Description

Humor is a reliable minister of God’s grace. In various ways, it uncouples the truth from its sting. It has a way of including its speaker on the wrong side of the righteousness equation—there’s a delightful willingness to be wrong, because you can afford to be. Humor, in other words, is an expression of Paul’s great boast: “If Christ is for me, who can be against me?”

So, we have plenty of laughs to dole out in this issue. We have an interview with comedian and show writer Jeannie Gaffigan, wife of comedian Jim Gaffigan, who talks to us about finding humor in brain tumors. We have an essay from award-winning humor writer Harrison Scott Key, and an essay on the sitcom of the century, Seinfeld, as well as a lesser-known puppet show from hell, Wonder Showzen. We have illustrations and comics from The New Yorker’s Miguel Porlan, from the zany and inimitable Glen Baxter, and from John Hendrix, creator of the “Adventures of the Holy Ghost” series. And that’s just to get your attention. The other gutbusters are merely waiting in the wings…

Contents

Opener

The Church Is Dying for a Laugh by AARON M.G. ZIMMERMAN

The Confessional

Everything I Never Learned from Seinfeld by DAVID ZAHL

A Poem by MICHAEL CHITWOOD

On Bleeding Funny by HARRISON SCOTT KEY

Depraved Puppetry by CAROLINE HENLEY

A Poem by TONY HOAGLAND

The Man of Sorrows Was a Funny Guy by BILL BORROR

For the Record: Books, Laughs, Not-So-Fresh Disciplines

Tumor Humor: Talking Faith with JEANNIE GAFFIGAN

Putting the Fun in Fundamentalism: Tales from a Righteous Youth by BEN MADDISON

A Poem by BRAD DAVIS

Message in a (Wine) Bottle by CHARLOTTE GETZ and STEPHANIE PHILLIPS

The Comedy of Mercy Is Not Strained by IAN OLSON

For the Record: Favorite Onion Headlines, New Mbird Book Titles

Laughing at Hurricanes by SARAH CONDON

A Sermon by JASON MICHELI