By DANNY MINTON Garbage sacks stuffed with colorful Christmas paper now protrude from trash dumpsters that line the quiet street. Boxes ripped open the day before from Christmas morning’s excitement now sit piled, ready to be recycled or hauled to the dumpsite. We pack away a few that are colorful and still in good shape until next season. Gifts that
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Editor’s Note: To add your church services to this list, email editor@spiritofabilene.com By LORETTA FULTON Expect a sense of deja vu Thursday evening when live streamed and/or televised Christmas Eve services will replace in-person worship at many Abilene churches. When many in-person Easter Sunday services were canceled due to COVID-19, most assumed things would be back to normal by the
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON About this time last year, my class watched the film “The Star.” It’s an intriguing study that a lawyer did trying to find out what the phenomenon in the universe called the Star of Bethlehem actually was. I’m not necessarily saying his research is without flaw. It’s a topic that will be discussed from now until the
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By LORETTA FULTON Perhaps nothing illustrates the year 2020 like a group of volunteers, all wearing masks, standing in the cold to hand out Christmas packages to families in a drive-through line. Masks and drive-through lines, to avoid close contact, became the norm in 2020, the Year of COVID. As the year progressed, so did the number of cases and
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By DARRYL TIPPENS “Life has never been normal.”—C. S. Lewis In the midst of the pandemic with its endless disruptions and tragic loss of life, it’s tempting to shout, “This is unprecedented—the worst ever! Nothing like this has ever happened before!” It’s easy to think such thoughts, but they are not true to the facts. It’s been this bad before
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Editor’s Note: The following column by Darryl Tippens first was posted in December 2019. The coming winter seems even bleaker than a year ago, with the COVID pandemic to thank. Dr. Tippens’ reflection on the Christmas carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” is re-posted as an early Christmas gift. By DARRYL TIPPENS I have celebrated many Christmases, but only a few
Read moreEditor’s Note: Jim Nichols wrote this piece for Spirit of Abilene just before Christmas 2019. The message is too good not to re-post for 2020. By JIM NICHOLS “No more let sin and sorrow grow,Nor thorns infest the ground;He comes to make His blessings flowFar as the curse is found.” Somewhere in town is an unknown clerk at a convenience
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LAS POSADASWhen: 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17Where: Begins at corner of North First and Cedar streets. Guests remain in their vehicle and drive the route. Stops:Abilene Public LibraryMinter ParkThe Grace MuseumMusic: At each stop, guests can tune in to La Voz 93.3 FM to hear traditional posadas songs. FIESTA NAVIDENAWhen: 7-8 p.m. Thursday, following the Las Posadas processionalWhere: Drive-through event at the
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By NANCY PATRICK As with most social, business, educational, and spiritual organizations, the Abilene Interfaith Council (AIC) has had to make many changes in its structure and performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. These months have challenged all organizations as they try to retain their missions and purposes while observing safety and healthcare precautions at the same time. Most readers of
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