roup of clergy had been meeting on Thursday mornings to share coffee together. Most of us had come to the community within the past two years. So the weekly meetings had no agenda other than for us to get to know one another.

One January one of the members of the group suggested we try something new together for Ash Wednesday - "Ashes to Go," he called it. In some larger Urban areas, clergy had begun the season of Lent by taking to the streets and sharing ashes with those "on the go." It turned into more than catching busy parishioners who might be unable to attend sanctuary services. They found even those who might never wish to darken the door of a church were surprisingly open and interested in engaging in the ancient ritual.

My hope is that these words invite you to take a seat alongside me and eavesdrop on these coffee conversations. Savor them, like a good cup of coffee brewed from the common grounds of human hope and longing. And may it help you sense that each of us are part of something uncommon happening all around us.

-Michael Tutterow, April 2024

__________

Michael Tutterow is recently retired after 35 years as a senior pastor of churches in North Carolina and Georgia. Prior to retirement, he served for 12 years as Lead Pastor for Heritage Baptist Church in Cartersville, Ga. He now resides in Gainesville, Ga., with his wife, Vicki. They have two children, two grandchildren and two dogs. Michael continues to provide personal and professional coaching for both individuals and organizations.

He holds a B.S. in Education from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a Master of Divinity from The Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. A former journalist, he has written numerous news and feature articles, book reviews and curriculum for a variety of religious publications. This is his first book.