By LORETTA FULTON It’s official! The 2022 Christmas season is underway, with concert music, light displays, Living Nativity scenes, opera, a Christmas parade, and more festivities. Following is a partial list of upcoming Christmas events. To add to the list, send information to editor@spiritofabilene.com CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING The annual city Christmas tree lighting ceremonies will begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday,
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HPU Hosts 38th Annual Community Thanksgiving FeastArea residents and visitors are invited to the 38th annual Community Thanksgiving Feast at Howard Payne University, scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event will be held at HPU’s Mabee University Center, located at 1219 Fisk Street in Brownwood. North Lake Community Church in May will
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By LORETTA FULTON “My Little Boy, Your heart is now learning to feel many new things…” The poignant beginning of a children’s book about working through grief sets the tone for what’s to come. It should also serve as a warning to grab a box of tissues before reading too far into it. The book, Love, Mom, was written and
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Books are 7″ x 7″, 32 pages, color interior, for ages 7+, price: $12 (+shipping). To order, go to https://theblacksheeppress.wordpress.com/ By LORETTA FULTON Brian Dewayne Scott is back with a new children’s book, “A Hill of Peace,” that is sure to catch the eye of parents who are looking for Christmas gift ideas. Scott is a Nashville artist who earned
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By LORETTA FULTON Before he became one, Zachary Ingle didn’t even know that “film studies professor” was a real job. Now that he is one, Ingle gets to share his love of film and the intertwining of faith and film with his students and others fortunate to hear him speak. Ingle joined the faculty of Hardin-Simmons University in fall 2022
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By NANCY PATRICK Living in a global society as we do presents many relationship problems. These associations—whether personal, professional, social, or political—can be intricate, complex, and abstruse. People have always understood the human need for close relationships. We have long accepted that deployed military personnel often meet and marry their spouses in the lands where they are serving. The world
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By JIM NICHOLS If you have not been in this emotional place recently (or ever), this will not make much sense to you. Otherwise, it might. Recently the hospice organization for which I work part-time had its annual memorial service. Over the past twelve months, 140 enrolled patients had died, and this evening event was an opportunity for family and
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By DANNY MINTON How far would you go to show your love for your fellow man? Would you sell your house and possessions, give up your freedom for their sake, or even die for them? Most of us never face the challenge that comes from giving to the extreme for someone else. One forgotten individual who did just that was
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury My dear old dad, who absented his earthly life three decades ago, loved good jokes–both the hearing and the telling–with a slight leaning toward the latter. He shared them on workdays with his co-workers and at gatherings of kinfolk. At home, he knew that my mom and brother would hear them willingly and laugh
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By DANNY MINTON The internet is full of sites telling of the event at the Burlada, Spain Cross Country Race in 2012. The lead had come down to two men, Ivan Fernandez Anaya of Spain and Abel Mutai of Kenya. Mutai was closing in on the finish line and first place in the race when confused and thinking he had
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By Loretta Fulton Aldersgate is the latest United Methodist Church congregation in Abilene to leave that denomination and join the new Global Methodist Church. With that decision by Aldersgate members, Abilene is down to two United Methodist Church congregations. Only St. Paul and St. James remain in the United Methodist Church fold as other local congregations are moving to the
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The Abilene Interfaith Council will honor National Native American Heritage Month at its November meeting. The program, “Native American Spirituality,” is free and open to the public. It will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, in the Furr Welcome Center on the McMurry campus. McMurry sociology professor Jerry Hollingsworth and practitioners Shawna Hayhurst and Icie Mitchell will lead a
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By JIM NICHOLS Larry was a runner on the track team of a university in Oklahoma City. He was a distance runner with a slight build, and he reported that it was difficult to run at certain times of the year. He said he had been told that the physical location of his university was at the point of highest
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“My Little Boy, Your heart is now learning to feel many new things…” The poignant beginning of a children’s book about working through grief sets the tone for what’s to come. It should also serve as a warning to grab a box of tissues before reading too far into it. The book, Love, Mom, was written and illustrated by Abilene sisters
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By Loretta Fulton Surrounded by family, friends, and admirers, Penny Biddy took another step in her spiritual journey when she was ordained as a Disciples of Christ minister Sunday Nov. 6. Biddy and Chesna Riley are co-pastors of Brook Hollow Christian Church, which meets in a leased space in Woodhaven Shopping Center on South 14th Street. For Biddy, it was
