Instead of waiting inside their respective churches all day for the faithful to have their foreheads marked yesterday, Ash Wednesday, two Bath churches brought the ashes to the people. Pastor Gwyneth Arrison of Bath United Methodist Church was out on the streets of Bath, where she joined Rev. Ted Gaiser of Grace Episcopal Church in offering Ashes to Go.

“It felt like this was us bringing the church out into the world,” said Gaiser.

Ashes to Go is a practice that has grown over the past decade, partly as a convenience for those who don’t have time to stop at the church to observe, but also as an outreach effort to the community.

“People aren’t necessarily comfortable these days going into a church building, and there’s all kinds of reasons for that,” said Arrison. “So we’re offering a service to the community who still want to experience the beauty of the ashes without having to necessarily miss work or not be home with the family to cook dinner.”

Gaiser began offering Ashes to Go three years ago, despite his initial reluctance. He first took part in the practice while serving in Columbia, and was shocked at the positive response.

“In my two-hour stretch from 12 to 2, I probably imposed ashes 50 to 75 people, nonstop,” said Gaiser. “I thought: You know, there’s something I’m missing here, and maybe I need to be doing this.”

This is Arrison’s first year joining Gaiser on the streets of Bath offering ashes, and it’s part of a growing effort to foster a more ecumenical attitude in the city. There is a new Benevolent Ministry on which several churches are working together and an ecumenical sunrise Easter service that took place last year in Waterfront Park.

“We’re trying to just do more together,” said Arrison.

Millions of Christians around the globe observed Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent, the six-week period leading up to Easter.

Lent is a time of reflection and prayer for many Christians, and the period begins with the act of placing ashes in the form of a cross on the forehead. The tradition dates back centuries and is rich with religious symbolism.

“The ashes are a reminder that we are mortal and that we are going to die,” Arrison said. “(But) they are given in the shape of a cross, to remind us that Christ has given us victory over sin and death.

“It’s a very old tradition, that goes back to the early church,” she added. “It’s very meaningful.”

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