McMurry University students stain a picnic table, left, and work in the Aldersgate United Methodist Church garden as part of a day of community service prior to school starting. Classes started Aug. 27 at all three of Abilene’s church-affiliated universities. As part of orientation week at each school, new students took part in community projects. Photos by Loretta
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON Slower than a sleeping snail! More negative than an electron! Able to stall plans with a single doubt! Look! Over there! It’s a man! It’s a woman! It’s “Obstacle Man!” Yes, it’s “Obstacle Man!” Strange creature from within our number who comes to meetings with thoughts and ideas far more negative than sub-zero! “Obstacle Man!” Who can
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By MARK WATERS “Shaped by Christian principles, McMurry University challenges students to examine our complex world from multiple perspectives in preparation for lives of leadership, service, and professional success.” This recently revised mission statement is the cornerstone of McMurry’s decision to develop a minor in interfaith studies. I will unpack the intent of the mission statement below to show the
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By DAN STIVER A recent Barna study of Bible appreciation and usage among Americans (here referring to people in the U.S.) is encouraging (https://www.barna.com/research/state-of-the-bible-2018-seven-top-findings/). It indicates that half of all American people use the Bible, many “give a lot of thought” to it, and many find it helps them to be better people. This is significant in light of reports
Read moreWho wants to go to a marriage enrichment event called Fight Night? Backers of the event in Abilene are counting on lots of couples, married or not, and singles thinking that sounds like a great idea. Fight Night is presented by Les and Leslie Parrott, a husband-and-wife team who host seminars, co-author books and appears on television programs such as
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Scott Bader-Saye, acting dean of the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, will bring an important conversation to Abilene in September. Bader-Saye will lead a conference Sept. 14-15, “Fostering Civil Conversation,” at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. The conference, which includes dinner on Friday night and breakfast on Saturday morning, is open to the public.
Read more“House Rules: Insights for Innovative Leaders” by Larry M. James is a new book from Leafwood Publishers, an imprint of ACU Press. In House Rules, James shares essential, on-the-ground leadership principles for environments as diverse as boardrooms, public housing developments, hunger relief efforts, and donor cultivation. In an accessible and conversational style, he examines practical, instructive case studies and offers principled
Read moreFred Rogers, make that “Mr. Rogers,” died in 2003, but he will never be forgotten. One of Rogers’ biggest fans lives in Abilene and will present a program on the man and his television show, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” on Wednesday. Jacob Snowden, director of Christian education at First Central Presbyterian Church, will give a program Wednesday, Aug. 22, on Rogers
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK American author Sandra Cisneros wrote “House on Mango Street,” one of my favorite stories to teach in a literature class. The story focuses on the protagonist, Esperanza, and her life growing up in a poor Latino neighborhood in Chicago in the 1950s. Most critics agree that Cisneros bases Esperanza on herself and her frequent negative childhood experiences,
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Spirit Of Abilene 