Pastors to distribute Lenten ashes in park
Five Butler County Lutheran pastors are banding together to offer a public imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday in Diamond Park.
The event, which will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature ministers from First English Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, Grace @ Calvary Lutheran Church, Rider Lutheran Church and Camp Lutherlyn, placing ashes on the foreheads of people to mark the beginning of Lent, the 40 days leading to Easter.
“I think it is a good idea. It is the tradition of the church to impose ashes on Ash Wednesday,” said one of the event's organizers, the Rev. James Dollhopf, pastor of First English Lutheran Church, 241 N. Main St.
“I think what we are planning on doing is each pastor will do a quick confession, then a prayer and then impose the ashes,” said Dollhopf. “It is going to go very quickly. It's not like a formal service.”
“The plan is, as people come up, to share a prayer with the people and then put the ashes on their foreheads,” said the Rev. Joel Benson, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 Sunset Drive in Center Township. “Not all the pastors will be there at the same time.”
'I read about this,” said Benson. “It sounded like this was something that is unique and a way to reach out to the community.”
Benson stressed participants don't have to be Lutheran to receive ashes during the Diamond Park event.
“We're imposing ashes for anyone who wants them,” said Benson. “We are not going to proselytize or go after people.”
According to the Rev. Jim Higgins, one of the interim pastors at Grace @ Calvary, 123 E. Diamond St., the ashen cross is a very old, very rich symbol marking the beginning of Lent and a reminder to Christians of God's judgment and condemnation of sin.
Dollhopf said the ashes mark the beginning of a 40-day period of penance and self-denial leading up to Easter.
“My definition of self denial is to focus on how we can serve others,” said Dollhopf. “To ponder how we can be reconciled to each other and creation and God.”
“Many churches are having Ash Wednesday services,” said Benson. “But they are more formal and not in the public square.”
“This is our way of trying to reach out to the community, invite them to be part of this journey with us,” said Benson.
Both Benson and Dollhopf said the Lutheran Church wasn't as accepting of the custom of applying ashes in the recent past.
“I think what it was, was for a long time the Lutheran Church set itself apart from the Catholic Church, ”said Dollhopf. “It's only been in the last 50 years that the concentration has been on what we share in common.”
Dollhopf said First English, Trinity Lutheran, Grace @ Calvary, Rider Lutheran Church and Covenant Presbyterian Church will also be swapping ministers for Lenten services.
“We are focusing on our faith during the Lenten season, so we have the extra worship service,” said Dollhopf.
He said he expects each of the Wednesday night services to attract 150 to 180 attendees to each of the churches hosting a service.
