Messiah begins its observance of Lent with Ash Wednesday; identical Divine Services will be held on Wednesday, February 18th at 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. The 7:00 pm service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page.

On Ash Wednesday, we introduce our Lenten 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 so-called 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. (Psalm 51:1–13; Joel 2:12–19; 2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10; Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21)