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Church celebrates Shrove Tuesday
Eintracht Maennerchor
Video
The Eintracht Maennerchor, a German men's chorus from New Castle, Pa. sang for a Shrove Tuesday event at Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Poland today.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
poland
It doesn’t matter what you call it — Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. It’s all about the feast before the fast.
Some Mahoning Valley churches hosted pancake suppers Tuesday night, including Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2985 Center Road. It’s a relatively new tradition — three years and counting — at the church, but one that is growing in popularity.
Pastor Julianne D. Smith said the idea is “to use up the fat in the house” before Lent, which begins today, Ash Wednesday.
Pancakes prepared with flour, sugar and eggs, then patted with butter and drizzled with maple syrup fill the bill. Such ingredients often are part of the self- denial of the season. “It’s part of the tradition to clear the house of sweets and fats,” Pastor Smith said.
The pancake supper is a “gathering for fellowship,” the pastor said.
Lent is the preparation before the celebration of Easter. The 40 days of Lent follow the traditional number of discipline, devotion and preparation in the Bible. Sundays are not counted. The number recalls Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness, mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Pastor Smith noted that in the early church, Lent was a period of classes for those preparing to be baptized. “We’re returning to that idea of learning and Lent as a time of reflection,” Pastor Smith said.
Traditionally, this time has focused on the penitential preparation for Easter. Prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial have been earmarks of this segment of the liturgical year. In recent years, Lent has evolved into a more-reflective time that includes prayer and meditation along with study to explore and strengthen one’s faith.
The Shrove Tuesday event at the church provided fellowship for some 50 church members and visitors.
The kitchen crew of Beth and Ralph Minton, Pam Ferguson and Sue and Roy Oyler prepared about 200 or so pancakes and cooked the sausage.
“It’s a nice time of fellowship,” said six-year member Beth Minton, adding that the crew has fun making pancakes.
Ferguson, a 35-year member, said she enjoyed doing something to benefit the church. She said it was nice to do something fun before Lent began. “Lent is about renewal and preparing for Easter,” she said. Studying Scripture was an important element of Lent, she said.
“The fellowship makes you feel a part of something,” said 10-year member Sue Oyler, who continued that people use their talents to help. “It’s growing the church and ourselves,” she said.
The New Castle Eintracht Maennerchor contributed to the festivities with songs in English and German.
Ash Wednesday services with imposition of ashes and communion will be at 12:05 and 7 p.m. today. Starting next week, the church will host soup suppers from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays on the theme “At the Foot of the Cross.”