By CARLO SOSA-ORTIZ Sing, Daughter Zion, shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion;
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON “Christmas Tree Lightings:” you see them in movies, and many cities around the country enjoy one in the town square every year. They occur in the nation’s capital, state capitals, neighborhoods, malls, and about anyplace a group wants to have one. They initiate the beginning of the Christmas season. The dates will vary, but the excitement they
Read more
(Editor’s Note: Monica O’Desky is the cantor at Temple Mizpah, 849 Chestnut St. She travels to Abilene for special services, including Hanukkah, which will be observed Dec. 23-30. She submitted the following primer on what Hanukkah is and isn’t.) By MONICA O’DESKY For those who may not be aware, what Hanukkah isn’t, and what it is: What Hanukkah isn’t: *
Read more
By NANCY PATRICK For many Americans, Christmas celebration has begun. Sometimes people begin their preparations well before Thanksgiving. Although I’ve never done that, I have always tried to get into the spirit immediately after Thanksgiving. Years ago, I found it easier than I do now. At the age of five, my family moved to Texas from Arkansas. We began a
Read more
By GRACE SOSA This Advent season has been one of the most joyful ones I have experienced. I began the month with an exciting new job, working at my church coordinating children’s ministry. My husband and I bought our first Christmas decorations for our first home. We both finished a semester of seminary and celebrated the graduation of friends. But
Read more
(Editor’s Note: The following devotional first was published in an Advent booklet prepared by Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. A different member contributed each day of Advent.) By Kirk W. Hancock Depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, shame, rejection, abandonment, self-hatred, abuse, trauma, and grief. People struggle with these problems every day. Normal people with common problems. Their wounds are deep and painful.
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON Two Christmas traditions, Las Posadas and a Living Nativity, will be a part of the Christmas activities in Abilene next week. Las Posadas, a tradition at St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church, will be each evening Monday through Dec. 24. Families ares hosts each night. The Living Nativity will be presented outdoors on the west side of Our Savior
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON Technically, the church located at 1402 Grape St. is a United Methodist Church named Grace. But in reality, it is much more than that. It is a symbol of what can happen when two groups of people decide to join for the betterment of both. And, typical of today’s world, the two met on Facebook. Grace UMC, with
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON Christmas time is here! It seems to come around the same time every year as far as I can remember. The only difference, it comes faster nowadays than it did when I was five. It’s a time when families get together, exchange gifts, laugh together, play games, and sometimes cry a little. You drive down the street
Read more
Spirit Of Abilene 