This Week with Wesley… with Reverend Jena Finch-Manchester
Last week, we observed Ash Wednesday, and I decided to sit inside the Hub to impose ashes—because let’s be honest, the free speech area was far too cold and windy! I settled at a table, ready to talk with students, explain Ash Wednesday and Lent, and simply be present.
What an incredible experience it was. The number of conversations, and the depth of them, was absolutely exhilarating. I started with a cute little sign, but when I noticed most people didn’t even realize I was there, I upgraded to a much bigger one. And it worked. Students stopped. Conversations happened. Ashes were shared.
Here’s just a glimpse of who came to my table: an agnostic student, a couple of professors, staff members, Catholics, Protestants, people who were genuinely searching, and a young woman grieving the loss of a friend to suicide. And yes—many Christians who knew exactly what Ash Wednesday meant and wanted ashes (some with glitter, some without). My heart was full.
After leaving the Hub, I stopped by the Memorial Union to pick up flyers for our UMC summer camps, which rely heavily on college students serving as counselors. In the Great Hall, a friend kindly offered to watch my backpack, freeing me to wander the room.
At one of the first tables, I spotted an ISU student I knew. She greeted me warmly and told me she had a big test that evening from 8:15–10:15. “Great,” I said, “let’s pray now—if you’re okay with that.” And so, right there in the Great Hall, we prayed together. I also promised to pray again during her test.
Then she asked what hours I was offering ashes. Wait—what? She wanted the sign of the cross on her forehead. Of course she did! It’s Ash Wednesday! I had an ash stick in my bag, so there we stood, in the middle of the Great Hall, as I marked her with ashes and spoke those sacred words: “From dust you came, and to dust you shall return.”
I turned to the second young woman and asked whether she’d like ashes as well. She looked hesitant and admitted she didn’t understand what Ash Wednesday was about. After a gentle explanation, she said she’d sit this year out, but she took my card and seemed genuinely open to learning more. Did I really get to share all of that right in the middle of the Great Hall? What a gift!
When I returned to the church, I met with Pastor Lee for our weekly one-on-one, then rushed home to shower before dinner in Wesley Hall and our Ash Wednesday worship service. What a full, blessed day. Thank you, Lord.
After the service, as people mingled, three friends from CPC approached and invited our Wesley Students to join them for a special gathering. Pastor Jen Hibben had prepared a meaningful, interactive way to “deconstruct” Ash Wednesday with her students. She created stations that helped break down the themes of Lent. It was powerful for those new to faith and for the seasoned among us.
Friends, please join me in praying for students during this Lenten season—students learning about their faith, discovering who Jesus was and is, and bravely asking honest questions. May their love for God and others continue to grow. May they see Jesus in us, and may we see Jesus in them. Amen.
As my head finally hit the pillow that night, I thanked God for this extraordinary journey called ministry.
