DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A Kettering church will once again distribute ashes to those looking to start off the Lenten season.
David’s United Church of Christ (UCC) said in a release the annual drive-thru event will return to the church parking lot at 170 West David Road in Kettering on Wednesday, Feb. 22. People will be able to choose to participate in the ‘Ashes to Go’ ceremony from either 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Reverend Dr. Brian Q. Newcomb is the Senior Pastor at David’s UCC and talked about how the church decided to go ahead with starting the annual event.
“We didn’t invent the idea of ‘Ashes to Go’. I had a number of UCC and Episcopal colleagues back in St. Louis, where I served previously, go out and offer ashes to passersby on the street corners,” Newcomb said.
“I was reminded of this by recent comments from Church historian and author Diana Butler Bass, and thought we ought to do something for those folk here in the Dayton area who want to begin the season of Lent in a meaningful way, but perhaps their work and family lives don’t allow them to stop everything for an hour to attend a full worship service.”
If you would like to attend to receive the ashes, it is said to be a simple process. You will drive to the church’s parking lot, and you won’t even have to get out of your car. After you receive the ashes, you will get a word of blessing for the upcoming “season of preparation and hope”, plus a card with a prayer to use in the upcoming future.
David’s UCC will hold the annual Ash Wednesday service beginning at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22. Newcomb will lead the service with the addition of hymns and special music will be shown from the Chancel Choir, the release says.
Lent is said by the release to be a tradition of the “pre-Easter season of preparation”, which lasts 40 days, excluding Sundays.
