In this issue:

• Smoking Spiritualized by Ralph Erskine
• PIPE LIGHTERS, A Letter To The Editor
• THINGS TO BE PONDERED by Dr. John Kennedy
• A Letter to Bishop Harry Hackle from Father Felim McAllister
• The Ten Marks of a Flesh-Pleaser by Richard Baxter
• A Celtic Prayer- Gifts
• Fly Fishing Wisdom From The Past
• What The Reformers had to say about Pipe Lighters
• A Quote, Saint Patrick
• Tinned Tobacco Review--Erinmore Mixture

"I should have you write a pipe article for the Churchwarden."

This from my father-in-law who, once a month, produces a dozen or more pages filled with interesting musings, reflections, reviews and humor, which he then brings to me for printing. This gives me the singular honor of being the first to read his finished product each issue.

"In fact, why don't you write one for the March issue? One page will be fine, two would be better."

I agree to this assignment. Never mind that I haven't written anything that could be called an "article" since my junior year in high school, or that I know only slightly more about pipes than I do about, say, quantum physics. These things don't matter. What does matter is that I get to play a part in this production beyond the running of a copy machine, and that Perry thinks enough of me and my opinion to actually ask me to do this. I have two weeks.

I start thinking about what I'm going to write. I quickly realize that I'm not at all sure I can produce one or two pages of anything concerning pipes, but I'm determined to do this anyway. I feel like I'm back in high school, as I have spent almost the entire two weeks thinking, and now, late on Sunday night before the deadline, I have finally seated myself in front of my computer to write. I pack a half-bowl of Cross-eyed Cricket into one of the pipes I picked up in a trade from Perry at Christmas and pray that a good solid piece of inspiration will collect all the random thoughts in my head, organize them, and send them through my fingers to the keyboard.

I had for quite some time considered becoming a pipe smoker, but had never actually taken the plunge, as I had no real idea what a "good pipe" was. Something told me that the $10.00 to $18.00 ones that you can pick up at your local CVS did not fall into this category. It wasn't until after I got married that I was properly educated in the basics of pipe smoking.

I have a small but respectable collection of pipes, all of which I have acquired from my father-in-law either as gifts or through the aforementioned trade. This includes an old style clay pipe and a very nice imported Greek piece that I got for Christmas a couple of years ago. My favorite, however, is the first one I ever received. It wasn't bought for me, but was handmade by Perry himself. A good, solid briar that sits in my hand like it was made to be there---which, of course, it was.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, let me just say that there's nothing like smoking a pipe that's made just for you. No other pipe in the world looks just like it, or smokes like it. It wasn't mass-produced, packaged and shipped off to an anonymous store where just anyone could buy it. That pipe is yours and yours alone. A certain sense of satisfaction goes along with each and every lighting of such a pipe. If you ever get the chance, have one made for yourself.

That having been said, I'm going to sit back, relax, and pack a fresh bowl of Mr. Moore's Meditative Blend (another gift from Perry) into the very pipe I've just been talking about. After that, well, the hour is late and my pillow summons me from the other side of the room. A custom pipe, a custom tobacco blend, and a warm bed with the person you love . . . that's a good night in my book.