For many centuries, lent has been acknowledged by some Christian denominations with a solemn assembly of believers meeting together at church. The Ash Wednesday church service is very different from a typical Sunday morning in that it takes place on a Wednesday, 6 weeks before Easter Sunday, and it includes believers receiving ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross.

What the Ash Cross Means
That cross is intended to remind them of their humanness, that the Bible says they were made from dust (Genesis 2:7), and that man is sinful, which began with his sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:16-25).

Therefore, all people need Jesus as their Savior. Jesus’ death on the cross satisfies the penalty for sin, which is death and permanent separation from God. Therefore, when people acknowledge their sinfulness, accept that Jesus paid the price for their sins through His physical death on the cross, ask Him for forgiveness of their sins, believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and invite Jesus into their life to be their personal Lord and Savior, then they are restored into right standing with God. They can have the right relationship with Him both on earth and after they physically die. (Romans chapter 6, Romans 10:8-10). It’s also important to note that the cross is a complete payment. Additional works are not required for salvation (Ephesians 2:1-9).

The above is a very high level view, and a majorly summarized version of something that is profoundly deep, but it at least captures the general ideas of what the ash cross on the heads of believers symbolizes. Any points of confusion could certainly be brought to a pastor or other church leader for clarification.

What Is Ash-and-Dash?
Getting back to Ash Wednesday -- the rapid pace of life and intensifying demands of work schedules and family life have made it challenging for people to attend a church service in the middle of the week. So some churches are offering people the opportunity to receive ashes and prayer on Ash Wednesday in a drive-through, ash-and-dash type fashion.

Other churches that are near public transit have church leaders going to metro stations on Ash Wednesday and offering people the opportunity to receive ashes and prayer on site at the metro station.

Centreville United Methodist Church of Centreville, Virginia, has been offering drive-through and metro Ash Wednesday options for about ten years now. Lead Pastor Rev. Matthew G. Smith started with the drive-through option and then expanded to metro stations.

“The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many commuters expressing gratitude for the opportunity to begin their day with this meaningful Lenten observance. As a result, we expanded the practice to multiple metro locations,” Smith told The Christian Post.

The Bridge Presbyterian Church in Leland, North Carolina, said they started with a drive-through Ash Wednesday during the Covid shutdown. Senior Pastor Doug Cushing said at the time, they “sensed a deep need in people to reconnect with a church while also a need to be connected with some of the rituals of the church.”

Fast forward five years later, they’re still offering the Ash Wednesday drive-through imposition.

“We never envisioned that the drive-thru ash imposition would become so popular and appreciated,” Cushing told CP. “We typically have over 200 folks drive through at either our noon hour time slot or our 4:45 to 6 time slot.

“We see folks who come back every year. Sometimes, we meet people who begin weeping during our short ritual. Other times, people bring the family and the family pet and make it an adventure.”

There are also churches in Canada that are offering drive-through Ash Wednesday imposition. Canadian Memorial United Church is using the Ash Wednesday drive-through as an opportunity to reach out to the community and invite people to come to church, whether they drive up or ride their bike up, according to Canadian Memorial.

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