By NANCY PATRICK I often write about the importance of honesty and transparency. As I look through my titles for Spirit of Abilene, I see some suggest an obsession with the idea. I seem overly invested in the topic of the danger of hypocrisy to relationships. I think this philosophy applies not only to individuals and families but also to
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By LORETTA FULTON Each December, members of Religion News Association, including Spirit of Abilene creator and editor Loretta Fulton, choose the top religion stories of the year. Those include the top national stories, international stories, and newsmaker of the year.Many of the Top 10 stories, as voted on by members, had local implications, including the No. 1 story, the Supreme
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s the time people make promises for the New Year. Actually, the only thing that has changed is that the number “2” becomes a “3” at the end of the date. Diet books and magazines will disappear from store shelves. Bikes, treadmills, weights, and many other exercising pieces will make
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“God Turned Toward You” will be the theme of the Festival of Faith featuring Will Willimon Jan. 8-9 at First Central Presbyterian Church. Willimon, professor of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School, is the author of over 80 books. He is a former bishop in the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. Will Willimon A Pew research survey
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By JIM NICHOLS Turning over the calendar presents a good opportunity to reflect on “one-liner” items collected over time. These are phrases or paragraphs that have spoken truths clearly and, often, in unexpected ways. I frequently have these on separate small pieces of paper, and they have no relationship to one another except that, for some reason, they spoke to
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By LORETTA FULTON A traditional Watch Night service will begin at 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at Macedonia Baptist Church, 608 N. Seventh St. Guest preacher will be Rev. Jeremy Jay, pastor of True Religion Church in Abilene. The service is sponsored by the Greater Abilene Ministers Alliance. The service, originally called “Freedom’s Eve,” commemorates the anticipation of the freeing
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By LORETTA FULTON Growing up in a Southern Baptist household, Chesna Riley struggled with the persistent call to the ministry that she began feeling as a young teenager. The Southern Baptist Convention prohibits women from serving as pulpit ministers, although some other Baptist churches do ordain women. “I had for a long time assumed I was not called and pursued
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By NANCY PATRICK The holiday seasons that include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s evoke many emotions from many of us. As a child and young adult, I felt excitement and anticipation as I waited for the holidays. My family had many aunts, uncles, cousins, along with our parents and grandparents. These early occasions provided the few times we all had
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON On Christmas Day: Many will gather around the tree to open fancy gifts wrapped in bright paper and ribbons. Others will gather to open gifts not as fancy or as professionally wrapped. Some will gather with small gifts due to a loss of income. Others will have no gifts at all. On Christmas Day: Many will gather
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