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A Little Lenten History
Written by Leslie Scanlon
For some Presbyterians, celebrating Lent is not intuitive — it may not have been part of their family’s pattern growing up. It is, however, connected to the way in which the Christian celebration of Easter evolved. “What is most helpful for all Christians and Presbyterians in particular to remember is that the time of Lent came into being after Easter was decided upon as an annual celebration,” said Jennifer Lord, a professor of homiletics and liturgical studies at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. “We think early on that the Christians celebrated Easter, celebrated resurrection, weekly.”
The Council of Nicea, in 325, set Easter as an annual celebration tied to the timing of Passover — a link to the Jewish tradition of following the lunar calendar. Easter is set for the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon after the spring equinox. “The development of Lent was to prepare people to be baptized on Easter,” Lord said. At that time, baptism was for adults, and Lent became 40 days of baptismal preparation — counting the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, except for the Sundays in Lent, because “Sunday is always resurrection liturgically,” Lord said. In the Christian tradition, the number 40 is significant, “being this great number, used again and again … 40 in the Old Testament is always signifying time beyond time, this extraordinary time.”
Here are some more facets of that Easter history:
Some Protestants resist the idea of Lent
— seeing it too entwined with the Catholic emphasis on the passion of Christ, on sinfulness and penance, Lord said. Scholars have discovered a mistranslation in documents from the Middle Ages related to Lent, in which a word referring to the “paschal mystery,” the death and resurrection of Jesus, was translated as “passion,” with an emphasis on the suffering of Jesus. The discovery of that mistranslation “was a gift ecumenically to all of us through Vatican II,” Lord said — as it helped Protestants reconsider Lent in light of preparation for Easter.
In the Book of Common Worship, the invitation to Lent given on Ash Wednesday is to the paschal mystery
— a renewal of discipleship, of life in Christ. Lent can be a time of exploring the meaning of baptism, Lord said, considering “What does it mean that we have been initiated into the body of Christ, into the life of the triune God, what does it mean to grow in the likeness and image of Christ? Baptism always has that sense of turning — of turning from sin, of turning to the abundant way of life given to us by God through Jesus Christ, life in the spirit.”
Lent “is not a time for us to act as though we don’t know the outcome”
— that we haven’t already heard the Easter story, Lord contends. “To live out our baptisms is to always attend to both our dying and rising in Christ — rising even in Lent. Yes, the practices or disciplines of Lent are forms of self-emptying (Philippians 2 and Christ’s own kenosis) but they are disciplines that aid us in seeing what is what is life-giving from God and what is death-dealing” in our personal lives and in the systems of which we are a part. “What is the life into which we have been baptized?” Lord asks. “How do we keep turning to its ever-present power in our individual lives, our corporate life, the world?”
Submitted by Rev. Chris Stewart
Transitional Pastor
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Welcome, Ken Shafer, to Session Class of 2022!
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Ken recently retired after 40 years in the practice of cardiology. He has been a member of Westminster since 2005.
After graduating from the College of Wooster ('75), Ken received his medical training in St. Louis and started a cardiology practice in Missouri, where he lived until returning to Wooster in 2002. He has been active in the Presbyterian church throughout his life and has served on Session in multiple churches. He has also been a volunteer church musician and has served several churches as organist. Ken has been the organist/accompanist at Westminster since 2012 and also serves as accompanist for the Cantate Singers.
When Ken is not playing the piano or organ, you will likely find him in his garden or riding his bicycle. He enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.
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On Tuesday, February 25, Westminster welcomed College of Wooster students to join us for a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner.
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On Wednesday, February 26, we enjoyed a potluck dinner and combined Ash Wednesday service with our friends from First Presbyterian to begin the season of Lent.
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An Evening With Rev. Jimmie Hawkins
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Members of our congregation were pleased to have an evening of dinner and dialogue with Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, Director of the PC (USA) Office of Public Witness in Washington D.C., the public policy information and advocacy office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). We had the opportunity to learn more about the Church's policies and responses to various social justice issues while also sharing more about Westminster and our own social justice efforts.
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Trip to San Antonio — March 12–17
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The members of the Immigration Advocacy Committee have been in contact with the Coetzees and University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, Texas. We would like to offer the opportunity to the congregation to make a trip to San Antonio March 12–17, 2020. Members of that congregation have offered to open their homes and to provide local transportation. The purpose of this trip is both for fellowship and to become partners in ministry, and to have opportunities to visit and learn more about areas of social justice and immigration history. If you are interested in this trip, please contact
Cheryl Weiss.
