Sept. 26 -- Priest from Kenya visits Texas: The Rev. Canon Zakayo Epus can hardly hold back his easy laugh when explaining why the people he serves in Kenya are happy as can be living without running water or electricity.

Sept. 26 -- Women's Missionary Union holds celebration: Baptist women are planning to celebrate Sunday afternoon in a big way, with a message from three women who were part of an Olympic mission team and an ingathering of goods for the new Hospitality House.

Sept. 26 -- Churches plan mission festivals: A former Dyess chaplain and a nationally know author and workshop leader will lead mission festivals at two Abilene churches this week.

Sept. 26 -- Bible commentary takes a uniquely global view: Professor William Farmer says the world has never seen a biblical commentary quite like the one he's edited.

Sept. 26 -- Make a grab for the jazz in your life (Ken Garfield): What do you say to 100 big-hearted folks who participated in Habitat for Humanity's building blitz this week in Charlotte?

Sept. 26 -- Undertaker's book offers truths on living (Clark Morphew): I want to introduce you to a gifted and unique man. His name is Thomas Lynch, and he's an undertaker.

Sept. 26 -- Clergy, too, facing moral scrutiny (A. James Rudin): The United States is undergoing a period of national stress when terms like "trust," "outrage," and "moral leadership" dominate the intense debate raging around the behavior of the president and members of Congress.

Sept. 26 -- In midst of Clinton-Lewinsky mess, preachers examine sin and forgiveness (Tom Schaefer): I wonder a lot lately -- about the fate of the president, about the effect of the sordid Clinton-Lewinsky mess on our children and about the resiliency of our nation.

Sept. 26 -- Pulpit problems at the FUCB (Michael O'Connor): The good folks over at First United Christian Baptist Church hadn't quit fussing with each other over the details of their planned gymnasium when Pastor Isaac Matthew Wright II -- also known to members as Junior and I'm Wright too, both names he thoroughly loathes -- introduced a new controversy.

Sept. 19 -- A musical celebration of faith: The sounding of the shofar at Temple Mizpah Monday morning will mark the beginning of Rosh Hashanah for Jews, and it can have special significance for others within earshot. History of the shofar

Sept. 19 -- Hillcrest to have marriage seminar: A wedding reception will be held at Hillcrest Church of Christ Nov. 4, but nobody's getting married.

Sept. 19 -- Mormons to build temple in North Carolina: RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plans to build a temple in the Raleigh area, a first in North Carolina and a milestone for the growing Mormon community statewide.

Sept. 19 -- A budding movement fights urban sprawl on theological grounds: FLOWER MOUND, Texas -- The Rev. Richard Spleth is organizing a congregation among the tidy shopping strips and tall four-bedroom houses in this flourishing fringe city.

Sept. 19 -- If Jesus came to San Francisco: Sometimes, just to stay sane, I imagine what it would be like if Jesus came back, physically, among us.

Sept. 19 -- Camp meetings with preaching -- a long tradition: Marie McCord can still remember being a little girl, sitting on the straw-covered floor in a lofty wooden building on a hot summer evening, transfixed by the man who stood before her.

Sept. 19 -- Lies, and more lies (Tom Ehrich): It was bizarre to read intimate Bill-and-Monica sexual details at the breakfast table last weekend, but not nearly so bizarre as the notion the president now will be judged harshly by Congress and the American public for having lied about it.

Sept. 19 -- Cursing robs society of what little gentility it has left (Ken Garfield): Before worrying this morning about the apparent rise in profanity driving another nail into the heart of the culture, let me confess:

Sept. 19 -- People should learn to 'let it all go' (Guest Columnist): A Buddhist monk was in Abilene for a week -- a rare event in and of itself. But what did it mean, really?

Sept. 19 -- Clamor over Clinton's indiscretions divides Baptists (Jim Jones): The Rev. Paige Patterson, the recently elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has joined the ranks of religious conservatives calling for the resignation of President Clinton.

Sept. 19 -- Clinton raises eyebrows on religious right, left (Terry Mattingly): It would be hard to imagine two more radically different evangelicals than Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Jim Wallis of Sojourners magazine.

Sept. 19 -- Despite infallible image, clergy are real people (Clark Morphew): Some newsroom clown recently put a classic movie ad on my computer screen that promotes the old 1944 movie "Bathing Beauty," starring Esther Williams and Red Skelton.

Sept. 19 -- Community should search for Clinton's redemption (Michael O'Connor): I read the 10,000 or so word excerpt of the Starr Report we printed last weekend with a mixture of fascination and disgust.

Sept. 19 -- King offers message on rediscovering lost values (Tom Schaefer): I was in Atlanta last week when Kenneth Starr's report on President Clinton landed with the force of an F5 tornado.

