Lent or Lenten season is a special time of preparation for Easter. Wednesday, March 4 will be the first Lenten lunch at Walnut Creek United Methodist Church with guests the Rev. Tony Smitherman and Eddie Lightsey.

Originally, Mardi Gras started as a religious holiday ending with Fat Tuesday, when everyone ate and drank all they could before the 40 days of penance, which were spent in fasting, prayer and Bible study.

Walnut Creek has developed its own tradition of observing the Lenten season. The church hosts weekly Lenten lunches every Wednesday during the 40-day period in which guests enjoy a simple meal of soup, cornbread and dessert.

“Lent is how we get ready for Easter,” church pastor Tony Hughes said.

A guest minister is invited to each luncheon to deliver a relevant message, and a guest singer provides music for the event. The guests are pulled from the larger community of churches regardless of denomination.

“The lunches have been extremely well attended, and we’re very grateful for that,” Hughes said. “This is our way of offering the larger community a way to get ready for Easter.”

There will be six weekly lunches, beginning with March 4. All will begin at noon in the Family Life Center. The ladies of the church have been preparing all year for this event, and lots of hard work goes into it. For more information, call the church at 755-0000.