„Can You get us a copy?” That´s how this story started. A colleague from St. Louis was looking for the second volume of Bizer´s: “Light on my path”. It´s got daily lessons from the Old and New Testament in Hebrew and Greek with some lexical & grammatical help. It´s out of print, but German secondhand shops still carry it. So, in next to no time Klaus Busenius got the little booklet to me. It was just 3,90€ to Luthercity Wittenberg all the way from Lüdenscheid.

At the Post Office a friendly official informed me at the first counter that parcels to the United States cost 55€. It´s a uniform price for parcels – irrespective of size and weight. It´s got something to do with Corona too. That´s hefty compared with the book´s price tag of just over 10€. So, I returned and checked with FedEx (48€) and DSL (52€) before I got clearance from St. Louis: “Do it!”

Back at the Post Office I landed at the next counter. An old man (my age!), who just moved to Wittenberg served me. After listening to my Litany on exorbitant postage, he asked, what I was sending. “A book!” “So, that´s paper, isn´t it?” “Yes.” “Well, let´s send it as a letter. You´ll have to write the address on the box. That sticker won´t do. And don´t write Your return address down below. Write it in the top left corner. Computers are stupid. They will take the address at the very bottom as the mailing goal. Then You might have Your parcel back tomorrow already.” Said and done. Nothing extraordinary. “That costs 3,70€!” Mailage was 3,70€. That´s 20cents less than to Lüdenscheid out in Germany´s West, but who was I to complain. The guys in St.Louis wouldn´t mind either. Greeting the friendly official at the first counter on the way out, I felt great, but she could not see my big smile – after all it was covered by the mask still required in public places.

This reminds me of a story years back in Piet Retief, (LSB 609) I got to pick up postage. That day I received a notification in my post box 758, that there was a parcel of books to be picked up at the counter. The official informed me, that I owed R2,750.00 in taxes for the imported books. That too was way more than the books were worth and so I refused to take the parcel. The official didn´t argue but put the parcel up on the shelf and I left for home. Pretty down in the dumps. Some weeks later, I was at the post office once again. Again, I had to pick something up at the counter. I saw that my parcel was still up on the shelf. I asked the official behind the counter about it. He took it down, saw my name and address and handed it to me for nothing. This time I left with a broad smile for all to see. It was still the time before masks and other plagues.

When I told my mother, she replied: “That´s why we talk about tax-collectors and sinners in one breath!” Well, the bells of St. Mary are tolling and it´s time for the morning prayers.

The peace of the Lord be with You + Let us sing and pray as we ponder the Gospel:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5,6

1 Jesus sinners doth receive;
Oh, may all this saying ponder
Who in sin’s delusions live
And from God and heaven wander!
Here is hope for all who grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

2 We deserve but grief and shame,
Yet His words, rich grace revealing,
Pardon, peace, and life proclaim;
Here our ills have perfect healing.
Firmly in these words believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

3 Sheep that from the fold did stray
No true shepherd e’er forsaketh;
Weary souls that lost their way
Christ, the Shepherd, gently taketh
In His arms that they may live:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

4 I, a sinner, come to Thee
With a penitent confession.
Savior, mercy show to me;
Grant for all my sins remission.
Let these words my soul relieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

5 Oh, how blest it is to know:
Were as scarlet my transgression,
It shall be as white as snow
By Thy blood and bitter passion:
For these words I now believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

6 Now my conscience is at peace;
From the Law I stand acquitted.
Christ hath purchased my release
And my ev’ry sin remitted.
Naught remains my soul to grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

7 Jesus sinners doth receive;
Also I have been forgiven;
And when I this earth must leave,
I shall find an open heaven.
Dying, still to Him I cleave:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

Erdmann Neumeister (1671-1756)