The CEO came to work last week really, really ill.  I had to interact with her on a project.  Saturday, I was in denial.  Sunday, I thought perhaps all was well.  Today, each hour that has progressed, I have grown more and more suspicious of the sore throat and coughing that can no longer be denied.

It looks like I will be spending my week off, Holy Week, ill.  This is not what I planned.  I was to be at Bettina's house, but the timing was just not right.  It is good, now, that I am not there, lest the household fall ill.  I fear that I am being dragged inexorably down the road to some fierce chest cold.  May I be utterly and completely wrong!

Bettina, magnificent woman that she is, after agreeing visiting just now is not, perhaps, the best course of action, came up with THE PLAN.  It is a great plan.  A wondrous plan.  Her plan is that we play at least one game of Scrabble each day that I would have otherwise been at her house.  Saturday, I knew not of the plan and so messed with her timing, but we managed to play both yesterday and today.  Given that I won a very close, very tight game today, I am looking forward to tomorrow.

However, today, we also plowed through Walther's 14th Evening Lecture.  My eyes are too blurry to type out whole passages, so I want to save this for later.  But I did find it a glorious read for it not only taught what Lutherans believe about salvation, but essentially labeled us Bible people.  I like that!

One of the scripture examples Walther uses in this lecture is Paul's conversion.  Before we read through this section, I told Bettina it gave me great pause when I first read how he framed Paul:  a torturer and a murderer.

Now, I would proffer that most any Christian today would leap at the chance to have Paul as his pastor, be in his parish.  But would we so readily walk in the door of a church lead by a former murderer, by one who not only tortured people but did so in order to get them to deny our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  I would believe the answer would be a great big "NO!" were that the case.  However, that is exactly the case with Paul.

Think about that for a moment.

Then...think about the fact that he did so, rather zealously, because of his belief that he was doing the right thing to serve God.  This learned man, steeped in scripture, persecuted the very ones who believed in the Son of his God.

It is my opinion that God chose just such a sinner...a murderer and torturer...because His message, the Gospel, is not about what one man thinks.  It not about what man did, did not do, or ever will do.  It is about what Christ did, does even now.


Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief!