FASTNACHTS ADD SWEETNESS TO COUPLE'S LENTEN STUDY

The Bruntons read the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40.

Mary Helen Brunton made fastnachts and shared them with her neighbors. It was part of the Lenten study given to her and her husband, Del, by their pastor, the Rev. Philip Curran of the First Christian Church Disciples of Christ.

The Bruntons have been working their way through the study since Ash Wednesday, which marked the beginning of the Lent season.

The fastnachts, usually triangularly shaped, are German doughnuts that are customarily made at this time of year.

The doughnuts were part of Week Four's study in which kindness was the key word. Mary Helen not only shared the fastnachts with her neighbors but with her 98-year-old mother who lives with the Bruntons and her two grandchildren.

Mary Helen was pleased the grandchildren knew the significance of the triangle shape to represent the Holy Trinity -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit in one Godhead.

The Bruntons have always taken part in church activities, but this is the first time they have done devotions together.

Mary Helen was raised in a Baptist church here. Her mother was Southern Baptist and her father was Roman Catholic.

Although she was raised a Baptist, she attended special events of the Catholic faith with her father.

Del was raised in the Church of the Brethren faith.

The Bruntons met on a blind date while they were students at Southeast Missouri State University, but both knew that God was working in their lives.

Mary Helen said of the blind date that she didn't know who was coming to pick her up for the dance until Del stepped out of the cab.

But Del knew when he saw Mary Helen that the Lord had something to do with him meeting her, and within three weeks the two were engaged.

The couple nearly 55 years ago and worshipped for 46 years in a Baptist church.

About five years ago when their grandchildren joined First Christian Church, so did Del and Mary Helen. Del even teaches a Sunday school class the church

While in the Baptist church, the Bruntons did not observe Lent -- Baptists don't observe Lent -- so when they joined First Christian and it observed Lent, so did they.

What's different about this year, they said, is that they are observing Lent together.

They had always had their individual devotional periods and prayer time, but now every morning after breakfast, between 8:30 and 10, they read the prescribed Lenten Scriptures aloud to each other.

Then, after their readings, they discuss the issues before going into separate areas of the house to pray.

The six topics of the study developed by Jane M. Grant are leaven, forgiveness, humility, kindness, sacrifice and celebration.

During the fourth week the study advised them to reach out to someone and to read the newspaper and select people to be put into their prayers.

The Bruntons have done that during their devotionals.

Besides visiting her 90-plus-year-old aunt in a local nursing home, Mary Helen has prayed for the Chicago woman who murdered her three children and the woman's family. The story of the woman was recently reported in the newspaper.

Mary Helen also prays for her beautician who was on a mission to Honduras to help build an orphanage, and she is also praying for her son-in-law, Pat Ruopp, who will go on a mission to Jamaica after Easter.

Her reach in prayers also includes her great-grandchild who was born prematurely during Lent.

Del prays for the areas of the world that remain in conflict, like Ireland and Russia.

To "think Christ gave his life on the cross," and then there are all these terrible things going on around the world, Del laments, "it is a time for Christians to be on their knees praying about areas of the world where peace is not known."

Prior to Lent, Del would study the Bible and pray in his "booth," a small room off the kitchen.

Mary Helen said they had always studied the Bible and discussed the Sunday school lessons, but Lent has brought them together at the kitchen table to share their devotions.

The couple plan to observe Lent next year, adding that spiritually "you can't read and study the Scriptures and not be blessed."

And, Mary Helen said, she'll also make fastnachts again.