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Published Tuesday, February 21, 2012 in Local

Special

Father Dan Fleming from St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church anoints Elizabeth Moore with ashes at last year’s ecumenical Ash Wednesday service there.

Churches planning services to begin the Lenten season

By Winston Skinner

The Newnan Times-Herald

The Lenten season begins Wednesday -- with Ash Wednesday services planned in Coweta area churches.

The Community Lenten Services will begin Wednesday with a noon service at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Roscoe Road just north of Newnan. It will include the imposition of ashes. The Wednesday noon series will continue -- at different churches and with pastors from a different congregation preaching each week -- until Easter.

The popular midweek services began several years ago. Local churches cooperatively sponsor the midweek services and a meal at Lent and Advent.

"For Christians, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent," said Kevin Dickinson, a member at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. "It's an opportunity for all Christians to gather together and worship."

While Ash Wednesday has long been a tradition with Christians following a liturgical tradition, the popularity of the rite has grown in recent years across a wider range of churches.

"For Catholics, and a growing number of other Christians, Ash Wednesday is traditionally known as a day of repentance and the first day of the Lenten season," Dickinson said.

Lent is a 40-day period, not including Sundays -- ending on Easter, which will be April 8 this year. Lent "allows Christians to prayerfully prepare for the Lord's passion," Dickinson said.

Today is Shrove Tuesday -- traditionally a day of repentance -- when many Christians celebrate with a final time of feasting before beginning a period of sacrifice and fasting during Lent. The name is taken from the word "shrive" which means to confess and receive forgiveness.

Local Shrove Tuesday celebrations include:

• A Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be held at Newnan Presbyterian Church today at 6:15 p.m.

• The youth of St. Paul's Episcopal Church hold a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Mardi Gras Celebration today at 6 p.m. The youth plan to decorate the parish hall in Mardi Gras colors and serve pancakes, bacon, fruit, and King Cakes.

Following supper, participants will move to the church's nave for a Jazz Eucharist led by Allan Sandlin, priest-in-charge, and an inter-generational jazz ensemble. The evening will conclude with a bonfire and burying of the Alleluia Banner.

Burying the Alleluia is a tradition that dates to the 16th century.

Cost for the Shrove Tuesday supper is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12 -- with a maximum of $25 per family. All funds will go toward St. Paul's youth group activities and projects.

The community Lenten service will be Wednesday at noon at St. Paul's. The message will be brought by Dr. Harry Barrow of Newnan Presbyterian Church. A luncheon will be available for $5 after the service. Offerings during the Lenten Series will go to Coweta Samaritan Clinic.

Locations and preachers for the rest of the Lenten Series will be: Feb. 29, First Baptist Church, Newnan, Med Roach of First Methodist; March 7, First United Methodist, Newnan, Sandlin; March 14, Central Baptist Church, Rick Price of Cornerstone Methodist; March 21, Cornerstone United Methodist Church, Joel Richardson of Central Baptist; and March 28, Newnan Presbyterian Church, Jimmy Patterson of First Baptist.

Other Ash Wednesday observances tomorrow include:

• Mass with distribution of ashes, St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, 7 a.m. and noon.

• Ash Wednesday service, Allen-Lee Memorial United Methodist Church, Lone Oak, 6 p.m.

• Ash Wednesday service, Newnan Presbyterian Church, Feb. 22, 6:30 p.m.

• Ash Wednesday service, Central Baptist Church, 6:45 p.m.

• Ash Wednesday service, Moreland United Methodist Church, 7 p.m.

• Ash Wednesday liturgy with Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 7 p.m.

• Holy Communion and imposition of ashes, Word of God Lutheran Church, Peachtree City, 7 p.m.

• Ecumenical Ash Wednesday, St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, 7 p.m. For the 11th consecutive year that parishioners from St. Mary Magdalene will join members of Cokes Chapel United Methodist Church for an ecumenical observance.

For several years the two congregations gathered at Cokes Chapel, but because of an overflowing crowd the service was moved next door to St. Mary Magdalene once the Catholic church's edifice opened 2007.

Dan Fleming, pastor of St. Mary Magdalene, will team with Pastor John Hagan and Pastor Mark Jordan -- with the Lighthouse Ministries at Cokes Chapel. Dickinson said "this unique service will include the imposition of ashes." He said newly ordained Deacon Dennis Carazza, from St. Mary Magdalene, "will also be on hand to assist."

Hagan will deliver the homily this year.

"Musicians and vocalists" from both congregations "will once again combine their voices and talents to lead the assembled congregation in prayerful song," Dickinson said.

"In addition to receiving ashes, which are a symbol of mourning, penance and preparation, attendees will receive symbolic nails to serve as a reminder of the Lenten season. Traditionally, those in attendance will fill out sin cards that emphasize areas of their life they would like to focus on throughout Lent. Following the service the cards will be burned as a sign of repentance," he added.

Several churches are holding Lenten programs between now and Easter. St. Paul's Episcopal Church will hold Lent 4.5: Christian simplicity. The seven-week faith formation program aims to inspire and inform Christian communities on how to use the traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to protect God's creation, embrace justice and nurture spiritual fulfillment.

The study will offer practical opportunities for people of faith to apply the values of Christian Simplicity to their everyday lives. Sandlin and Jeff Lawhead, the vestry liaison to Adult Christian Formation, will lead the study in the library at St. Paul's on Sunday at 9:15 a.m. from Feb. 26-April 1.

The program is designed to be beneficial whether an individual can attend all sessions or only one or two, according to organizers.

Allen-Lee Methodist Church will have a Lenten study on Sundays, starting Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. The study will center around Psalm 51.

Word of God Lutheran Church will be holding Wednesday mid-week Lenten services will be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 29 and March 7, 14, 21 and 28.

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