Sept. 19 -- For many, what to do about Clinton scandal is a 'puzzlement' (Lauren R. Stanley): Americans these days are faced with a conundrum, a dilemma or, as the King of Siam so eloquently puts it in the musical "The King and I," "a puzzlement."

Sept. 19 -- Clinton needs to get right with God (David Waters): The day had been a bit hectic for the president of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.

Sept. 12 -- Counselors on a mission to help missionaries: Learning three languages in three years, working with people who have no running water or electricity, and driving in congested areas "where a stop sign is just a suggestion" can be stressful.

Sept. 12 -- Two plays with religious themes premiere: Religion is taking center stage at two theaters this week, with "a country-gospel musical" in Abilene and "an evangelistic drama" in Albany.

Sept. 12 -- Events planned for area youth: Young people in Abilene and the surrounding area will have two special opportunities to express their faith with Youth Explosion '98 being held today in Rose Park and the annual See You at the Pole rally set for Wednesday.

Sept. 12 -- Cowboy churches spread fellowship around country: GREENSBURG, Kan. -- Travis Swafford read Malachi 4:2, a passage of Scripture that assures the faithful that they will "go out leaping like calves from the stall" on the day the Lord separates the evil-doers from the righteous.

Sept. 12 -- Radio's Dr. Laura takes on the big ten (commandments): Move over, Moses. Dr. Laura has something to say about the 10 Commandments.

Sept. 12 -- Program helps troubled marriages: HOUSTON -- For Cheryl Patrick, the choice seemed painful and terrifying: either divorce her husband, David -- or kill herself.

Sept. 12 -- Rebel Irish bishop to ordain woman priest: The priest who will be ordained in St. Andrew's Church near Omeath, County Louth, in the Republic of Ireland, on Monday (Sept. 14) is unusual in several respects.

Sept. 12 -- Spirituals making a comeback in modern performances: "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."

Sept. 12 -- Moments of Grace: When I became the newspaper's religion writer just over a year ago, one of the first things I did was create the Moments of Grace column.

Sept. 12 -- Is there a place for dogs in heaven? of course: Because dogs suffer gladly the peculiar inclinations of their masters, Max and Molly went uncomplaining to Liberty Presbyterian Church on Sunday to be blessed.

Sept. 12 -- What of God when tragedy strikes?: The images of debris and death from Swissair 111 are all too familiar, as are the scenes of grieving families gazing at a distant crash site.

Sept. 12 -- Story of hometown church is all too common: About one-third of the congregations in any major Protestant denomination are at this moment moving toward closing their doors forever.

Sept. 5 -- Church remembers 'back yonder': At Macedonia Baptist Church, they're still quoting an elderly gentleman who used to walk about the church praying loudly, up until his death in the '70s.

Sept. 5 -- Local author spreads Christian message: Nisha Jackson is fat, and she doesn't mind saying so.

Sept. 5 -- Singer enjoys being a music minister: Richard Burke didn't really need another job, but this one was so rewarding and fun he couldn't turn it down.

Sept. 5 -- Religion is catching on on college campuses: Meri Stoklosa dived right into college life on her first weekend in the dormitory two years ago at the University of Kansas.

Sept. 5 -- Church planter recruits the cutting-edge nomads and 'cultural creatives': Andrew Jones is an evangelical Christian with a quirky mission. He collects hippies and goths, metal heads and technokids and helps them build church homes in the most peculiar places.

Sept. 5 -- Many enjoy arranging flowers for church altars: It's easy to take altar flowers for granted. Every week they quietly grace places of worship without, when done properly, calling too much attention to themselves.

Sept. 5 -- Is effort to convert gays a declaration of love or war?: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Sergio is gay but desperately wishes he weren't.

Sept. 5 -- Some women drawing strength from Mass without a priest: It started with a group of religious women getting together for a meal. They blessed the food. They prayed. They talked about how good it made them feel to be together with God.

Sept. 5 -- There are plenty of folks trying to do the right thing: You glare at the driver in the next lane, rush past a colleague at the end of another long workday, and it's easy to miss the light that shines in others.

Sept. 5 -- University's troubles behind him, Falwell lays plans for new sanctuary: The Rev. Jerry Falwell has had his ups and downs. Only a year ago, the school he founded, Liberty University, was in trouble as school officials sought to pay off a $100 million debt they had owed for several years.

Sept. 5 -- As summer turns into fall, congregations should be open to change: This must be the most exciting time of year for religious leaders because every fall religion is re-created brand-new, shining and bright, with every opportunity to meet the challenges of our secular society.