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Although weekly church meetings during Lent are a common occurrence, some Mount Airy churches have a different twist, taking their denominations and celebrating together every Tuesday afternoon with food and a devotional.

The tradition has been going on for more than 23 years that the Rev. Dennis Yocum has been at Calvary United Methodist Church, where the luncheon devotionals are held.

Wallace "Bud" Lusk, a former pastor at Mount Airy Full Gospel Church and current assistant at Locust Grove Church of the Brethren, was one of the pastors who helped start the annual tradition. He said some pastors came together and decided to combine certain services.

In the beginning, when the meetings first started, some men from town would come during their lunch hour, ladies from beauty salons and local businesses, he said.

"The meat market … those two fellows would come," he said.

Each church took a service and would run that specific week.

"It started with a soup and a sandwich and a speaker and maybe someone would have special music," Lusk said.

He said he had heard of other areas where interdenominational services were held during the Lent season. Although Lenten services are often held on Wednesdays, the luncheons were changed to Tuesdays because of a scheduling conflict this year, Yocum said.

He said the church never conducted the luncheon during Holy Week (this year April 5-12): a week that includes Palm Sunday, Passover and Good Friday and ends with Easter.

"The churches have historically elected not to have a Holy Week luncheon," he said.

Something new with the Lenten Luncheon this year has been a theme: from "I am" passages from the Gospel of John in the Bible, such as "I am the Light." "[The Rev.] Tom Gue at Full Gospel said ‘Why don't we have a theme this year?'" Yocum said. "We got together and suggested the ‘I am' passages."

Attendance varies, the first week being about 30 people and last week with about 60. Yocum said numbers often grow as awareness of the event does. He said free lunch is provided by the church hosting that day, and the devotional time is about 25 or 30 minutes long. An offering is collected, and it goes to Mount Airy Net, a local nonprofit organization that aids needy residents.

Each year, the list of hosting churches can change, said Clydia Koch, the administrative coordinator at Calvary United Methodist.

Lent began for Christians on Feb. 25 with the celebration of Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter.

Participating churches in the luncheon include: Howard Chapel/Ridgeville United Methodist Church, St. James Episcopal Church, Locust Grove Church of the Brethren, Calvary United Methodist, Prospect/Marvin Chapel United Methodist Church and Mount Airy Full Gospel.

E-mail Angie Cochrun at acochrun@gazette.net.

Calvary United Methodist Church, 403 S. Main St.

12-1 p.m. Tuesdays

-March 24: St. James Episcopal Church

Devotional by the Rev. Portia Hirschman — "I Am the Bread"

-March 31: Locust Grove Church of the Brethren

Devotional by the Rev. Wayne Hall — "I Am the True Vine"

Free. Call Calvary United Methodist Church at 301-829-0358.