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Volunteers Needed to Recruit Greeters
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We are looking for folks who will volunteer to arrange for greeters on Sunday mornings. If you are willing to serve a three-month term to recruit/find Sunday greeters, please contact Caryl Slater or Bill Weiss.
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On March 29, 2020, Westminster will host students, parents, and teachers from Our Lady of Pompeii School in New York City. Our Lady of Pompeii is a Catholic school that promotes academic excellence in an atmosphere that nourishes the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, and moral development of each student.
The choir is directed by Mr. Curtis Gomes who worships at Westminster during the summer months, and is the son of the late Annetta L. Gomez-Jefferson (1927–2009). From 1974 until her retirement in 1995, Professor Gomez-Jefferson was a member of the faculty at the College of Wooster, and, in 1982, she was asked to develop and chair a new Theater Department.
Mr. Gomes and his choirs have visited Westminster and the College of Wooster since 1979, and we are thrilled to offer them our warm hospitality and support.
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Gracias Banquet— March 19
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Save the date and plan to attend the Open Arms Hispanic Ministry's annual fundraiser: "Gracias Banquet," on Thursday, March 19, at 6:00 pm at Kidron Park Community Center. The meal will feature an enchilada dinner, followed by a program of Open Arms ministry highlights. A free-will offering to benefit Open Arms will be taken. We hope to have two tables of 8 attend this important event this year. Please let
Cheryl Weiss know if you plan to attend, and she will make reservations for all and arrange transportation as needed.
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Great Decisions of Wayne County 2020
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It is time for Great Decisions of Wayne County 2020, an annual speaker series that is co-sponsored by the College of Wooster and local business and community leaders. The theme of this year's series is
Democracy, Trade, and Migration. There will be four public lectures and a documentary film screening and discussion. All Great Decisions lectures are free and open to the public. Please see the attached poster or
click here for more details on the speakers and events.
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Please join Dawn Kridel and Joe Hartzler for a Lenten Reflection Study of a book called
Lent in Plain Sight. To try to accommodate more people, the series will be offered on Tuesdays starting March 3 at 10:00 am, and on Wednesdays starting March 4 at 6:00 pm, both in the Lounge. Please email
Dawn Kridel with any questions.
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How to Submit a Prayer Request:
In order to keep our church family more connected through this time of transition, we have started sending out prayer list emails every other Friday.
To submit a prayer request for the prayer list email, please
click here and fill out the anonymous form. If you do not receive the prayer list email and would like to, please
email Gracie.
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Congregational Care Ministry
Please contact the Westminster Church office (330-263-2398) if you would like your name added to the Congregational Care Ministry Group. This group of church members provides care in times of need, for example meals following surgery or transportation to church when needed, and stays in touch with members and friends who cannot attend church regularly. If you have any questions about the Congregational Care Ministry group, please contact Cheryl Weiss.
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Ongoing Fellowship Opportunities
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Men's Breakfast meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the downtown Buehler's at 7:45 am. Sometimes we are many gathered and other times we are only two, but it is always a meaningful time of friendship, food, and conversation. All men are invited!
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The Westminster Dance Group meets every Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the Westminster Church House. Anyone who wants to try a little bit of floor exercise and some free form dance is welcome!
This is a low-impact, gentle movement group where non-dancers and newcomers can feel right at home!
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On the second Sunday of each month, we invite you to join us at the Chupp Residence beginning at 8:30 am for a contemplative worship service. Contact Joel Chupp with questions.
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Westminster's fellowship time is an important way to build relationships with one another. We invite you to join us after worship for light refreshments and conversation! If you would like to provide refreshments or serve as our Sunday Morning Host, please visit the
SignUpGenius link.
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Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
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Westminster delivers Meals on Wheels every Friday of the year to homebound and nutritionally at-risk individuals in the surrounding area, in partnership with Meals on Wheels of Stark and Wayne Counties.
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On the last Wednesday of each month, Westminster carpools from the church to the Central American Medical Outreach (CAMO) warehouse in Orrville to support the hospital in Sata Rosa de Copan, Honduras. Join us as we sort donations and build community with one another! For more information or to volunteer, contact
Sherry Hatter-Miller.
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Westminster Bed and Breakfast Program
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Westminster combines hospitality and missions through its Bed and Breakfast program!
Church volunteers host guests, and all donations received through the program are contributed to charitable organizations. The Bed and Breakfast program offers a comfortable and welcoming stay in support of local and national organizations and their work, such as: Wayne County Hospice, Viola Sartzman Free Clinic, Every Woman's House, the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Church World Service, and more.
If you are interested in being a host or know out-of-town visitors looking for a comfortable stay in this area,
contact us.
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Click below to access Westminster's calendar for more information on meetings and events.
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WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
| www.wpcwooster.org
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