This Ash Wednesday, we introduce our Lent sermon series, which is based on the ancient hymn
“O Love, How Deep” (LSB 544). This hymn, written in the fifteenth century, contemplates the love
of God in becoming man, taking on our life, dying our death, and rising again, all for us. But for
us to understand and appreciate this love, we must first examine ourselves and our lives to see how
we have failed in thought, word, and deed. While we may try to get credit for our socalled good
works, we all still die with nothing to show for them. But God’s love is not like our
love. Our love is self-centered and fickle. God’s love is steady, deep, and beyond all understanding
(Ephesians 3:14–19). This love of God will have no end.