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24th ANNUAL MISSION: THANKSGIVING ITEMS NEEDED AT ALL LOCATIONSMonetary DonationsFrozen Meat (Deer or Cow)Non-perishable FoodNew Socks and UnderwearCoatsSleeping BagsBottled Water & Soft DrinksTravel Size Personal Hygiene Items In addition to the schedule below, donations can be dropped off at any time at Love & Care Ministries offices:Love and Care Ministries (325) 670-0246233 Fannin StreetAbilene, Texas 79603http://www.lcmin.com MISSION: THANKSGIVING SCHEDULEFRIDAY, Nov. 187
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By DANNY MINTON I’ll turn three-quarters of a century old in a couple of weeks. I would say seventy-five but saying three-quarters of a century makes me seem more distinguished! Over fifty of these seventy-five years revolved around “church work”: Teacher, deacon, elder, youth minister, children’s minister, education minister, pulpit minister, church administrator, high school Bible teacher, and Christian school
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whe According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, growing numbers of religious and political leaders are embracing the “Christian nationalist” label, and some dispute the idea that the country’s founders wanted a separation of church and state. On the other side of the debate, however, many Americans – including the leaders of many Christian churches – have pushed back against Christian
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The Carmichael-Walling Lectures will be held Thursdsay, Nov. 10, in Room 114 of the Biblical Studies Building at Abilene Christian University. The lecture series is sponsored by the university’s Center for the Study of Ancient Religious Texts. The lectures are free and open to the public. Dr. Harold W. Attridge of Yale Divinity School will give the 2022 Lectures on
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By NANCY PATRICK Recognizing that the twenty-first century world differs greatly from the world I grew up in, I confess that I would find today’s school systems difficult to navigate. In the 1950s and 1960s during my school years, we respected teachers as role models in our society. I fearfully admired my teachers and would never have disobeyed them or
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By JIM NICHOLS Some of my old friends are “old” because our friendship has extended multiple years. Others are “old” because of their chronologic age. A few fit both categories. Regardless, I have found that old friends bring realities and truths to my life that are unique and important in my own growth. Sometimes confronting and sometimes uplifting, these friends
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Abilene is filled with houses of worship but most Abilenians are familiar with the inside of only a handful. A periodic feature in Spirit of Abilene will give you an “Insider’s View” of some of those places you may have driven by many times but never entered. By LORETTA FULTON NAME: Macedonia Baptist ChurchLOCATION: 608 N. Seventh St.WEBSITE: http://www.macedoniabc-online.org/LEAD PASTOR:
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OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILDWhen: National collection week Nov. 14-21Where: Local drop-off locations are First Baptist Church, 1333 N. Third St., and Wylie United Methodist Church. 3430 Antilley Road. First Baptist Church, Sweetwater, and Church of the Nazarene, HamlinFirst Baptist drop-off hours: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15; 2-5:30 p.m.
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By DANNY MINTON Cooler weather, falling leaves, and the smell of cedar in the air remind us that the fall season has arrived. With it comes a time of holidays and family gatherings. Halloween decorations give way to red, green, and gold, reminding us that Thanksgiving and Christmas are only days away. Television stations have already begun their holiday movie
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By JIM NICHOLS Each of us has events in our past that, in retrospect, have been pivotal in our development. Sometimes they are specific items or times; on other occasions, they are prolonged. One such in the latter category for me was the choice I made for some reason to take four years of Latin when I was in high
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By LORETTA FULTON Aldersgate United Methodist Church has moved up its date to vote on disaffiliation to 6 p.m. Nov. 10. Originally, the church was set to vote sometime in 2023, according to Dustin Wilhite, pastor. At stake is whether to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and join the new conservative branch of Methodism called Global Methodist Church or
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By LORETTA FULTON Pioneer Drive Baptist Church’s new ministry for families with special needs children is up and running with the selection of Courtney Todd as director. Todd previously served as the preschool minister for another Baptist church in the Abilene area. She started her new position as director of Embrace Ministry Oct. 2. “I am very grateful to step
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By LORETTA FULTON Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, All Saints Day and All Souls Day will be observed in the coming days, with plenty of fun mixed in with solemn religious traditions. For the second consecutive year, Pioneer Drive Baptist Church is commandeering Cypress Street for a fun-filled festival Wednesday, Oct. 26, and everyone is invited. Hours are 6-8 p.m.
