THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury For many decades, football-loving men gathered in coffee shops to dissect the previous Friday night’s schoolboy football games. There was more dissecting than coffee-drinking. Many may not have realized it, but those games–won, lost or tied–helped to unify community spirit. For the most part, high school sports were kept in perspective, unlike major university programs
Read more
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
Read more
By NANCY PATRICK Today’s world seems much bigger than it did in my childhood. Not everyone shares that opinion because the world today allows people anywhere in the world to see and talk to each other in real time, thus creating the illusion that the world is smaller. Because of this new connection we share with people all over the
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON On April 26, 1986, at 1:23:40 am MSD (Moscow Time), Aleksandr Akimov pressed a button to re-lower the fuel rods of the RBMK reactor at the Chornobyl (Note: Ukraine prefers this spelling over the Russian, Chernobyl) nuclear plant in Ukraine SSR in the Soviet Union. The rods should have lowered seven meters but hung up at 2-2.5
Read more
By JIM NICHOLS There are some teachings in the Bible, often straight from Jesus himself, that I do not like. The problem is that I am expecting God to make decisions and judgments that parallel those that I would make in a similar situation. I am using an incorrect starting point. Students complain. Not all of them complain and not
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Umpteen years ago, I entitled a speech–cleverly I thought at the time—”From Adam’s Rib to Women’s Lib.” I provided more details than audiences wanted to know, explaining that with such an expansive title, maybe I wouldn’t wander too far off track. It was admittedly a weak joke, probably not warranting so much as
Read more
It’s been a year since Phil Christopher preached his last sermon as senior pastor of First Baptist Church. His final sermon came on Sept. 26, 2021. Christopher had been pastor of the church since 1995. He and his wife, Mary, live in Abilene and remain active in the community. Matt Cook, with the Center for Healthy Churches, is serving as
Read more
Fun and food will be served up in ample portions in the coming weeks as several churches in the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo host fall festivals. The ones either in Abilene or within driving distance are listed below. First up is Abilene’s St. Francis of Assisi Church on Saturday, Oct. 1. The church is located at 826 Cottonwood St.
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON Russell Miller didn’t attend McMurry University, but he got to campus as fast as he could. Miller is the new assistant university chaplain and assistant director of religious and spiritual life at McMurry. Marty CashBurless is university chaplain. Miller counts at least 16 family members who attended McMurry, including his own children, who graduated in 2009 and
Read more
Spirit Of Abilene 