Ash Wednesday

[LisaW412]

Does anyone get ashes on Ash Wedensday?  Do you do "Ashes to Go" or a more traditional service, and which do you like better?  The past couple of years, I've been following Ash Wednesday on the Episcopal Church facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/episcopalian?ref=hl).  It's interesting - people post pictures of where they get their ashes, and it helps me to feel connected to a larger faith community.  This year, I'm going to post a picture of where I get my ashes, too - anyone else want to join me?

[Viola]

My church does a service with a soup dinner beforehand and then the Ash Wednesday service.  The ashes are given at the end, so you could skip the dinner, but you can't really get them except for being there.  I may have to miss it this year.

[Trigger]

We always have a service, I've never heard of just going for ashes.

[LisaW412]

Ashes to Go is a movement that has been becoming more popular as a way to give people who may not be able to get to a church on Ash Wednesday a way to observe the day and profess their faith - it's pretty interesting:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/21/ashes-to-go-on-ash-wednes_n_1291070.html

I do enjoy going to a traditional Ash Wednesday service, but I would be curious to see Ashes to Go in action and maybe get my ashes that way & see what it's like.

[Viola]

Oh, that's interesting. I was getting a different idea from the name Ashes to Go; it's more like ashes on the go--they go out to the community. That might work well where people serve dinner on the street. There could be ashes for those who wanted them.

[LisaW412]

That's a cool idea, too

[mariamagdalena]

I dropped the kids at school and hit the 8am Mass.   They go to the parish school so it was convenient!  I hugged them and sent them into school and walked over to the church.  Full Mass though.  Kids had a prayer service an hour later and got their ashes then.