The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
ASHES ON THE GO
Pastor keeps up a new tradition as local Christians usher in Lent
“I’m constantly trying new things in worship to keep things fresh and to make sure we see it all with new eyes.” — Pastor Ian Lynch
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent for Christians.
While it is an intended day of reflection, for many, it is also a work day. That means conflicting schedules and demands for one’s time leave them stretched, potentially missing the significant religious ceremony.
Pastor Ian Lynch of Old South United Church of Christ realized this conflict among some of his own parishioners and endeavored to make the annual occurrence more expedient while maintaining its solemnity among the faithful.
His Old South church, located at 9802 Chillicothe Road in Kirtland, administered driveby ashes this Ash Wednesday for those who wanted to partake but were also limited with time.
Parents driving children to school, those on their way to work, errands, doctor’s appointments and more were able to receive ashes without turning off their ignition.
As cars pulled in and idled in the church parking lot, Lynch came out to meet drivers and administered ashes to their foreheads.
Before they left, he shared a handout filled with prayers.
Lynch has been administering ashes in this way since he joined the church six years ago.
“It’s something I had seen some other churches do prior to coming here and something I had done in ministry before this, so I brought the idea here,” he said.
“The people who avail themselves of it appreciate it quite a lot,” he said in an interview prior to the event. “It wasn’t the sort of thing that we had to do a hard sell on at first, but there were some who thought it odd and asked ‘are you sure?’
“I’m constantly trying new things in worship to keep things fresh and to make sure we see it all with new eyes,” he added. “That’s an important thing when working with ritual. You want to make something familiar but present it in a different way in order to examine it.
“The idea of doing ashes to go was making a statement to the community that we are here for you. You don’t need to do things our way in order to engage in this ritual. We think that public penance and publicly examining yourself, which is what Ash Wednesday is, should be available to everyone who wants it.”