Ashes 2 Go

Description

On Ash Wednesday, March 6, a group of clergy and lay people from area ELCA Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopal congregations will be offering a new approach to a centuries-old Christian tradition. "Ashes 2 Go" is a nationwide movement that has clergy and lay people visiting retail shops, street corners, homeless shelters, college campuses – even drive-thru locations to mark the foreheads of interested passers-by with ashes. The ashes are an ancient reminder of our mortality and of penitence. Participants are invited to repent of past wrongdoing and seek forgiveness and renewal during the Lenten Season. "Faith is a very public matter" said the Rev. Jeff Swanson, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church. "This effort to be public as the Lenten journey begins is a declaration of our idea that faith is not just for inside buildings but is for the activities and actions of daily life. We invite the community to share and participate." In the Christian tradition, Ash Wednesday marks the start of the holy season of Lent, a time for reflection and repentance in preparation for the celebration of Easter. Pastor Swanson said, “We’re offering ashes on the street corners and at drive-thru locations because they are a reminder of need, humility, and healing, available in and through communal worship. This shouldn’t be confined to a church building. We probably need it more when we are in the middle of our busy daily business! The ashes we receive are to remind us throughout the day of our need for God, and of God’s call to us.” "Ashes to Go is about bringing the important traditions of our faith out from behind church walls and into the places we need them every day," said the Rev. Emily Mellott. "The people who receive ashes on the street are often people longing to make a connection between their faith and the forces of daily life." The group of area clergy and lay leaders will have stations in Sioux City & South Sioux City at: • Drive-Thru at St. John Lutheran Church, 2801 Jackson St. from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. • Drive-Thru at Augustana Lutheran Church, 600 Court Street. From 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. • Grace United Methodist, 1735 Morningside Ave. from 6:30 - 8:00am. • The Warming Shelter, 9th and Nebraska from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. • Courthouse and City Offices, 6th and Douglas Streets from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. • Olsen Campus Center on Peters Ave, Morningside College from 8:30 to 11am. • Hy-Vee Marketplace, Hamilton Blvd. from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. • First Lutheran Church, 3601 Dakota Ave, South Sioux City NE from 6:00-9:00 am Local congregations will offer worship opportunities throughout the day. Please contact a congregation near you for an opportunity to begin your Lenten journey in this way.