Every Sunday our service is followed by a social hour, with snacks and coffee and tea. We take it in turns to provide the things to nosh on and we buy Fair Trade coffee to fill the urns.

Today everyone seemed especially hungry--maybe the overcast, clouds threatening rain--and the food disappeared as if by magic. I had requested more fruits and veggies and platters were emptied nearly instantaneously.

Ruth brought a selection of green teas for people to try. I didn't know there were so many to choose from. The jasmine green tea was heavenly and so was the one from a square tin, loose tea, with the lable all in Chinese.

Then we had an amusing session of "reading" tea leaves, with the predictions getting more and more far-fetched, some of the best contributed by the men who pooh-poohed it at first, but then got into the spirit of the thing.

It was the perfect complement to a very serious sermon, though I'm not sure the visiting minister understood our out-in-left-field sense of humor.

And next time I go shopping, I'm going to get some jasmine green tea.