By DANNY MINTON January 30, 1933, is a date very few of us have in our list of dates to remember. However, of all the dates in the 20th century, that day would stand out as a day that changed the world. On that day, an unlikely candidate became chosen as chancellor of Germany. Even though the date may not
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After postponing Summit last fall, Abilene Christian University is hosting a spring version March 31-April 1. Registration opens at the end of January. ACU also will introduce a new Summit director, Jennifer Schroeder, who has served in congregational ministry the past two decades. She also is an accomplished musician, teacher, and scholar. Click here to read more about Schroeder. ACU
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Dr. Jennifer Schroeder is the new director of Summit at Abilene Christian University. Her first Summit will be held on campus March 31-April 1 after being postponed from last fall. Karissa Herchenroeder, assistant director of the Siburt Institute for Church Ministry, recently posted a Q&A with Schroeder. Click here to read the Q&A that was included in Mosaic, a blog
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By NANCY PATRICK Do you remember reading George Orwell’s novel 1984 or Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World? When I first read them in 1968, the predictions of future society seemed farfetched; however, much later as I taught literature students through three and a half decades, I realized that many of the predictions had actually happened or would soon manifest themselves.
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By JIM NICHOLS It was raining at recess time for the second day in a row. Yesterday the fourth-graders had to play some sort of inside game in the room and now, it appeared, that was going to happen again. The teacher proposed the same game as yesterday and added an alternate. There was brief class discussion of the options
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By LORETTA FULTON Unity–a major tenet of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message and legacy–was evident Monday as Abilenians gathered to honor the slain Civil Rights leader and pastor. Monday, Jan. 17, was the official holiday honoring King, who was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. In the afternoon, people
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By LORETTA FULTON About 80 Abilene Christian University students honored the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday in a way that he certainly would have approved of. Instead of taking a day off on the holiday set aside to honor King, the students spread out over Abilene Monday morning to do community service work for three agencies–Christian Service
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By DANNY MINTON In a summer many years past, Kathy and I made one of the most difficult decisions we have ever had to make. We were not getting a lot of support with our son, Scottie, so it was becoming challenging as an all-in-one youth, children, and education minister to balance work and home. He was in the hospital
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Jay Moore’s newest book, “Abilene Daily: Snapshots of Home,” contains one or morevignettes from Abilene’s history for each day of the year. Periodically, stories with some connection–however loose–to Abilene’s religious life will be featured in Spirit of Abilene. The book can be purchased at Texas Star Trading Co., 174 Cypress St. www.texasstartrading.com or call 325-672-9696. Books are $27.50. Following is an excerpt from
Read moreThe Highland (Christian Ministries) Food Pantry on Walnut Street and the Abilene HungerCoalition, through the the AmeriCorps Equal Heart initiative, is recruiting three to four individuals to assistthe food pantry this winter/spring. The recruits will help reduce community hunger to low income families during the COVID-19 crisis, assist with the direct service and development of the various meal or grocery
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By JIM NICHOLS I taught a biology majors seminar class for many semesters targeted at students in their senior year of college. One of my favorite questions to ask them was to identify the person most responsible for determining their academic major and direction. That is, “Why are you a biology major? What or who slanted you here?” As one
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Liturgical worship will be the topic of the monthly meeting of the Abilene Interfaith Council, with Rev. David Romanik, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, presenting the program. The meeting, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, at Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. Liturgical worship, meaning the service
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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Kristy McDonoughksmcdonough89@lorettafulton During the month of December 2021, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, primarily youth, collected brand new and much needed household supplies for local refugees. Their efforts were aided by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Abilene. After the gifts and supplies were collected, church youth members gathered
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On Sunday, Jan. 9, members of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, led by senior pastor John Whitten, dedicated the completed Phase 1 of a building project to enlarge and remodel the complex at 701 S. Pioneer Drive. The building project is part of a three-year campaign called Pioneer Possibility. Reed Ambrose, director of communications at the church, said members are in the
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By LORETTA FULTON For the first time, the women’s auxiliary of the Texas State Missionary Baptist Convention will meet in Abilene on Jan. 15. Host church will be Valley View Missionary Baptist Church, 3564 Clinton St. The Rev. Andrew Penns is pastor of the church. The meeting is a workshop for deaconesses and for wives or widows of deacons in
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By DANNY MINTON We moved into a small home on 21st Street in Plano in January of 1954. It was blue then, and the left side was a single-car garage. Plano had fewer than 2,000 residents. We were on the west side of town, and I could stand in my yard and overlook the fields where the North Central Expressway
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Abilene Christian University’s Baptist Studies Center is hosting a webinar at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, with two presenters from Baptist congregations in Dallas. The webinar is free to the public but registration is required. A link to the webinar will be sent on Jan. 18. Click here to RSVP. Title of the webinar is “Community Ministry: What Have We
