Hampshire church forgoes Ash Wed. service

Today is Ash Wednesday, the traditional start of Lent and the day you'll often find smudges on the foreheads of the faithful.

Symbolic of remorse or repentance, the ashes are applied during worship services on this one day of the year and are sometimes made by burning palm fronds from the previous year's Palm Sunday.

But not all church denominations use ashes, and not all are into Lent, anyway.

St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hampshire, hosts midweek Lenten services but forgoes the Ash Wednesday ashes.

"We're not opposed to it (using ashes); it just hasn't gotten a foothold here," the Rev. Gerhard Mau said.

Mau does, however, find value in observing the annual run-up to Easter -- 40 days, not including Sundays. Lent is still important, he said, "to take special time out to reflect on the story of how Jesus saved humankind, to reflect on the cost and the need to have a relationship with God on his terms."

Some Christians say they reflect and relate to God all year round, so Lent isn't really necessary. But Mau sees the six-week period as a greater opportunity.

"We should be taking time out regularly," he said, "but we also take special times to observe birthdays, Christmas, and the Fourth of July, and Lent falls in that kind of category."

In the Jewish community, this is the season for Purim.

Based on the Old Testament story of Queen Esther, Purim occurs one month before Passover and is carnival time at Elgin's Congregation Kneseth Israel.

"It is a silly holiday based on the one comedy book of the Bible, the Book of Esther," said Rabbi Jonathan Kohn.

Esther as a comedy? That's the first I'd heard of that idea.

"The villain does no one any harm, he's constantly defeated, and the good guys win," Kohn said. "It's the one book of the Bible that does not contain the name of God, also suggesting that it is a comedy."

On Sunday morning, March 8, the synagogue will host a Purim carnival with food, games, prizes, and performances, but the next day calls for fasting. On Monday night, congregants come together again for a "rollicking service," Kohn said. Many will be costumed as characters from the Esther story, which the high schoolers will act out with a Star Wars theme.

"We include jokes and interesting tunes, and we recite the Book of Esther, drowning out the name of Hamen every time it's mentioned," Kohn said. "We bring noisemakers."

He said some people even write the name of the villain on the bottom of their shoes, so they can stamp on it when they hear the name spoken.

On Purim, Jewish people also are required to give food gifts to their neighbors and charity to the poor. This year, CKI is collecting for the Elgin Crisis Center.

With a couple of top-tier entertainers and plenty more talent on the program, Fun 'n Frolics at Elgin's Wesley United Methodist Church promises to be more than just your average church variety show.

They must be doing something right at Wesley; this is the 19th year for Fun 'n Frolics. A family-oriented show, it starts at 3:30 p.m. this Saturday at the church, located at 1070 South Street.

"The most polished performer will be Aleksander Krukowski, who is a classically trained pianist, trained in the schools of Poland," said Rich Dancey, organizer and emcee for all 19 years of the event. "He'll be playing our grand piano."

A graduate of the Warsaw Academy of Music who performs in Poland and the United States, Krukowski will play "Vallee d'Obermann," by Franz Liszt.

Betty Juergensmeyer, a professor at Elgin's Judson University, also will present a classical piece - vocally - and five girls who are on the Larkin High School pom squad have worked up a dance routine.

Dancey said the show also features a choir of Spanish guitars, an original poetry reading by Pastor Richard Wagner, and a dozen or so other performances. The audience also can expect a few surprises and lots of laughter, he said.

The admission charge is a donation of non-perishable food items for the Elgin All Peoples Interfaith Food Pantry. A potluck dinner will wrap things up, and you're welcome to stay for that, too. Be sure to bring a dish to pass and, if you're able, a free-will offering for church missions.

It's been more than two years since Grace Community Bible Church opened a second campus in Elgin, but like many church start-ups, Grace has done a bit of hopscotching across town.

The congregation, a partner to the original Grace Community Bible Church in Roselle, now meets in the auditorium at Larkin High School, 1475 Larkin Ave., Elgin. Services are on Sundays at 9 a.m.

"In the Spirit" covers churches and synagogues in the Fox Valley area; contact cmchojnacki@yahoo.com to submit information or ideas for upcoming columns.