By LORETTA FULTON A worship service on the campus of the Abilene State Supported Living Center is part church camp, part old-time revival, part Sunday morning worship–and all love. “Hi, Bill!” a young man yells at the chaplain, Bill Spencer. The young man is jumping up and down in his cowboy boots, greeting the chaplain, and directing music–all at the
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS It is not December and not close to Christmas, so why does this title have a seasonal ring to it? Even people who have only a passing knowledge of the Bible know a few of the most famous stories. One of those is the description of Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem and having difficulty finding a
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury For youngsters, the wheels of time turn slowly, no matter how many “hurry ups” they desire. Indeed, dream fulfillment is painfully slow. The same is often true for grown-ups, too. For Branson, Missouri, the entertainment mecca was hit hard by COVID-19. There was no magic to “grease the wheels,” but as the pandemic weakens, wheels
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK I vividly remember my mother’s words to me as I neared the door to leave home to visit a friend or go on a date: “Behave yourself!” As a teenager, I didn’t know I would become an English teacher and would study sentences of all types. Do you remember these: declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory? If not,
Read moreBY CLAIRE GECEWICZ Pew Research Center Pope Francis’ popularity dropped in the United States a few years ago amid a sex abuse crisis in the U.S. Catholic Church. But Americans’ opinions of the pontiff have since rebounded, and between February 2020 and March 2021 – 13 months that included moves by Francis to expand the role of women in the church as well as a widening
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON “He knew he would try again, fail perhaps, and try once more. A thousand, thousand times if need be, but he would not give up the quest.” Thus are the words as spoken of Samwise, the Hobbit, as he went on his quest. It was “a glowing obsession to surmount every obstacle, to find Frodo, destroy the
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By LORETTA FULTON A standing ovation–make that a rousing standing ovation–isn’t something that’s often experienced in a Roman Catholic Mass. But Sunday, June 27, was special. And admirers of Msgr. Frederick G. Nawarskas, better known as “Father Fred,” made sure he knew it. It was Father Fred’s last Sunday as pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church and the congregation wanted
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Whatever is said usually doesn’t measure up to sheer artistry, since brush-and-easel greats can land haymakers to writers who are armed only with words. Use of color and much else conveys mind’s eye images to canvas, thus usually tilting communication effectiveness scales toward artistry. ‘Tis true. Artists worthy of the title typically say more with
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS When you are a little boy, there is hardly anything more impressive than a big boy. They look like a little boy, only they are strong and fast. They can be idolized as good athletes or even role models; they can also be terrifying. Once upon a time a little boy went on an errand with his
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Spirit Of Abilene 