Upfront February 7, 2011 Issue

Lifting weights

Ingrid Peschke, Managing Editor

Let’s start with some news. First of all, you may have noticed we’re publishing some pieces that don’t quite fill a page—not exactly an article, but an illustration, inspired idea, or a shorter experience. It’s an effort on the editors’ part to include more variety in the magazine. For instance, take a look at “Love waits to bless” by Kerry Alvarado (p. 19). Feel free to send in your shorter pieces, too. 

In response to our request for humor, we’ve received a steady (and enthusiastic) stream of content from our readers. This idea was sparked by the June 28, 2010, Sentinel on “Humor and Healing,” after which many readers asked for more on the topic. The “jokes” run the gamut from the laugh-out-loud things children say, to church signs and desk announcements, and even some homespun humor. We’ll be printing selections of these submissions from time to time, including some church bulletin bloopers in this issue (p. 21). We realize humor is highly individual and not everyone will be on the same page with it, but we hope even one smile will brighten someone’s day—and perhaps even turn thought to healing solutions. This request reaches back to the early days of the Sentinel’s sister publication, The Christian Science Journal, when founder Mary Baker Eddy saw to it that “much humor” appeared in its pages and, eventually, a humor column became a regular feature in the magazine.

Often laughter lifts worries, fears, doubts. But living a life free of these burdens, as this week’s issue explores, may seem impossible to come by. Still, there are spiritual qualities right at hand to keep our burdens light. Lead writer Michelle Nanouche encourages lifting the weights off by exercising grace (p. 14). And John Kinguru emphasizes God’s great care for His family with a heartwarming example from Kenya (p. 16).

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