Burke Church Offers 'Ashes to Go'

made it easy for commuters to participate in Ash Wednesday.

From 5:30 - 7:30 a.m. in the church parking lot, Associate Pastor Morgan Guyton offered "drive-thru" ashes to commuters, while Senior Pastor Larry Buxton provided ashes at the from 6 - 8 a.m.

The church's move is part of a national Ash Wednesday trend aimed at servicing increasingly time-crunched commuters.

"Ash Wednesday provides a unique opportunity for Christians to represent our faith and express our religious freedom in a non-threatening but very visible way by wearing ashes on our foreheads throughout the day," said Guyton. Guyton said these early morning options compliment the usual evening services.

"We don't want to come across as proselytizing, but want to be available to all Christians who would like to represent their faith on Ash Wednesday, regardless of denomination or church membership," said Guyton.

Burke United Methodist Church will also offer ashes inside the church from 9:45 - 10:15 a.m. Their traditional Ash Wednesday service is at 7:30 p.m.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the 40 days of preparation for Easter. Ashes are placed on the forehead as a reminder to Christians of mortality and need for God.

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