‘Ashes to Go’ offered in Chester

A Chester church is offering assistance to the area’s commuting Christians by giving out “Ashes to Go” at their morning coffee stops Wednesday in the borough.

The Church of the Messiah Episcopal church will offer ashes this Ash Wednesday from 6 to 6:45 a.m. outside the Dunkin’ Donuts on Route 206 and from 8 to 9:30 a.m. outside the Starbucks in the Chester Springs Shopping Center on the other side of Route 206.

Rev. Margaret Otterburn, Rector of Church of the Messiah, said Ashes to Go is a new approach to the centuries-old tradition of Ash Wednesday, part of a nationwide movement of clergy and lay people visiting busy public spaces to offer ashes.

Otterburn said the church has been participating in Ashes to Go for several years and has received significant positive feedback.

“It’s amazing how many people say ‘yes’ (to receiving ashes),” Otterburn said. “I enjoy the day very much.”

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. For centuries, Christians have received a cross of ashes on the face at the beginning of that season as a reminder of mortal failings and an invitation to receive God’s forgiveness.

“Ashes to Go is about bringing the altar into the world, it is to bring church and God into our every day places" Otterburn said. “As people get busier and busier, we need the church in new and non-traditional ways. We especially need reminders of forgiveness in the tough places of our working lives. The people who accept ashes on the street are often people longing to make a connection between their faith and the forces of daily life, and Ashes to Go helps them feel that connection.”

To learn more about the movement, go to www.AshesToGo.org.

Ash Wednesday services will also be held at the Church of the Messiah at 7 a.m., noon, and 7:30 p.m., with a children’s service at 5 p.m. The church is located at 50 State Route 24 West in Chester.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com