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“Let Us Walk Together” is the theme for the annual local event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A march across the MLK Memorial Bridge is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17, when participants will gather in the parking of the Woodson Center for Excellence, 3424 Cockerell Drive. Plans have not been announced about speakers for the
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By MARIANNE Wood I’ve arrived at that age: the comfort-first stage. A long time ago, creamy white leather pumps completed my wedding ensemble, though they proved too tippy for continued use after that special day. I briefly wore a pair of really high-heeled Bandolinos. Gee, they were pretty. And they made me feel that way. And always a fan of
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury As the old year ended, so did the lives of two one-of-a-kind icons, one in the world of sports and the other in theology. They died four days apart, 85-year-old John Madden in California, and almost 101-year-old Dr. John W. (Jack) MacGorman in Fort Worth. (Dr. MacGorman was born on the day after Christmas
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By JIM NICHOLS It was a conference organized like many other conferences. A parade of speakers came to the podium to present papers dealing with a particular area of interest to the participants. The conference organizers had supplied a meeting room, a screen and projector, and a computer connected to the projector. Each new presenter inserted his or her flash
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By NANCY PATRICK Most people consider me a nice person. Lately, I’ve wondered if that description still aptly applies to me because I certainly don’t always have nice thoughts. Could I blame it on the social pressures with COVID during the past two years or my advancing age producing less patience than I used to have? For whatever reason, I
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By DANNY MINTON The most important teachings of Jesus involve “Love.” He teaches us to love God while the message of loving our neighbors presents a picture of how we love God. However, Jesus doesn’t stop there. He tells us we are to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us. That command becomes one of the most
Read moreLifelong Abilenian Peggy Beckham died Dec. 29. A celebration of life memorial and inurnment service will be held at a date to be determined at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest. The following obituary is from the Hamil Family Funeral Home website. Soli Deo Gloria! Peggy Hardaway Pattillo Beckham passed away peacefully at her home on December 29, 2021.
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Big Country CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is beginning a new training session. For more information on becoming a CASA volunteer, go to http://www.bigcountrycasa.org, or call Rebel Taylor at 325-677-6448.Winter January 2022 New Volunteer Training in CASA Office (Trainees must attend ALL sessions for each class)Thurs Jan 13th @ 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. OrientationMon Jan 17th @ 5:45 – 9:00 p.m.
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The Pew Research Center has posted its most striking research findings from the past year. These 15 findings cover subjects ranging from extreme weather to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing demographic shifts in the United States. You can also check out the center’s full list of research publications from 2021.
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By JIM NICHOLS Perhaps this might make more sense if I write it out; sometimes that seems to help. I am thinking about how it is possible to be by yourself even though you are surrounded by humanity. My scientific background combines with my social consciousness to cause me to recycle physical material when possible. My current community has not
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By LORETTA FULTON Each December, members of Religion News Association, including Spirit of Abilene creator and editor Loretta Fulton, choose the top religion stories of the year. Voted Number 1 for 2021 was the role that religion played during the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump insurrectionists. Some voiced Christian prayers, while others displayed Christian or pagan
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By MARIANNE WOOD Recently, a friend shared a long list of challenges from the past year. I know some of you could do likewise. I could, too. But while making lists of trials and disappointments can be cathartic, the optimist in me tries to live up to Greer Garson’s injunction to tilt the mirror up “toward the cheerful, the tender,
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Editor’s note: The following news release was issued Monday, Dec. 27, concerning the death of Sarah Ragel Weddington, a 1964 graduate of McMurry University. Weddington had a distinguished legal career following her years at McMurry and was best known for successfully arguing Roe v Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court. McMurry University Office of the President McMurry University is saddened
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Jay Moore’s newest book, “Abilene Daily: Snapshots of Home,” contains one or morevignettes from Abilene’s history for each day of the year. Periodically, stories with some connection–however loose–to Abilene’s religious life will be featured in Spirit of Abilene. The book can be purchased at Texas Star Trading Co., 174 Cypress St. www.texasstartrading.com or call 325-672-9696. Books are $27.50. Following is an excerpt from
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By NANCY PATRICK As we near the end of 2021 and begin the new year of 2022, we have a time for reflection—reflection on what has happened and what may happen in the future. I struggle to discern the difference between importance and irrelevance. I sometimes get busy or distracted and become bogged down in peripheral things. The older I
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By JIM NICHOLS This is not really a sports story, although a sports comment was the stimulus for it. As I am writing this, it is the college football “bowl season.” Teams have played their regular season games and the supposedly best teams now have a bonus game, a bowl game. When I was younger, there were just a few
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By DANNY MINTON Mention December 7 and most of our minds will go back in history to Pearl Harbor. It was a time Christmas became a time of depression and sadness for our country as we entered into the Second World War. Not only would the war be with Japan, but with a foe from a previous war, Germany. December
