Which are the greatest Lutheran Lenten hymns?

In this episode, the Lutheran Ladies share their favorite Lenten hymns and discuss the results of a recent poll in the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook poll. Resident #hymnnerd Sarah then tells the stories behind the creation of two of Lutheranism’s most beloved hymns: “My Song Is Love Unknown” (text by Samuel Crossman) and “O Sacred Head Now Wounded” (text by Paul Gerhardt).

“Our favorites tend to be driven by emotion and memories,” says Sarah. “… and I don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with that. All of the Lenten hymns in our hymnal, they all have great texts. They all point you to Christ; they all point you to His suffering and death for our sins.”

Click to learn more about Samuel Crossman, Paul Gerhardt, the poems of George Herbert or the (#hymnnerd-approved!) two-volume Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns, new from CPH.

The Lutheran Ladies would also like to take this opportunity to remind listeners that — even if singing hymns together in church is off limits at the moment — Lenten hymns make wonderful devotional texts, and singing them alone or with others in your household can raise spirits and turn hearts to the cross.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and follow Sarah (@mrsbaseballpants), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erin.alter), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram.