March, 2005 Calendar In This Issue: A Valentine's Day Message from the Transition Committee The Weekend for Women Beatitudes Sermon for January 30, 2005, The Sunday of the Annual Parish Meeting Holy Cooking Pots? The Death and Resurrection of Jesus: Five Lenses Announcing the Men's Weekend The Paschal Meal The Church's New Foundation …Boxer Shorts?

by two petty thieves who prefer to remain anonymous

One rainy Sunday just before the Mardi Gras party, two of St. A's intrepid ladies went to cook up a Cajun storm in the new kitchen. And found - NO POTS! Some uncharitable feelings were expressed in un-ladylike words. Something approximating a pot was found and put to use. Not very successfully. Definitely not a holy pot.

Thus improvising, they started to cook, filling the kitchen with delicious New Awlins-type odors. While the odors intensified, they made themselves a cup of coffee. Joe, God bless him, produced a radio, tuned in to K-Mozart for us. We sat down at the kitchen table and talked. And talked. Then the glass-faced refrigerator revealed a welcome sight: an open bottle of wine. Left over, no doubt, from the recent men's group dinner held at the kitchen. We snatched that bottle, found some real glass wine glasses, put the bread puddings into the oven and really talked. About ourselves, about our fears and hopes, about our faith and our problems with it. This would never have happened between services. Here, it was truly "where two or three come together in my name …"

The Mardi Gras party was a huge success. The food was delicious and Joe Paule's grilling was a delight to watch and to share in. The costumes were a surprise and sometimes a mystery. Door prizes were awarded. The band "Fathers Know Best," was such a hit they've already been booked for Feb. 28, 2006 (next Fat Tuesday) and the bread pudding by the "petty thieves" only competed with Natalie Coutts' birthday cake for last bit of sweetness before Lenten fasts. (Happy Birthday, Natalie!) But what about the lack of holy - or even mundane - cooking pots?

Beyond all reasonable expectations, the Mardi Gras Party after expenses, made a profit of $1,001.55, enough to outfit the kitchen with quality cookware and enough left over for a corkscrew or two for anonymous petty thieves like us.

Thanks be to all of you for your support and encouragement in this great venture!

Copyright © 2005 St. Augustine by-the-Sea