Progressive Faith Sermons - Dr. Roger Ray Dr. Roger Ray
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- Religion & Spirituality
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Sermons from the Community Christian Church of Springfield, MO.
We are believers in Jesus Christ who accept all people without judgment and who desire to work and worship as a community striving for social justice.
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USA at War with Russia and Iran
Similar to the WWII generation, we are living in a time facing dramatic changes that may end up being good but which also have the potential of being catastrophically bad. As Eric Holder recently warned, there is no cavalry coming to save us. Storied institutions like the Supreme Court and the Congress have demonstrated their willingness to side with a fascist trend led by Donald Trump. We, persons of conscience and compassion, must be the cavalry the world is waiting for.
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Hyperbole, Hysteria, and Hypocrisy
The claim that the coming election is "the most important election of our lifetime," has been sadly over used and possibly worn out to the point that people easily ignore those of us who are urgently crying "wolf" about the November 2024 election. This message attempts to state the stark reality of the risk to democracy and individual freedoms at stake in this election. Please, listen to it and share with every voter you know.
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Why No One in the Bible Accepted Jesus Christ as their Personal Lord and Savior
Two great periods of revivals saved the Christian religion from extinction in the United States. The Great Awakening, near the birth of our nation, and The Second Great Awakening that came along with the western expansion, the Civil War, and the end of slavery. Much of what modern American Christians think is a biblical faith is actually the echos of revivalist preaching based on a very poor reading of the writings of John Calvin.
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The First Easter
Easter, as it has been taught to us through traditional modern sermons, is, as Bishop John Shelby Spong described it, simply "unbelievable." Stepping back from the "yippee, we're all gonna live forever" myth, this lecture tries to treat the first Easter in a historical context with a critical discussion of early Christian writing.
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This is Not Normal
THIS IS NOT NORMAL! Cultural values we worked hard to correct over the past century are slipping back into what is being allowed to become normative language, thinking, and voting. North Carolina's GOP nominated candidate for governor, Mark Robinson, who enjoyed more than 60% of the vote in the primary, has publicly denied the holocaust, insisted that the Nazis were "not that bad," is opposed to women's right to vote, to LGBT+ rights, and he even insists that the Sandy Hook School shootings were a hoax. This man is currently the lt. governor of NC and is tied for the governor's election in November. America, we have to push back on these ideas and make certain that it is clear that theses are not acceptable cultural values and that for the sane among us, this simply is not normal!
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Redemptive Suffering
The sad news of Alexey Navalny's death in prison brings to mind many who have chosen personal sacrifice as a way to raise awareness in the public's mind or to confront the evils of governments through the centuries. Navalny takes his place along side the likes of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and others whose names remain written on our hearts. There is a kind of suffering that can be redemptive. We might wish that such sacrifices were unnecessary but, alas, they almost always are.
Customer Reviews
Good Sermons, But a Reactive Preacher
While Reverend Ray preaches a good sermon, many of which have strong social justice messages, should you plan on posing questions or having a different perspective to Roger himself - Watch Out! For off the pulpit Rev Ray is very reactive and easily offended, quick to judge and often more inclined towards doubling down on the righteousness of his stances than being open to having a civil discussion.
Social Justice Meets Faith for the New Millennium
Excellent talks, which occasionally hold up a mirror to the incongruencies of what people of faith, say they believe and what they do. Always illuminating on yoking together our history as it effects the present and how to grow, build, and emancipate our beliefs as we become more aware and compassionate and how to put our faith into meaningful action.
Thanks
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