THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Jiminy Cricket! I never dreamed I’d be writing about an insect popularized by Pinocchio, or that this week’s piece may warrant bottom-of-the-barrel placement. I may have reached a new low, what with insects in the spotlight. Late author Carlo Lorenzini got by with it with his ever-popular fairy tale novel involving a wooden-figured boy whose nose
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By Loretta Fulton By the end of the day Saturday, a prayer offered by Bishop Ruben Saenz had been answered. He opened a United Methodist Unifying Conference Saturday morning at the Abilene Convention Center with a prayer that included thanksgivings and petitions. “We pray for unity in our purpose,” he said in the opening prayer. That prayer apparently was answered
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By Jim Nichols There are eight items on the fireplace mantle. In the center is the ticking clock that is approximately accurate. The other seven items are photographs of grandchildren. One of those photos sits on top of the clock and will be there for the current week. The other six are to the left and right of the clock.
Read moreBy Danny Minton Over the decades since becoming a Christian, I have worshipped and worked with congregations in numerous cities. Along the way, there have been some good experiences and some learning experiences. Looking back, each one had its good qualities and areas needing improvement. In all my former experiences, one stands out as what a “church” should be like.
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By Glenn Dromgoole One of the many things I like about Loretta Fulton’s Spirit of Abilene website is that it is trying to keep alive something that has almost become extinct: the importance of personal commentary or personal journalism to the fabric and spirit of a community. Unfortunately, that’s missing from most daily newspapers these days. There was a time,
Read moreBy Marianne Wood I work for a storyteller who writes about and photographs the people he meets and the places that take his breath away. Since I like stories and pictures a lot, I find my work engaging every day. It is challenging but great fun to work for a storyteller. There are many authors, painters, photographers, and songwriters that
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Rev. Nilo Nalugon, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood with a special Mass at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. He was assigned to Holy Family effective Oct. 16, 2023, by Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo. Rev. Nilo Nalugon, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church The
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By Loretta Fulton McMurry University welcomed its 11th president, Dr. Lynne Murray, at a news conference and reception Friday, Sept. 27. She will take office in January. Murray was introduced by Dr. Sandra Harper, current McMurry president who will retire at the end of the year. David Bailey, chair of the search committee, and Kathi Edwards, chair of the board
Read moreBy Danny Minton Have you ever walked through a cemetery and read the markers? I do this each time I preside over a funeral at the gravesite. Markers will vary from cemetery to cemetery, with the most interesting found in small-town cemeteries or the older sections of established ones. I read the names and dates that represented their lives. Sometimes,
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