina S. Karetnikova, “Russkoie Bogoiskatelstvo: Natsionalniie Korni Evangelskogo-Baptistskogo Dvizheniia” [“Russian search for God: National n” [“ Roots of the Evangelical-Baptist Movement”], in Karetnikova, Al’manakh Po Istorii Russkogo Baptisma, Vol.1, p 206. 147 obedience to God in every aspect, total self-denial and readiness to sacrifice, suffering and even “death on a cross” was considered a normal part of Christian life. Jesus’ command to love their enemies (Matthew 5) made the members of the commune welcome anyone, including staunch communists into their community; the words about obedience to the authorities (Rom. 13) led to hard work as the only way to prove they were good citizens of the Soviet state; the story about the first church sharing their possessions (Acts 2) became a foundation for their experiment of communal living with shared property and finances. One of the most prominent stories recalled in the community, was the story of Exodus. In order to reach the Promised Land the children of Israel had to have pure hearts, had to trust God’s leadership, and had to follow Him through the narrow path of testing and temptations. This was the story of Russian Baptists. The story of suffering and endurance going through the spiritual deser