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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah congregations adapted their Ash Wednesday services in response to the major winter snowstorm moving across the Wasatch Front.
The Rev. Lisa Petty, senior pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, canceled the three Ash Wednesday events she had planned to host throughout the day.
"We wanted people to stay off the roads and be safe if they didn't have to go anywhere," she said.
Petty said it was difficult to find a digital way to replicate the physical ritual of Ash Wednesday. She sent out what she called an "email blessing" to her congregation, including encouraging them to stay home and stay safe.
"Instead of physical ashes on your forehead today, may you receive this reminder of your humanity," the email read.
With the forecast showing snow letting up early Wednesday evening, Petty said she could have still held the evening ceremony, but she wanted to make sure people wouldn't be driving in the dark when the roads froze over.
"Lent is a time for reflection, and a really snowy day is a great time for reflection," Petty said. "That's the bright side of things, I suppose."
Petty found herself reflecting on humanity and the ritual of Ash Wednesday as she mourned her canceled services.
"It's a reminder of our humanity — the fact that we have come from dust, we return to dust and what we do with the time that we have with our bodies is important," she said of the holiday. "I have been praying for the congregation and the community, hoping people are safe and hoping people are doing their own things to remember the importance of what it means to be human."
Snow totals top 2 feet in valleys after massive snowstorm blankets Utah
Snow totals topped 2 feet in some Utah cities and peaked even higher in Utah's mountains after a massive snowstorm dropped a heavy blanket of the white stuff across much of the state over the past 24 hours.The Rev. Bruce Kolasch, pastor of Elim Lutheran Church in Ogden, also canceled services because he was hesitant to make his congregants drive in the storm.
He shared an Ash Wednesday devotional on the church's Facebook page in lieu of his planned service, explaining that the holiday, which marks the beginning of the 40 days of Lent, is a chance to reflect and examine one's life.
"It can and should be a time of hope and the restoration of joy," Kolasch said in the post. "That is because the focus is on God's provision of grace and mercy in Jesus through the lens of our broken humanity."
Kolasch, unlike Petty, was not upset about the snowstorm's effect on Ash Wednesday. While he appreciates the significant traditions of his church, he said the canceled service was a minor loss.
"Our faith embodies so much more than just a celebration of one day that we weren't able to do because of snow," Kolasch said.
The Rev. AJ Bush, pastor at First United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, decided to cancel the church's noon event. But she still hosted an evening service with a livestreaming option, encouraging her congregation to watch from home.
Bush said she was disappointed she had to alter her Ash Wednesday worship services. But she also said she is looking forward to celebrating the start of Lent with her congregation on Sunday instead.
"I think God shows up on all days, whether it's a holy day or not," Bush said. "This is the day that we traditionally celebrate this, and it is important to mark that day, but God will still be there on Sunday. We can find God on any of the days."
