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The church is the body of Christ, not the buildings on the corner or the individual congregations in those buildings. The church is all of the children of God.

But the 21st-century American church so often fails to live up to what being the church is all about. So we’re especially pleased when the various churches — that is, the congregations thereof — in Suffolk demonstrate what the Church is truly supposed to be about.

One annual demonstration of such is the Lenten services, which take place at a different church each Wednesday with a different preacher. Each of the services features a host church of one denomination with a preacher from a different denomination, and the churches cooperate to provide the meal afterward, as well.

You can visit each service during your lunch break and get your lunch, too. We strongly encourage everyone to make it a priority this Lenten season.

The following is the schedule for the 2020 Suffolk Community Lenten Worship Services:

The first worship service will be held at noon Feb. 26 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 213 N. Main St., with guest preacher Bishop Carlton Upton of Tabernacle Christian Church.

The second worship service will be held at noon March 4 at Oak Grove Baptist Church, 2635 E. Washington St., with guest preacher the Rev. Julie Anna Sterling of Suffolk Presbyterian Church.

The third worship service will be held at noon March 11 at Magnolia Methodist Church, 1764 Wilroy Road, with guest preacher the Rev. Dr. Wayne Faison of East End Baptist Church.

The fourth worship service will be held at noon March 18 at Tabernacle Baptist Outreach Center, 3621 Nansemond Parkway, with guest preacher the Rev. Mary Anne Biggs of Oakland United Church of Christ.

The fifth worship service will be held at noon March 25 at Main Street United Methodist Church, 202 N. Main St., with guest preacher the Rev. Cordell Carter of Higher Ground Outreach Center.

The final worship service will be held at noon April 1 at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 125 County St., with guest preacher the Rev. Dr. Dave Meadors of Holy Neck Christian Church.