Messenger Articles by Webmaster

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“Post-Christian World”? The World Has Never Been Christian

by Webmaster

Tony Finnerty was the President of the Kiwanis Club when I joined in 1974. He was the Altadena Postmaster (a role that no longer exists) and a very active and faithful member of Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church. Actually, he was the first observant Roman Catholic I had ever known well enough to have discussions about […]

God Introduces Himself

by Webmaster

There were all sorts of “gods” in ancient Middle Eastern religions when the Creator God revealed himself to his chosen people Israel. God gave them a name by which they could know him personally and understand his uniqueness. He revealed it to Moses, who was to pass that name on to the  people                                                                                                      Moses said to […]

“If Only…” Is This Your Life?

by Webmaster

I’m fascinated by some of the subtleties of the English language. For several weeks, I’ve been mulling over a possible Messenger article about the helping verbs would, could and should, and the different nuances they express when we’re explaining our own or other people’s behavior: “You should have” means “You had the responsibility.” “You would […]

Ashy Valentine’s Day!

by Webmaster

Today is Valentine’s Day! Today is also Ash Wednesday! This confusing confluence of holidays has only happened four times in the past hundred years.   So, here’s my story. In my 1941 Kindergarten class, the teacher introduced us to Valentine’s Day, as she did with all the traditional American holidays. We were told about how […]

Why Black History at ABC?

by Webmaster

This is the Fortieth Anniversary year of celebrating Black History at ABC. I’m not aware of any other church with roots in a traditionally White denomination that does this. Newcomers may wonder why it’s so important to us. I’d like to share four reasons with you.  (1) Black History was a banner establishing ABC’s new […]

Me, Meet Me!

by Webmaster

“Peeling the Onion” is a phrase used in psychology and sociology, as well as in the Twelve Step Program, because it’s so descriptive of human experience. It’s a metaphor for the process of getting beneath the surface of who you are to try to discover the origins of some of the attitudes, fears and behaviors […]

How I Became a Morality Cop

by Webmaster

When I was a kid, the Public Schools in my town had “Opening Exercises,” which (usually) consisted of a Salute to the American Flag, a brief (safe) Scripture reading and a simple, generic prayer (often the Lord’s Prayer; sometimes silent prayer). In the lower grades, this may have been further simplified.  Ms. Perry was my […]

My Call To The Ministry: A Personal Reflection

by Webmaster

I attended a recent funeral in memory of a former local pastor, about my age, who graduated from Seminary with me in 1961. The person reading his biography alluded to his clear call to the ministry during his college years. I reflected on my life, trying to determine when my call to the ministry came. […]

Leadership at ABC Depends on You!

by Webmaster

As a traditional Baptist Church, ABC is governed by its congregation, not by autocratic Pastor/Elder leaders. Practically speaking, the current leadership includes both lay and clergy representatives, with every member of the Congregation involved in overall policy decisions through the Deacon Board and the Pastors acting on a day-to-day basis to carry out those decisions. […]