Ashes to Go offered at local coffee shops
Grace Episcopal Church brought Ash Wednesday to the public through its annual Ashes to Go services at Cafe on Broadway and Pour Jons on Wednesday.
Ashes to Go is a nationwide program the Episcopal Church does for people who cannot make it to a regular Lenten service, according to the Rev. Stan McKinnon, rector of Grace Episcopal. During the service, a member of the clergy will come to a coffee shop or other local business, explain the importance of ashes, recite the Invitation to a Holy Lent, pray with the person then mark the person’s forehead with ashes.
Ashes are a sign of penitence and is a custom to begin the Lent season before Easter, according to a pamphlet provided by Grace Episcopal Church. When a person is marked by ashes, that person is reminded humans are made of dust and of the creative power of God and of God’s ability to heal the brokenness in the lives of people, the pamphlet states.
“Being in the coffee shop, where people are rather than making them come to church, is an opportunity for outreach and to give people the option if they are working and don’t have time to make it to the service,” McKinnon said. “That’s why we do it.”
McKinnon gave ashes at Pour Jons on East Main Street from 7 to 8 a.m.; 1 to 2 p.m.; and 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.; and at Cafe on Broadway from 8:30 to 10 a.m. About 46 people received ashes at Pour Jons and six at Cafe on Broadway, McKinnon said.
Reactions to Ashes to Go have been overwhelmingly positive, McKinnon said.
“This is reminiscent of what Jesus did,” said Dr. George Benjamin, who attends Grace Episcopal. “Jesus did not sit in the synagogue, he went into the marketplace, so this is bringing religion into the marketplace which I think is a wonderful idea.”
Emily Moore, one of the owners of Pour Jons, and Patty Arnett, one of the owners of Cafe on Broadway, both received ashes. As an added bonus, the church provided free coffee to everyone who came into the coffee shops whether they received ashes or not, McKinnon said.
“It’s just a humble reminder of the frailty of humanity and that we need God to get through everything, to get through life,” Moore said.
Ashes to Go have been offered at Pour Jons for a number of years but this was the first year for them to be offered at Cafe on Broadway.
“I think it’s a great way to start off the Lenten season,” Arnett said. “And I want to be a part of that as a local business, just a part of building community in that way.”