Maple Grove Church Delivers Blessings, Drive-Through Ashes

While many people celebrated Valentine’s Day on Wednesday, Christians also observed Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.

Every Ash Wednesday, Maple Grove Lutheran Church celebrates the day in a unique way.

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” Pastor Christine Chiles said as she put ashes on a woman’s forehead.

However, Pastor Chiles wasn’t distributing ashes in the comfort of the church sanctuary. Instead, she set up in the parking lot to distribute ashes, drive-through style, Wednesday morning.

This is the 11th year Maple Grove Lutheran Church has gone with the drive-through format. It’s a quick and easy way to provide blessings to folks who can’t make it in for the traditional Ash Wednesday service, or for those who are simply cutting through the church parking lot.

“What I enjoy is just the opportunity to help people connect with God, and normally it’s not our members that come,” Pastor Chiles said. “It is people driving on the busy highways on this corner of County Road 30 and Elm Creek Blvd, so catching them, they see our signs, and the Holy Spirit is working and tugs on them to connect with the Lord.”

If you’re wondering about the meaning of the ashes, they serve as a symbol of mortality and a way to remind people that each day is an opportunity to make a difference in the world.

Maple Grove Lutheran Church is located at 9251 Elm Creek Boulevard N in Maple Grove.

Related: Maple Grove Lutheran Church Honors First Responders on 9/11

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