With Ash Wednesday just around the corner, Sarah’s taking a closer look at 11 “Confession and Absolution” hymns an all-new Hymn Sing episode.

Drawing on a Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook poll to identify crowd favorites in the genre, Sarah covers beloved and not-yet-beloved hymn texts and tunes, including Luther’s gut-wrenching “From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee,” Erdmann Neumeister’s “Jesus Sinners Doth Receive,” William M’Comb’s “Chief of Sinners Though I Be,” and more. Read additional stories on some of the hymn writers in the "Hymn Sing with Sarah: Communion Hymns, Part One" podcast and "Hymn Sing with Sarah: Thanksgiving Hymns!" episodes.

“These hymns are great for Ash Wednesday and Lent, but they’re also great to use as part of your preparation to receive the Sacrament,” says Sarah, adding, “Sometimes we can feel a little lost in how to prepare, or how to even pray when we feel weighed down by sins, and these hymns are a wonderful tool for us to pray through.”

Click to learn more about Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns or Eternal Anthems: The Story Behind Your Favorite Hymns, Volume 2, both of which are referenced during the episode.

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