Archive
Rev. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray: A Life of Faith and Service
Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray served for 27 years as pastor of the historic First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) in Los Angeles and guided Angelenos through the trauma of and …
Celebrating Rev. Cecil Murray, His 90 Years of Life and the Love That He Has Shown Us All
Below are the remarks CRCC Executive Director Brie Loskota gave at Rev. Cecil L. Murray‘s 90th birthday celebration. The first time I met Rev. Murray was just after it was announced that …
Joy Comes in the Morning: The Prophetic Social Witness of Rev. Cecil L. Murray
“Joy Comes in the Morning” is a PDF collection of 14 sermons delivered by the Rev. Dr. Cecil “Chip” Murray at First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) in Los Angeles. It is part of …
Rev. Cecil L. Murray: A Call to Ministry
Rev. Cecil L. Murray led First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church in Los Angeles for 27 years. In this video, Pastor Murray reflects on his calling to the ministry, from his childhood …
The Murray Method of Church Leadership
In his 27-year tenure at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, Rev. Cecil L. Murray transformed a small congregation into a megachurch that brought jobs, housing and corporate investment …
September 1, 2002: “It Ain’t About You, Brother or Sister” — Rev. Cecil Murray
“Put God first, put your neighbor second and yourself third,” Rev. Cecil Murray says in this sermon about resisting the natural temptation to always put yourself first. Self-surrender leads to self-discovery. Self-surrender …
October 31, 2004: “God Shows Up, God Shows Out” — Rev. Cecil Murray
“When you are outside of you comfort zone, God sees you. God not only sees you outside the comfort zone, God saves you,” Rev. Murray tells his congregation. When nothing is working …
October 24, 2004: “When This Tent is Taken Down” — Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Rev. Murray reminds us that God will always be here for us, even when we lose what we have. He says the difference between a house and a home …
October 22, 2000: “He Knows How Much We Can Bear” — Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Rev. Murray addresses hard times when it can seem like God is very distant. Rev. Murray encourages his congregation to continue to trust in God while rediscovering the older, …
October 17, 2004: “Paying for Your Show” – Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Rev. Murray talks about paying dues in life. He tells his congregation that it is healthy to be mad about things that have gone wrong, but not to lose …
October 14, 1998: “Hating Me Until You Need Me” — Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Rev. Murray talks about anger as a natural product of struggle and human relationships. He reminds his congregation that even when you are broken or empty, God is always …
October 1, 1995: “Healing First, Hugging Second” — Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, delivered as the OJ Simpson murder trial was ending, Cecil Murray preaches on inequality, and how blame is placed on communities of color for the consequences of crimes committed …
October 1, 1995: “Fighting Without and Fears Within” – Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Rev. Murray addresses many issues in society surrounding racial inequality. “Until there is justice for everybody,” he says, “there is justice for nobody.” He encourages his congregation to stand …
November 15, 1998: “Confusion or Delusion” — Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Rev. Murray addresses the need for humility and the temptations of showing off. “Everybody has something, and your something is no better than the other person’s something!” He says …
November 11, 1995: “Free at Last!” – Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Cecil Murray talks about “professional sufferers” — people who complain all the time and who are dying to prove they are suffering more than others. He encourages people to …
May 31, 1992: “Sent for You Yesterday, Here You Come Today” — Rev. Cecil Murray
Pastor Murray talks about the negative effects of waiting: waiting on people, waiting on justice for Rodney King or waiting for the full acceptance of Black civil rights. He argues that for …
May 30, 2000: “Boomerangs Come Home Again” – Rev. Cecil Murray
Preaching to a young audience, Rev. Murray talks about the boomerang effect in terms of actions having consequences that come back to us: “What goes around comes around.” He also talks about …
May 23, 2004: “I’m Going to Trust in the Lord” — Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Rev. Murray emphasizes the importance of always trusting in God, through thick and thin. He reminds his congregation that you always praise the Lord, not only when times are …
May 19, 1996: “Playing Childish Games With God” – Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Cecil Murray addresses people who choose to be negative and always critical of others because of their own insecurity. During his 27 years as the pastor of First African …
May 16, 1999: “Old Jordan River is Chilly and Cold” — Rev. Cecil Murray
In this sermon, Rev. Murray speaks to his congregation about the coldness that can exist in the world: loneliness, rejection, etc. However, he assures us that nothing is wrong with being alone, …