The Abilene Interfaith Council will kick off the 2018-2019 year with an evening session called CEDAR Paneling. It isn’t exactly what it sounds like. CEDAR refers to Communities Engaging with Difference. And “Paneling” refers to a panel who will discuss their experiences when CEDAR met in Abilene over the summer. The public is invited to the meeting, which will begin
Read moreBy LORETTA FULTON Prayers said and sung, poems, including one that traveled to the moon, the beating of a Native American drum, and a ceremony of “breaking bread together in peace” added to the mosaic of the National Day of Prayer Service sponsored by the Abilene Interfaith Council. The service was held at noon Thursday at the Center for
Read moreBy SARAH DANNEMILLER What do a Muslim, mainline Protestant, Catholic, and atheist have in common? Not very much, as each operates from very different philosophical starting points. It would be odd, then, to claim that each of them ought to walk into a room together, sit down, and talk about these fundamental differences. Yet, I believe this collision of differences
Read moreABILENE INTERFAITH COUNCIL NEXT MEETING: 12 noon Tuesday, April 10, Gerhart Hall, Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. PROGRAM: Loretta Fulton, “Covering the Religion Beat” DETAILS: Free and open to the public. Lunch provided by donations or bring your own. By LORETTA FULTON Stephanie Hamm and Norm Bowman grew up as friends at Burkburnett
Read moreEcumenism and interfaith share many of the same attributes and goals as guests at the February meeting of the Abilene Interfaith Council learned. Guest speaker was Douglas Foster, professor of church history in the Graduate School of Theology and director of the Center for Restoration Studies at Abilene Christian University. Foster, a popular speaker at various venues in Abilene, spoke
Read moreBy Loretta Fulton Jewish immigrants were more than welcomed in West Texas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries–even if their religion was a mystery to most. A story in the Ballinger Ledger in 1911 explained, sort of, why a store in town would be closing on a Saturday. The real reason was that the owner was Jewish and
Read moreBy Loretta Fulton Pastors, bishops and people in the pews expressed sorrow and support for their fellow Christians Monday after a gunman walked into a church in a small South Texas community Sunday morning and opened fire, killing 26 and wounding 20 others. Worshipers had gathered at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, about 30 miles southeast of San Antonio,
Read moreABILENE INTERFAITH COUNCIL DECEMBER MEETING The next meeting of the Abilene Interfaith Council will be at noon Dec. 4 at the Unity Spiritual Living Center, 2842 Barrow St. They public is invited to the potluck lunch and program. Pizza will be available for a donation. Guest speaker will be Avalon Zakazakina, who will describe the traditional and modern Yule/Jul winter
Read moreBy Loretta Fulton “Let me tell you a story.” It’s the way Eboo Patel beings a speech. And, it’s the perfect beginning for a talk by Patel, a gifted storyteller. He proved that the evening of Oct. 11 when he presented a talk at McMurry University that was attended by members of the Abilene Interfaith Council and other Abilene residents.
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Spirit Of Abilene 