In this issue:

• THE METHOD AND FRUITS OF JUSTIFICATION, by Martin Luther
• Tobacco Shops
• Trout Flies by Himalayan Deaf Ladies
• End Notes

This issue marks THE CHURCHWARDEN'S second full year of literary weirdness. The response from my readers has far exceeded any legitimate expectation, and for that I am profoundly grateful. Personally, though, I have been quite disappointed with the CW's quality since early Spring. House hunting, house buying, packing, relocating, unpacking, church and family commitments, along with an increased work load have kept me too busy to maintain a decent standard of editing and writing. Were it not for the fine contributions of a few friends the newsletter certainly would have suffered beyond what it could bear. Unfortunately, I must highlight two additional headaches which promise to plague THE CHURCHWARDEN indefinitely.

First off, as some have already noticed, the hardcopy edition has not been sent out since August. The reasons are many, but money--or more accurately, the lack thereof--has played a major role in the demise of the snail mail version. The move from a dingy apartment to an overpriced people-box has jacked up my living expenses considerably. Consequently I have not been able to sustain the high cost of printing and mailing paper copies of the CW. Next year it will be totally impossible to do so. However, THE CHURCHWARDEN should still be on-line at: www.geocities.com/chwrdn

Please do not offer monetary help to alleviate the situation. I am not set up to receive funds in an ethical manner. Furthermore, the trust-relationship I have established with those who peruse these pages is too precious to risk on a possible accusation of financial impropriety.

Secondly, the publication schedule will have to change for the worse during the next twelve months as well, perhaps even longer. My company has given me a new job which might entail more time and trouble in the coming year than the corporate powers-that-be ever envisioned Furthermore, family and ecclesiastical responsibilities are multiplying as well. As a result the opportunities to pound a keyboard could be severely limited. At least that is how it looks for now. Therefore, I feel it would best to attempt six respectable issues of the CW (on the web} in 2002, rather than twelve mediocre ones.

Despite the problems mentioned above, my desire to keep THE CHURCHWARDEN available to an extremely supportive readership remains undiminished. Thus, I look forward to the future with the prayer that God would enable me to do more than I can envision at the present moment.

To Him alone be the glory.