Musical Devotions: A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth

Pastor Caleb Schmiege from Divine Savior Academy shares the first ever Bread for Beggars original Musical Devotion. (We hope it won’t be his last, but the first of many to come.)

The text Pastor Schmiege choose for his first Musical Devotion is the classic Paul Gerhardt hymn “A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth.”

1. A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth, 
Our guilt and evil bearing
And, laden with the sins of earth, 
None else the burden sharing.
Goes patient on, grows weak and faint, 
To slaughter led without complaint,
That spotless life to offer, 
Bears shame and stripes and wounds and death,
Anguish and mockery and says, 
“Willing all this I suffer.”

2. This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great friend, 
The Lamb of God, our Savior;
Him God the Father chose to send 
To gain for us his favor.
“Go forth, my Son,” the Father said, 
“And free my children from their dread
Of guilt and condemnation. 
The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
But by your passion they will share 
The fruit of your salvation.”

3. “Yes, Father, yes, most willingly 
I’ll bear what you command me.
My will conforms to your decree; 
I’ll do what you have asked me.”
O wondrous Love, what have you done! 
The Father offers up his Son,
Desiring our salvation. 
O Love, how strong you are to save!
You make his bed within the grave 
Who built the earth’s foundation.

4. From morn till eve, in all I do, 
I’ll praise you, Christ, my treasure.
To sacrifice myself for you 
Shall be my aim and pleasure.
My stream of life shall ever be 
A current flowing ceaselessly,
Your constant praise outpouring. 
I’ll treasure in my memory,
O Lord, all you have done for me, 
Your gracious love adoring.

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76, abr.; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis, 1941, alt.