St. Philip's hosting Ash Wednesday service, Lenton Lunch series

Feb. 13—St. Philip's Episcopal Church invites the community to attend its Ash Wednesday Service with the imposing of ashes at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 14.

St. Philip's annual noon day prayer services, also known as Lenten Lunches, will begin on Tuesday, March 5.

St. Philip's has been hosting its Lenten program for more than 35 years, conducting drive-through services for the imposing of ashes during COVID. Last year was the first time in three years the church had been able to host its Noonday Prayer Services due to the pandemic.

This year, St. Philip's is hosting three Noonday Prayer Services in its Parish Hall. Guest speakers will be Pastor Jeff Jamison, pastor of City Church of Fort Worth, Tuesday, March 5; Rev. Jordan Byrd from the First Christian Church in Palestine, Tuesday, March 12; and Pastor Jason Harris of Evangelistic Temple Tuesday, March 19.

A light lunch of soup and sandwiches will be provided by various organizations within the church immediately following the prayer service and will allow those attending to be back at work in one hour.

Rev. Byrd, who has been a guest speaker for St. Philip's Lenten Lunch series several times over the years, enjoys being a part of the celebration.

"It's good to gather with other Christians and celebrate holy times while enjoying their hospitality," Byrd said. "I think it's a great thing they do as it's always good to fellowship with other believers and hear their stories even though our traditions express our shared faith in varied ways."

For those who are unaware, Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day of prayer and fasting. It's preceded by Mardi Gras' Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent, the season of penitence and repentance leading up to Easter Sunday, which this year falls on Sunday, March 31.

All weekdays during Lent are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial. The 40 days of lent start on Ash Wednesday and end as the sun sets the night before Easter Day, when Christians customarily gather for The Great Vigil of Easter.

These 40 days reflect the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, as well as the week leading up to the crucifixion.

Forty is a significant number in the Bible. The Israelites wandered for 40 years. Christ also was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days in preparation for his ministry, 40 years before the Israelites were delivered. Lent is 40 days of preparation for Easter.

Lent is the season many Christians recommit their lives to God and turn from the distractions, bad habits and sins committed throughout the year.

Many Christians who observe Lent believe it benefits them, serving as a time to draw closer to the Savior through sacrifice and prayer. Beyond giving something up, those observing Lent also focus on the scriptures leading up to the resurrection.

Traditionally, Lent is observed through prayer, fasting and giving. Many Christians give something up for Lent as a penitence for their sins, to show their shame for having strayed from God's will. People often give the amount of money they would spend on an extra expense to the church or to a charity.

During Lent, the Stations of the Cross, a devotional that commemorates Christ carrying the Cross and his execution, is observed by some churches.

Catholics who observe Lent, traditionally, eat mostly fish on Fridays and try to abstain from meat as an act of penitence and spiritual self-discipline.

Lent comes to a close during the special services of Holy Week that lead up to Easter.

Important days of Lent include:

Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday

Mardi Gras, French for "Fat Tuesday," culminates the Carnival season, which begins on or after the Christian Feast of Epiphany in January. It is the last night of indulging in eating rich, fatty foods and sin before the Lenten season.

The origins of Mardi Gras go back to medieval Europe. It came to the United States in 1704 when Mobile, Ala., established a secret society known as the Masque de la Mobile Krewe.

The first Mardi Gras in New Orleans became common in the 1730s. On Fat Tuesday, the streets of New Orleans fill up with people dressed in costumes, tossing beads in a final attempt to live it up before the repentance of Lent.

Fat Tuesday is also known as Shrove Tuesday. Shrove means to absolve sins by confession and repentance. Pancakes are associated with Shrove Tuesday because English parishioners would make pancakes and syrup to use up sugar before the fasts of Lent.

Ash Wednesday

The first day of the season of Lent is observed by Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Catholics, Methodist, Presbyterians and some Baptists. Its name comes from placing repentance ashes on the foreheads of believers who are ready to confess, repent, and believe in the Gospel. The ashes are imposed on the forehead in the mark of the cross. The ashes typically come from the palms that were used on Palm Sunday the prior year.

The use of ashes go back to the Old Testament times and are meant to remind us of our mortality. They are put on the forehead in the shape of the cross.

The ashes used for the St. Philip's services are made from the burnt palms used in the previous year's Palm Sunday services.

Palm Sunday

The Sunday before Easter, this feast commemorates Jesus' entry in Jerusalem, an event mentioned in the four gospels. Churches often celebrate with processions carrying palms to represent the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem. St. Philip's Palm Sunday celebration will be honored with Holy Communion at 10:30 Sunday, March 24.

Maundy Thursday

Also known as Holy Thursday, this is the Thursday that falls during the week of Easter. It commemorates the foot washing and the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. St. Phlip will observe Maundy Thursday at 6:30 p.m. March 28.

Good Friday

This day commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is always the Friday preceding Easter Sunday and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. St. Philip's is hosting a noon service Friday, March 29 for Good Friday.

Holy Saturday

On this day, the altar/front area of the church will be either stripped from all decoration or they will be covered in black. The readings will commemorate the burial of Christ. Holy Saturday lasts until nightfall when the Easter Vigil is celebrated, marking the official beginning of the Easter season.

Easter

Easter Sunday, also known as Resurrection Sunday, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial, after his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary. The Easter season actually lasts 50 days until Pentecost Sunday. St. Philip's Easter Service is set for 10:30 a.m. and will honor the day with communion.