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After a year’s absence, thanks to COVID-19, the traditional Watch Night service will once again be held 10 p.m.-midnight, Friday, Dec. 31, at Macedonia Baptist Church, 608 N. Seventh St. Rev. Deori Newman, pastor of Ash Street Baptist Church, will preach the sermon. The service is sponsored by the Greater Abilene Ministers Alliance. The service, originally called “Freedom’s Eve,” commemorates
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Editor’s Note: To add church services to this list, email information to editor@spiritofabilene.com By LORETTA FULTON The traditional glow of candlelight will once again be experienced on Christmas Eve, as most churches return to in-person worship. COVID-19 and its variants are refusing to go away, but Christmas Eve services won’t be affected this year as much as in 2020. Some
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Jay Moore’s newest book, “Abilene Daily: Snapshots of Home,” contains one or morevignettes from Abilene’s history for each day of the year. Periodically, stories with some connection–however loose–to Abilene’s religious life will be featured in Spirit of Abilene. The book can be purchased at Texas Star Trading Co., 174 Cypress St. http://www.texasstartrading.com or call 325-672-9696. Books are $27.50. Following is
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By DAN R. STIVER “Resurrection happens every day.” This is a saying by Juergen Moltmann, one of my favorite theologians in his book, The Way of Jesus Christ. It means that the power and dynamics of the Resurrection are still present, not just long ago but continue to this day. Jesus came proclaiming that the Kingdom of God has drawn
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By JIM NICHOLS Every family has a set of Christmas traditions; they might not make sense to anyone else, but they are important to the family. The traditions are often accompanied by memories that reach outside the family itself. In this case I am thinking of my friends Neal and Bill, folks no longer in my life nor the life
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By DANNY MINTON This week’s title may seem strange, but the same theme connects all three. Most of us know of Stephen, a Christian in the first century stoned to death before an angry group in Jerusalem. We first learn of him in Acts 6, where he was chosen with six other men to serve the physical needs of the
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By MARIANNE WOOD Perhaps you know the sticky note story. These ubiquitous and often colorful bits of notepaper come in many shapes and sizes. Once, they were only pale yellow rectangles. Envisioned by 3M chemical engineer Art Fry in 1974 as his mind wandered during a sermon, Art was inspired to create the notes that would not leave a trace
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Community Las PosadasWhen: 6-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20Where: St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church, 2525 Westview DriveAdmission: Free, pubic invitedDetails: Event will include traditional reenactment of the journey of Joseph and Mary to find a place to give birth to Jesus, followed by Ballet Folklorico performance, mariachi band, raffle, vendor booths More information: Contact Aida Pantoja for more information or to
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Jay Moore’s newest book, “Abilene Daily: Snapshots of Home,” contains one or more vignettes from Abilene’s history for each day of the year. Periodically, stories with some connection–however loose–to Abilene’s religious life will be featured in Spirit of Abilene. The book can be purchased at Texas Star Trading Co., 174 Cypress St. www.texasstartrading.com or call 325-672-9696. Books are $27.50. Following is an excerpt
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By LORETTA FULTON Even COVID didn’t knock out the Living Nativity production last year at Our Savior Lutheran Church–and it won’t this year, either. “We generally have it unless it is freezing and raining,” said Janna Atkins, who has been director of the pageant since 2003 and a member of the cast for years before that. The Living Nativity will
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Bishop Michael Sis of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo wrote the following column for the West Texas Angelus, the diocesan newspaper. It is reprinted here with permission. By BISHOP MICHAEL SIS Christmas is a celebration of the Incarnation of God. It commemorates the fact that the eternal Son of God took human flesh and become one of us for
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By JIM NICHOLS It is important that we not miss repeated stories and illustrations in scripture. Good pedagogy emphasizes repetition and Jesus certainly knew that. Collectively, many of his parables or descriptions also indicate that he had a different view of mathematics and, in fact, economy, than we do. We would do well to notice how far our views are
Read moreBy JIM McDONALD As we prepare to close the year 2021 it is actually a time for the celebration of Advent, the time of anticipation of the birth/sacrifice of God’s son, Jesus. This earthly holy birth is a monumental event that demonstrated God’s grace by reiterating His eternal and profound love for everyone. As a result we muster an extravagant
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By DARRYL TIPPENS Christmas is in the air. I mean this quite literally. We know it’s Christmas because of the distinctive scents of the season. Whether it’s the fragrance of the pine boughs brought indoors or the odors of steaming hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies, and cinnamon rolls wafting through the house—our noses know. It’s Christmas. This is just as it
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By NANCY PATRICK Holidays are here again. ‘Tis the season for happiness and joy. Beautiful Christmas lights adorn houses as lighted Christmas trees sparkle from living room windows. Christmas music provides atmosphere in all the stores as shoppers look for the perfect gifts for their loved ones. With so much joy and excitement around, why do some of us fail
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By DANNY MINTON I met her close to seventy years ago. I don’t remember her name, and the only thing I can remember about how she looked was the white dress she wore. The day I met her was Christmas Day, and it was on that day she became the hero for a day of a small pre-school child. The
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Time delay-–a feature that allows deletion of serious blunders–has not always been a “backstop” when there’s tongue entanglement on radio broadcasts. A classic, of course, was the announcer who said he “got his tang toungled up.” Perhaps the first nationally recognized blunder occurred in June 1921, when Harry Von Zell needed to make
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