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By DANNY MINTON “The Blue Butterfly” is probably one of those movies where you keep scrolling down the menu after seeing the title. It’s not an exciting movie, with few action scenes and no violence. But it is a love story. It’s the story of a mother who wants her ten-year-old terminally ill son to be able to travel to
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By LORETTA FULTON St. Paul United Methodist Church is remaining united. The congregation voted Sunday, Oct. 16, by a margin of 80 percent to 20 percent to remain affiliated with the United Methodist Church, rather than disaffiliate and either align with a conservative denomination or go independent. The new pastor of St. Paul, Benji Van Fleet, saw the vote as
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By DANNY MINTON Growing up, I played a lot of sandlot baseball. In the summer, every week, we’d get a group together and head to the field behind the old high school building. Sometimes we’d have a dozen or so, and other times we’d have only seven or eight. In those days, we had so few players, we’d play scrub
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The new main building at Hendrick Home for Children will be open to the public for tours on Sunday, Oct. 23. Guided tours will be held 2-4 p.m. Light refreshments will be served in the ballroom. Hendrick Home for Children, founded by Thomas Gould Hendrick and Ida Nations Hendrick, opened at the corner of Treadaway Boulevard and South 27th Street
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The Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney, a scholar, pastor, preacher, and activist, will be guest speaker for the Fall Religion Lectureship at McMurry University. The Abilene Interfaith Council also will count the two-day event as its October meeting. Lectures will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, and at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25. Both events will be in Matthews
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By NANCY PATRICK For many years my husband and I did not lose any close family members to death. In my early sixties, I still had both my parents and both in-laws. The closest relatives I had lost were my grandparents. That status quo began shifting during my late fifties. My parents began having multiple health issues, including cancer for
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By LORETTA FULTON A different kind of hurricane is threatening the country, one that is just as destructive as Hurricane Ian that struck Florida, Abilene Christian University professor Jerry Taylor warns. “It is an emotional hurricane that is filled with the high velocity winds of hostility and the rising flood waters of racial violence,” said Taylor, an associate professor of
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury When my aged Uncle Mort tells a story that is not “truth-proofed,” it merely means he heard it somewhere, and details may be accurate–or, more likely–figments of his imagination. Herewith is his most current tale. An habitual criminal–swearing to lead a new life on the straight and narrow–still owed society some “slammer time” for
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By JIM NICHOLS Occasionally, a question is asked whose answer is difficult. This is because there seem to be multiple facets that are conflicting. The consideration features a series of, “Yes, but . . . “statements. Sometimes we try to deal with it by asking related questions. If one enters Walmart or Starbucks, one clearly is a customer. However, if
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By LORETTA FULTON Jennifer Schroeder kept hearing people say they were longing for community, so she did something about it. And she went big. Schroeder is the new director of Summit, which is celebrating its 116th year at Abilene Christian University. As director, Schroeder came up with an entirely new format with an emphasis on community since that what people
Read moreHOWARD PAYNE UNIVERITYNEWS RELEASE Dr. Don Newbury, Howard Payne University chancellor, will sign copies of his new biography this Friday and Saturday, October 14-15, as part of the university’s Stinger Spectacular. The book, titled Faith, Fervor and Fun: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Don Newbury, Howard Payne University’s Popcorn President, was commissioned by friends of Dr. Newbury and written by
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By LORETTA FULTON The United Methodist Church is united no more. A number of local congregations have voted to disaffiliate with the UMC and join the new Global Methodist Church. That trend is expected to continue in Abilene and across the Northwest Texas Annual Conference, a regional jurisdiction. For those who have voted to disaffiliate, the change takes effect Jan.
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By LORETTA FULTON It’s finally here. After a COVID delay, a postponement, change in leadership, and a reshuffling of the format, Summit is scheduled for Thursday-Friday, Oct. 13-14, at Abilene Christian University. The event, which originated at ACU in 1918, has a new director, Jennifer Schroeder. And, something else is new. Instead of a four-day gathering, Summit now will be
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By DANNY MINTON I am rich. Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m not wealthy, but I am rich. Society uses the word rich to refer to people with a lot of money and valuables. And although that is what the primary definition of rich is in the dictionary, it’s in the second definition that we find the true meaning. I may
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By GLENN DROMGOOLE In our Presbyterian church, when we observe Communion, the pastor always says, “This is the Lord’s table. It is not a Presbyterian table. All who proclaim Jesus as Lord are welcome.” As it should be in all churches. But isn’t. I grew up Baptist, and when we observed the Lord’s Supper, as we called it, it was
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By JIM NICHOLS There is something about modern America that has trapped us in unyielding competitiveness. In every aspect of our lives, it seems that we are in some way competing with one other. From childhood, this way of life has been embedded in us. There is more negative than positive to this, but there is at least one aspect
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Clergy from the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest will conduct a Blessing of the Animals service at the Abilene Zoo on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The public is invited to participate in the free event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Churches worldwide conduct animal blessings during the first week of October to celebrate the life and ministry of St.
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By LORETTA FULTON Talk about a match made in heaven. That certainly is an apt phrase for the Fishers of Men Award and Monsignor Fred Nawarskas, the 2022 honoree. “Father Fred,” as he is called by all who know him, was honored Saturday, Oct. 1, at the ninth annual Fishers of Men dinner in Odessa. The award is given by
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By DANNY MINTON Have you ever come to a point in your life where things go so wrong over and over that you want to yell out, “Enough is Enough?” Sometimes in our lives, we get to the point where dealing with things seems to be more than we can bear. We wonder why we must face one bad thing
Read moreLove & Care Ministries will host its annual fall revival Oct. 9-12 at the Abilene Convention Center. Worship begins at 6:30 p.m. each day, followed by a meal and outreach ministries. The four-day event will feature different speakers each night, special music, food, and ministries, including clothing, haircuts, and spiritual foot-washing. The schedule follows: Sunday, Oct. 9–Jack Hardcastle, preaching. Music
Read moreGlenn Dromgoole will read selections from his new book, Just Happy to Be Here: Words to Encourage, Enlighten, Entertain, at First Central Presbyterian Church Wednesday evening. The public is invited to the free program at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5. Dromgoole’s latest book includes more than 100 inspirational and whimsical pieces collected from his 60 years as a writer. “This
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By JIM NICHOLS Bells chiming at the monastery identify the beginning of specific prayer times. Church bells in general are an auditory call to worship and attention to the gathering of God’s people. Have you ever considered how many bells we have heard in our lives and what they have meant? Today we are surrounded by bells or alarms. I
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Spirit Of Abilene 