Conference Minister's Corner 02-18-2026

Six or seven years ago, before Covid, my church at the time began offering “Ashes to Go” outside our parking lot. With deacons present we stuck hand warmers and toe warmers into our mittens and shoes, placed our stoles around our neck and outside we went praying this crazy new thing we were doing would work. We were lucky to be in a location where cars drove up and down the road dropping off their kids to school. We waved to everyone as they drove by – our sign nice and big on the sidewalk reading - “Ashes to Go! 8 – 10 a.m.!” Eventually we started to wave people in. “Come get your ashes. You know you want to! We won’t bite. Promise!” It’s funny how surrounding yourself with a group of fun and willing people makes you brave. The first year a few folks drove in to check us out. The next year more pulled in (we would ash their hands or foreheads right in the car if they wanted.) The response was amazing. People who hadn’t been to church in years were so grateful to receive ashes and especially to be blessed. One of our deacons would bless people with so much heart and soul she made grown men cry (in a good way.)

A couple of years later Covid showed up and we, along with other churches, sent envelopes with tattoo ashes and a blessing in the mail, left them in mailboxes, and put some on a table outside the church for people to pick up on their own. Which they did. All this is to say people apparently still need something, are searching, or perhaps just want or need to be blessed. Don’t we all?

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and Lent itself can be a blessing as you know. As Frederick Buechner says of Lent: “It can be a pretty depressing business all in all, but if sackcloth and ashes are at the start of it, something like Easter may be at the end.”

That may be the best blessing of all. Amen?

See you in Church,

Linda Hirst