Drive Thru Ashes



As I wrote a few years ago (read here), I have never received ashes on Ash Wednesday. That said, I do understand that it is a meaningful observance for others as they begin Lent.

Yet I wonder why churches would offer a fast food version of this observance. Seems strange to me that the bestowing of ashes would be reduced to the level of ordering a Big Mac and fries.

At the risk of sounding crass or profane, I wonder if drive thru baptisms might be the next service that churches will be offering? The sprinkling of water seems no more of a stretch than ashes.


8 comments:

  1. Drive thru for ashes....that sounds crazy to me. I didn't grow up with ashes or doing lent but time between a person and God shouldn't be rushed.

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  2. That drive thru business to me, takes a lot of the meaning out of it! It should be approached with reverence and all focus on God.

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  3. Of all the things that should not be adapted to modern instant everything, one's spiritual practices should be at the top of the list. "Be still, and know that I am God."

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    1. Good points vanilla. I sometimes wonder if prayer is often reduced to wishing on a star or rubbing Aladdin's lamp and wanting instant results.

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  4. A woman in our church is suffering from a terminal form of cancer. I manage a "Prayer Chain" which distributes prayer requests by email to about 45 people who have said they would pray. Very easy, and I send out a few a week. But recently her husband asked if we could gather at their house, instead, to pray for her, which I was happy to agree to.

    So we've done that twice so far. The first time there were three people present: her husband, my wife, and I. The second we were joined by a few more.

    It feels as if we've become so used to "instant everything" that it is now too much trouble to take part of an evening to drive a few miles and pray with others for an hour. Easier just to receive an email and nod a quick "amen" and go on with whatever you were doing.

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    1. I absolutely love your thoughts Larry. With all of the fast food religion out there it is refreshing to hear a story like the loving one you shared.

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