The Church Speaks Sponsored by the WHITBY MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION Lent boegins By THE REV. STANLEY ISHERWOOD Rector St. John's Anglican Church It's 46 days before Easter. "Forty-six?" you say, "So what?" Weil, so a lot of things. So you probably had pancakes yesterday if there is an ounce of traditional bloocin your veins. So today the first of a seven week series of Lenten Lunchtime Services were held at Ail Saints' Anglican Church. So today maybe you vowed to give Up chocolate bars until Easter and contribute money saved to famine relief. You see, whether the world knows it or not, today is Ash Wednesday. Lent as a period of 46 days came into being as a result of a long period of development . Originally, in the first century Lent was only a period of 40 hours in keeping with the 40 hours Jesus' body was in the tomb. Later the 40 hours grew into six days during the third century. These six days were known as Holy Week, days of strict abstinence. Holy Week ob- servance began in Jerusalem during the fourth cen- tury. Services were held on the appropriate day at the places where special events took place during the last week of Jesus' life: the Upper Roomn Gethesemane, Pllate's Court, etc. *The six days grew into 36 days, as a tithe of the 365 days of the year. By approxiznately 731, the time of Charlemagne, four days were added to the 36 to make the present season of 40 days. The four days consisted of Ash Wednesday, to the first Sunday in Lent. The nuniber 40 was a popular and meaningful nuniber: Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the wlderness, Moses fasted 40 days on Sinai, Eligah fasted 40 days on the way to the mountain of God, and the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness. Until quite recent years Lent was observed by enough people with enough seriousness that the pace of our common life was manifestly slowed down during these 40 days. Now the small recognition it receives is scarcely more than a token. Lent began to disappear from the American scene when seif-denial began to disappear. Devotional exercises are considered pqintless calisthenics because their "relevance" to social issues is not immediately discernible. The idea that a single, serious, self-disciplined Christian is a leaven in society is passe. To the impatient activist such a man seems out of touch with the pressing needs of jtoday's world. Paul caled on Christians to be "in the world, but not of it." If nothing else, Lent can remind us of that; that we are travellers on our way to another home. And as we pasa through, two very important thinga can happen. We can prepare ourselves for that new home, and we can leave our old "home" a littie more prepared for the coming of its Maker. This is your invitation to take advantage of the op- jportunity which we cali "Lent". *FNUI'EA WIHTBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20,1985, PAGE 7 Pedestrian thwarts kidnapv attempt CriaC., saa An Oshawa man has been charged in connec- tion with the attempted abduction of a 13-year old Whitby girl. According to a spokesman for the Durham Regional Police Force, the in- cident took place at about 9:30 a.m. on Feb. il while the girl was waiting for a bus at the corner of Dundas St. E. and Garden St. The spokesnian said that a black two-door vehicle pulled over and stopped in front of her. The driver then offered the girl a ride to Oshawa. When she refused, the driver then grabbed her and attempted to pull her into the vehicle, the spokesman continued adding, that the abduc- tion was prevented by a passing pedestrian who came to the girl's aid. The vehicle then sped off, heading east towar- ds Oshawa. Police were unable to locate the pedestrian witniess. She is asked to contact. Det. Douglas EUCHRE The Ladies' Auxiliary to Branch 112 of the Royal Canadian Legion will hold their monthly progressive euchre night on Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. in the legion hall, 117 Byron St. S. Admission is $2 at the door and includes euchre, prizes and lun- ch. 0f course you want to keep more of the money you work hard for And you could-uf you let H &R Block prepare your tax return. As a matter of fact, in a recent survey, 2 out of 3 H & R Block -customers who got refunds believed they gQ3 gger refunds tanif th y did theirown taxes. H&R Block hetps you get every possible deduction, exemption and credît you're entitled to. Cali your near- est H &R Block office today We could help you keep more of your hard-earned money. k pays to be prepared by HMR BLOCK THE INCOME TAX SPECIALISTS OSHAWA Wl 15 BOND ST. E. 12d 1343 KING ST. E. Pl( 799 PARK RD. S. 77( 1240 SIMCOE ST. N. 'HITBY ?2 DUN DAS ST. W. IKERING r6 LIVERPOOL RD. S. Open 9 a. m. to 9 p.m. Weekdays, 9-5 Saturday Phone 668-3371, Open today - no appolntment necessary Also n these locations durlng regular store hours. Sears tht,*9ay E ATO0N'S *BCN OL (D,- Lower Level oshawa centre 728-0922 lj Jlir NAMT King or the detective sergeant on duty at 579- 1520, ext. 211. Af ter a three day in- vestigation, police arrested an Oshawa man at his home. Charged with attempted abduction is Robert Glen Johnson, 44, of 399 He was released on bail and will appear in Whitby Provincial Court this Friday. PIANO LAMPS FROM $39*00 CLOCKS >SVTO3IU 9$7 5 REG. 8$690 .9. V-'7~I 1< GIVES YOU THE-BEST IN ACCESSORIES..