Todd,

"The Presence" is a wonderful book, and I've read through it a couple of times. I have my 2 copies of it thanks to my grandfather's library that I inherited. I even used Part 4, Chapter 4: Our Saints as my sermon for All Saints last year...the people here loved hearing it and it deepened their appreciation for the Sacrament.

Peace,
+Peter

Brother Christopher,

Good post. Your explanation of how to understand this line in "Love Unknown" is actually the way I've always understood the text. I looked at this particular line in the same way I saw the line in the first stanza of Gerhard's "A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth" (which you also referenced): "Goes patient on, grows weak and faint, To slaughter led without complaint". Here also we can ask, "Was Jesus 'patient' or 'without complaint' as He went to the cross?" Using our own human feelings, and many of the Scriptural points you made already, we would be tempted to say no. But again, these words seek to express, in their own imperfect way, that wonderful willingness and obedience that Christ had to become that perfect, once-for-all offering for us and our salvation. And still, there's no question on both of these hymns still being wonderful meditations for us on our Savior and His work of redemption.

Thanks for the good words!

Pax,
+Peter