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

ings were considered as ‘a normal activity of any converted Christian. This reading did not imply interpretation. Its goal consisted in the sustaining of a proper spiritual condition.’ On the contrary, the term “Bible studies” was used in relation to publications and materials ‘focused on professional ministers’. Thus, ‘Bible studies were considered an activity of specialists or under the control of specialists.’ (“The Evangelical Christians-Baptists...,” p 258). 187 guarding — how can a church keep herself right, addressing her own weaknesses and imperfections, even in such central practice for her worship as preaching? This would be the subject of the next Chapter. Conclusion What then is the conclusion? Practices constitute the life of the church, and they possess formative powers, which help to preserve and transmit Christian identity. However, the practices have a potential to rebel against the reign of the Lamb through their tendency to claim ultimate importance in the eyes of its practitioners. Thus, every practice must be seen as a powerful practice with both formative and destructive potential, with ability to produce virtues, but also result in vices. The concept of power becomes particularly challenging, since churches often see themselves as immune to such temptations. Yet such neglect may cause serious consequences, when various practices of the believing community turn into the fallen powers, which are in conflict with the Risen Christ. Preaching is one of those powerful practices — often perceived as the most important instrument informing disciples of Baptist churches. Nonetheless, the way the ministry of the Word is practiced frequently results in separating the listeners from the Sacred Story that it claims to bring to life. In the next step, | will argue that preaching as one of the practices of reading the Bible in the community, must be exercised as part of a wider cluster of practices, which would serve as a Safe-guarding against its potential destructive forces. 188 CHAPTER 8. Reading the Bible in community Introduction In Chapter 7 | arrived at the conclusion that, as a practice, preaching has the ability to fall, thus highlighting its destructive potential, which, unfortunately, is often neglected. This conclusion defines the next step of my work. | am going to address a question, “What kind of preaching is required in order to preserve and develop its constructive and formative power in Russian Baptist churches, whilst being aware of the possible damaging effects?” Since preaching cannot be separated from the Bible (which informs the message of a sermon), and a community, the sole receptor of the proclamation, the starting point has to be the question of communal hermeneutics — how the Bible is read in a community of believers. In previous chapters, | have already touched upon the question of biblical interpretation. In Chapter 6 | addressed the concept o