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Feb 13, 2013 | Luke Blount

St. Stephen's Takes Ashes to School Drop-Off Line

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Across the Diocese of Texas, churches are offering "ashes to go" to people outside of the church building this Ash Wednesday. The idea behind the offering is to meet people where they are, in the streets or even in their cars, offering the imposition of ashes in a place where they feel comfortable.

 

"Some families are very nervous about anything in regards to the church," said the Rev. Lisa Hunt, rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Houston.

 

Early Wednesday morning, Hunt walked out to the St. Stephen's School drop-off line to offer ashes to kids and parents as they drove through. Most of the students are not Episcopalian, but most of them took the ashes, and some parents did as well, expressing to Lisa that they were unsure if they could make it to church with their busy schedules.

 

Some students of completely different faith backgrounds took ashes as well. The mother of one Muslim boy encouraged her son to take the ashes through her car window. "I think it is important for him to think about things like this," she said.

 

"The Muslim students really understand the idea of fasting," Hunt said as she imposed ashes on a young Muslim boy before adding, "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return."

 

This is the second year that St. Stephen's has offered ashes in front of the school. Hunt says that many parents don't know how to react when they are confronted with any type of Christian language or imagery.

 

"It is an interesting challenge. People can be in your orbit, and they can agree with your values mostly, but to practice stuff brings a kind of nervousness about it," Hunt said. "They would never come into the church, so this gives them the opportunity."

 

In Tuesday's chapel time at the school, Lisa explained the tradition of Ash Wednesday to the students so that they would understand the meaning and not be surprised on Wednesday morning.

 

As the cars and people passed through,Hunt would repeatedly call out to children and parents across the parking lot to give them the opportunity receive ashes. Some politely declined, some timidly approached and others approached the priest before she could even offer. But if Hunt had not stepped outside the church building, many people may have not had the opportunity to receive the ashes or the moment of contemplation.

 

See more photos from the event on EDOT's Facebook page.