Dialogue, not preaching

It was a good choice of words when Bill Dawley spoke of the Bible as "my holy book" in his welcome to the "One God One Family" issue (November 18). His words support the continuing dialogue with spiritual thinkers of all kinds by implying that others' holy books have value as well. That's what makes a dialogue instead of preaching. And we all need to listen to and respect each other. Thank you for that subtle but powerful message.

Sandy Webb
Gallup, New Mexico

"Work together"

Thank you for the great Sentinel I get every week! It really is keeping abreast of the times and at the same time keeping the principles of Christian Science and Mary Baker Eddy. It's a joy to read and opens my eyes to many other ideas.

I, too, have attended a church with very conservative people. I see decline, instead of growth, in the church which I once attended, and this is not right. For example, no additional signs to identify our church. People have mentioned that they didn't know that our church was a church. A little girl happily put lavender from the garden in our church foyer, but the clerk told her to take it down. My message is that we must wake up and see what's happening. I believe that everyone, no matter what age, member or not, should take part as a church family, work together, and express love.

Pris Beard
Pinner, England

Helpful ideas

Thank you for the outstanding Sentinel of December 2. I was particularly impressed with the message in the article by Scott Wallence, "How a Marine is preparing for possible deployment."

The ideas he shared will be very helpful to me in daily prayer for our armed forces, since I now have a much better idea of what they have to deal with. I particularly liked Scott's statement: "The real war is the struggle each of us faces to wake up from the dream of being mortals who are always in conflict." Also, the article by Richard Bergenheim, "How many alarms do we need?" was very helpful.

Vicki Knickerbocker
St. Louis, Missouri

"Variety and depth"

The Sentinel of December 9 was of great interest. The interview with Nicky Cruz showed me the importance of evangelism, and how to help society where it's needed. The other articles supporting the theme brought variety and depth to the issue. The article by Ginny Luedeman, "Back home for the holidays," seemed like a perfect example of what authors George Gallup, Jr., and Timothy Jones were writing about in their book, The Saints Among Us.

Also, I noticed in "Letters" that a correspondant suggested that the use of a theme in a Sentinel issue meant less variety for the reader or less appeal to an individual situation. My experience is a contrasting one. As I open my thought to a new theme such as this one on "evangelism," I find a richness of ideas that not only inform me but also meet my needs for healing and inspiration. I find this help does come in unexpected ways, and I read the magazine from cover to cover, knowing I will find the help and expansive thought that I need.

I conduct a program for children in the arts, and often adapt a theme for the studies. In this practical way, I have learned what a theme can do to broaden thought by taking a trip through the many possibilities of one idea. I would like to express my support for using a theme as an educational tool. I look forward to new themes and even to a second consideration of some of the themes already presented. To me this is an expression of God's infinitude.

Betty Jane Dittmar
Centre Hall Pennsylvania

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Openions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the Christian Science Sentinel

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