By Oniska Blevins | The Selma Times-Journal

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is continuing its annual tradition of hosting its five-part Lenten Soup and Speaker Series starting next week.

The series will be held on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. starting Feb. 21 until March 21.

The Rev. Jack Alvey, Rector at St. Paul Episcopal Church, said the series is a tradition for the church and is a way to come together and share a “simple” meal and hear the “good news of the gospel.”

“It is something that St. Paul’s offers every Lent. We begin with a soup prepared by our members, and after the soup we say some prayers,” Alvey said.

“We have a guest speaker who will uplift and explore the season of Lent.”

Soup is believed to be a “simple” meal, according to Alvey.

Because of its simplicity, it’s used during the series to lessen the chances of overindulging on food.

Alvey said Lent is “representative of a period of time of being in the wilderness or desert, where we deny ourselves worldly comforts as a way to create a longing for spiritual things that can only come from God.”

Each week there will be a different speaker, who is given 15 minutes.

Speakers for the series include: the Rev. Worth Stuart, the Rev. Mary Bea Sullivan,  the Rev. Jamie Osborne, the Rev. Danielle Thompson and the Rev. Josiah Rengers

The Lent period lasts 40 days, and Alvey said the purpose of the series is “not only to nourish our bodies, but also to nourish our souls.”

“During the season, we are called to repentance and to reorient our lives toward Jesus Christ, the one who teaches us how to love more fully,” Alvey said.

Throughout those 40 days Alvey believes it is important to reflect on faith and slow down to connect with God.

“The season of Lent is the period of time for Jesus’ resurrection, so it’s a time of prayer, a time of self-examination. It’s a sign of self-denial, it’s a time of reading and meditating on scripture,” Alvey said.