LESSONS FOR LENT

By Sean Barron

South Side church plants ‘new life’ seeds for Easter

YOUNGSTOWN — It may still be early spring, but that didn’t register for Jaylin Chismar and her 10-year-old sister, Emily Thomas, as they busily prepared soil samples for seeds.

“I like going Easter hunting and do like the Easter bunny,” said Jaylin, 7, of McDonald. “I usually hunt Easter baskets on Easter.”

The two girls took their time diligently placing seeds in small pots, which was one of several activities that made up Sunday’s Lenten fair at Faith Community Church, 1919 E. Midlothian Blvd., on the city’s South Side.

A tradition of Lent and Easter views the planting of flowers as representative of the new life that is part of spring and increased sun, as well as the new birth many people experience in Christianity. The “new-life seeds” both youngsters handled were one of several dozen symbols of the season at the fair.

Other favorites for Emily, a Roosevelt Elementary School fourth-grader, were face-painting and coloring eggs. Both girls said they’re looking forward to controlling puppets as part of an upcoming Easter play and spending that day at the Youngstown home of their great-grandmother.

Sixteen tables and stations were set up for attendees of the two-hour fair. Among the other activities were using dyes to decorate Ukrainian eggs, learning about Jesus’ Last Supper, eating pancakes, hot-cross buns and popcorn, making crosses of nails to wear and creating a mural.

Many people prepare pancakes as a way of abstaining from meat and dairy products in advance of Ash Wednesday. Also, heat causes a popcorn kernel to burst forth like the sun’s warmth does to nature, others believe.

People of all ages had an opportunity to watch the video “The Easter Story,” which tells why Holy Week and Easter are celebrated. Others opted for the storytelling portion, as well as affixing affirmations and other messages to helium balloons.

Included in the mix was the setup of a typical Jewish Seder meal that featured, among other items, matzo bread, vegetables and herbs, and the four cups of wine.

Jesus and his disciples had a Passover meal as the Last Supper, which also entailed the breaking of bread, noted John Perkins, a member of the church who manned that table. The third cup of wine represents redemption, said Perkins, adding that many symbols are shared by those who celebrate Easter and Passover.

Purposes of the fair were to educate people about the symbols that are important to Lent and Easter, explained Sharyle Marcy, event coordinator and wife of the church’s pastor, the Rev. Gary Marcy.

The tables contained new information about traditions and events related to the season, Mrs. Marcy noted. All activities were related to the life of Christ as well as “having a new life through Christ,” she continued.

The Lenten fair concluded with the launching of the balloons from the church’s parking lot.