How many of the drviers going past (eg the taxi driver, the guy with the ute) do you think would even know of the existence of ash wednesday? Let alone what wednesday it falls on.
"Is it this Wednesday? Or next? Or is it the one just before Good Friday?" i can imagine them wondering.
Seriously, would you invite a friend to your house by saying "Hey Tony, i'm having a party at house - it's on St Albans Day"? And expect him to figure out when on earth that is? Of course not, but that's what we do as church.
Last time i posted a quote suggesting that the church's tendency to repel outsiders is based on selfishness. I don't think that's the whole story though. Clearly there's also a lack of thought, and an element of cluelessness about the people who live outside the boundaries of churchland.
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UPDATE: The same church has done the same thing again for "Palm Sunday".
