Tag Archives: ashes

Why I’m doing ashes on the go

09 Friday Feb 2018

Posted by in Church, Theology

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To do ashes on the go or not, that is the question many Lutheran pastors face.  There is actually a significant amount of debate about this – is it appropriate, in appropriate, or adiaphora?  I lean towards adiaphora, a good Lutheran term that means it ultimately doesn’t matter and has no bearing on our salvation so do what works in your context.  And in my context, ashes on the go works.

Think of ashes on the go as similar to a drive through window for your order of food.  Many pastors think this demeans the practice.  Many think it cheapens the message.  Many argue that people should come to a full service to remember that they are dust and to dust they shall return.  People should make the time to attend a service when it is offered this coming Wednesday.  Or that pastors ought to offer a service at different times so those that don’t normally come will have an opportunity to go either early in the morning or late at night.

I understand these arguments and I’m willing to say that there is plenty of truth in many of these statements.  Yet…Yet, I’m still offering ashes on the go.  While people “ought” to go to a church service, we both know that many won’t.  In our culture where more and more people have not had an interaction with a church and where church is not the primary mover of culture and society anymore, there are many things that people “ought” to do when it comes to church that just aren’t going to happen.  We could offer a service at 6am for the folks who go to work early – guess what, if they aren’t part of a church, those folks aren’t going to magically show up.  They don’t go to church now, why would they go any other day?

So why am I offering ashes on the go this coming Wednesday?  Because I can for one thing.  Because Jesus didn’t say wait inside your church buildings for people to come to you.  Because Jesus said to go and tell.  I’m doing ashes on the go because it is an opportunity for people to hear the counter cultural message of the Gospel – that you are going to die, but that is not the end of the story.

Do you realize how radical it is to tell people they are going to die?  That’s what “you are dust and to dust you shall return” means.  It means you are going to die, your body is going to decompose.  But that is not the end.  Far from it.  God has more in store for all of creation.

I’m doing ashes on the go because there is a better chance that someone who receives ashes will seek baptism than if we make them jump through hoops to get ashes or receive communion – especially when they are spiritually hungry.  I am doing ashes on the go because I believe God shows up in the craziest of places and does miracles, even in a short interaction.  I am doing ashes to go because it’s not about me putting ashes on a person’s forehead.  It’s about God’s word being spoken to someone – the Word that has the power to transform a person in an instant.

If you think ashes on the go is cheapening the whole thing, then here is my suggestion – don’t do it and don’t receive it.  But don’t wail and moan about it and expect me to sit by with a smile on my face as you rip it apart.

I’m doing ashes on the go because there are many people out there who have never encountered Jesus, or had a terrible experience with church.  I’m doing ashes on the go because there are plenty of people out there who are just waiting to encounter Jesus and don’t know it yet – and they would never step foot in a church.  So I’m going where they are, in their context – in the midst of the hustle and bustle of their busy lives.  I’m going to say the words “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” And for a moment, the reality of life and death will be right there, in and on people’s faces.  No hiding.  And I believe that God will do amazing things as a result – things that I may not ever know about.

Yes, I’m going ashes on the go.  If you find yourself on the Miracles mile between Carlisle and Mechanicsburg, PA on Wednesday morning from 7am on, stop by.  I’ll be in the parking lot of Flying J and Dunkin Donuts.  I’d love to talk and give ashes.

Ash Wednesday

01 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Theology

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“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Those are the words that are spoken at churches across the world today as Christians celebrate Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday is a day many people don’t like.  They don’t like getting ashes on their forehead.  They don’t like going to an extra church service.  They don’t like not feeling happy (or rather that the focus isn’t on seeking happiness – most people aren’t happy already).

Yet, Ash Wednesday is different – it’s counter-cultural.  We have ashes put on our forehead – a reminder and a sign and a symbol for all to see.  A sign of our own mortality and how messy life really is.  And it’s out there for all the world to see – no hiding it.

Ash Wednesday is a day we are confronted with our own fear – fear of death.  And there is no escape, just like there is no escape from death.

The only other time we have to face this directly is when we go to a funeral.  And even then, our culture is shifting this so we don’t have to deal with it directly.  We have celebrations of life, remembrances of the person.  We move to memorial services out of choice so that there is no body right there in front of us.  But the reality is that the person we honor and celebrate is dead.  And at some point, we will be too.

We fear being forgotten to history, like 99.999999% of everyone who ever lived.

Most people will personally know the two generations that came before them and will know the two generations that come after them.  Sometimes we’ll be lucky and know the third or fourth generation either before or after us.

But beyond that, the people are just figures of the past, or imagination of the future.  We also have been imagination of the future.  We will be figures of the past in due time.

Tonight we are confronted with death.  We don’t like to talk about death and our own mortality.  Yet, we glorify it in our entertainment in unrealistic ways – maybe to further separate ourselves from it by making it ridiculous and outlandish.  We try to put it away from our thoughts in reality though.  But again, Ash Wednesday is a reminder – a reminder that is literally in our face, that we will all experience death.  But death does not have the final say.  It is not the end of the story.  Jesus has conquered death and sin.  As he was raised, so shall we.

Today we are reminded of our mortality.  But we are also reminded that we are marked as Children of God.  And that mark is in our face – literally.  There is no hiding it.  And from here, we are called to live out this mark in our world.  A world that fears death and being forgotten.  We go into the world with a message of hope and a promise of life.  We are called to share this with those around us.  To live differently.  To do things and be people who break away from the dichotomies of this world – where power shifts from one bad option to the other.  Instead, we are called to die to self, with ashes, and to live for new life, in a new kingdom.