IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Describing the onion as a “lowly vegetable” didn’t set well with the late Othal Brand, for 20 years the McAllen, Texas, mayor who cleared many hurdles during his 90-year earthly pilgrimage. His beloved Rio Grande Valley is now a world center for vegetables in general and for onions in particular. Ever restless and ever persuasive,
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS Several mornings we pass each other, sometimes multiple times. I am in my running shoes, shirt, and shorts. The man is driving a white vehicle and the dog is running alongside or behind. This may irritate some of you, but I am not a dog person. This probably started when I was in junior high and had
Read moreThe following statement is reposted here with permission from the Council of the Society of Biblical Literature. It first was posted on the council’s website on June 2. The Council of the Society of Biblical Literature and Executive Staff of SBL issue the following statement:We are appalled at the murder of George Floyd on 25 May 2020 by police. We
Read moreCliff Stewart, pastor, First Central Presbyterian Church Holy God, we turn to you in this time of crisis. The news is filled with despair. We speak aloud the names of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Abery, George Floyd.Communities of color bear the uneven weight of the disease of racism and injustice. There is much that is wrong in our relationships with others.
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK I don’t listen to a lot of music other than church songs or selections my friends recommend to me. However, my son recently said I had to listen to a song entitled “We Americans” by the Avett Brothers, a folk-rock group from North Carolina. I had heard of neither the song nor the artists, so I had
Read moreMcMurry and Abilene Christian universities are hosting rallies and vigils Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The ACU Carl Spain Center on Race Studies & Spiritual Action is hosting a Community Rally & Press Conference Calling for National Unity with leaders of the Abilene community at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 7, at the ACU Amphitheater, located near the bell tower. This Community Rally
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by Jacob Snowden, associate pastor for education, Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, Severna Park, Maryland. Snowden previously was director of Christian education at First Central Presbyterian Church in Abilene and served as president of the Abilene Interfaith Council. By JACOB SNOWDEN Just days ago, I celebrated Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, when the
Read moreEnglish singer and hymn writer Andrew D. Brewis is hoping to raise money for Christian Aid’s COVID-19 Appeal with his new single, This Is The Time To Pray. The new song, based on a poem by the late William Aubert Luce, was released on Saturday, May 23. To hear Brewis perform the hymn, go to thetimetopray.com. Brewis is a Christian Science pratitioner,
Read moreEditor’s Note: Dr. Mark Hamilton, a professor in ACU’s Graduate School of Theology, shared the following online Pentecost sermon that he prepared for Brookline Church of Christ in Boston. The sermon is based on Acts 2:1-21 By MARK HAMILTON Over the past few weeks, we have learned a lot: new phrases such as “social distancing,” new ways to do work
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Spirit Of Abilene 