Dr. Robert R. Ball

 

    I have been asked to publish the sermons of Dr. Ball, by the man himself. Entonces, here they are, in a delightful exercise of theological review and enlightenment. In this twenty first century, here is thinking which was first presented in sermons from 1970 through that decade to the congregation of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas.

       What may be seen as remarkable about these sermons, is the fact that each one was collected, saved, and carefully preserved by a teenager. The sermons presented on this web page were all saved by teenagers at the church, and rediscovered in 2010 at our choir reunion by our fifty-something selves. (Allen Pote was our guest of honor at the choir reunion, but the collaboration of Bob Ball, Allen Pote, and Bill Carl in that first year of the Joyful Noise Choir was what was being celebrated with all men present!) The sermons will come directly from our collections, and will all be as first presented in the MDPC literature racks, staple-in-the-corner versions.

       Dr. Robert R. Ball first came into Mom's life  in the early 1960s when he was called as pastor of John Knox Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some time after the 1965 Jersey Production Research merger with Humble Oil and the traumatic move to Houston, the pastor of the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Dr. Charlie Shedd, retired from the ministry. Again Bob Ball was called as pastor to Mom's church. A lucky thing, in her opinion, to continue her theological exploration under such a careful scholar. Dr. Ball is always careful to include his sources in the narration, not only giving the hearer a basis for the idea, but allowing further study by leading her to the work of many other thinkers and theologians. By providing this rich background in ideas, Dr. Robert Ball has always lead his students and congregants into deeper thinking.

"There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds."
--Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Authority Figures I Have Known

Scripture: Matthew 7:28-29
Sermon by
Dr. Robert R. Ball
MEMORIAL DRIVE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Houston, Texas                              Sept. 26, 1971

 

LINKS TO OTHER SERMONS

 

YOU ARE MY CENTERFIELDER
January 26, 1969

THAT MOMENT - JUST A MOMENT AND NOTHING CAN EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN
Sermon from December 21, 1969

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?
Sermon from January 25, 1970

FOLK WORSHIP SERVICE
from April 5, 1970

WHAT SALT IS FOR
Sermon from June 21, 1970

BOLD ENOUGH TO FAIL
Sermon from September 6, 1970

DON'T PUT ME DOWN
Sermon from September 13, 1970

I BELIEVE THAT GOD BELIEVES IN CLAUDE
Sermon from September 27, 1970

 

 

WHERE AUTHENTIC PEOPLE MEET
Sermon from December 13, 1970

 M A L E      A N D      F E M A L E
Sermon from February 7, 1971

 T H E    S E R P E N T    D I D    I T
Sermon from February 14, 1971

FROM   M O N O T O N Y   TO   M E A N I N G
Sermon from February 28, 1971

FROM ANXIETY TO FAITH
Sermon from March 7, 1971

 

 

YES, NO AND WOW!
Sermon from May 23, 1971

A  WHOLE  LIFE-FULL  OF  POSSIBILITIES
Sermon from July 11, 1971
(This one I failed to save - Mea Culpa. I will write it out later)

On Doing Your Own Thing
Sermon first presented July 18, 1971

 

 

Here Come De Judge
Sermon from August 1, 1971

 

I GIVE YOU PERMISSION

Sermon from October 10, 1971

In searching the Joyful Noise library A rare work of musical note has surfaced
This collaboration between the youthful Allen Pote and the young Dr. Robert R. Ball

 

YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Do the author and composer remember THIS one?

(All rights reserved by the authors.)

 

 

Bridge Over Troubled Water, Bill Carl & CRESCENDO!

 

Sermon by
The VERY young seminary intern minister
Mr. William J. Carl III
(Now president of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary)
presented at
MEMORIAL DRIVE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Houston, Texas
August 8, 1971

 

 

WHO CAN BE BELIEVED
Dr. Robert R. Ball, Sermon presented September 5, 1971

SMILE GOD LOVES YOU
Dr. Robert R. Ball, Sermon presented September 12, 1971

Seriously But Not Literally
Dr. Robert R. Ball, Sermon presented September 19, 1971

AUTHORITY FIGURES I HAVE KNOWN
Dr. Robert R. Ball, Sermon presented September 26, 1971

IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS, NOT RULES
Dr. Robert R. Ball, Sermon presented JULY 31, 2011

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