In the Winter 2003 edition of the African American Pulpit there is the sermon The Worms Got Him by Dr. Caesar Clark who is one of the great African American preachers.
We will look at this sermon at another time in that there is much in it to learn about the genius of the Black pulpit. What I want to look at here is the interesting device that Clark uses in his first move of the sermon. Here Clark summarizes a lot of information and background data for the hearers.
One of the most important tools for preachers is the hymnal. Sometimes when I tell new preachers that they look at me as if I am asking them to sing a solo before their sermon. However, even if you do not plan to sing a note, the hymnal contains tools to help you preach.
Craig Webb at Lifeway has an article where he discusses the use of handouts in preaching. Webb defines a handout as
a sheet of paper you handout to the congregation which helps them follow along with your sermon. It could include the title of your sermon, the main points of your sermon with fill in the blanks, and printed verses of scriptures and scripture references.
A discussion of Teresa Fry Brown’s book. What can we learn from our preaching sistas?
In addition, how can the ministry of music as a metaphor help our preaching? These questions guide the book Weary Throats and New Songs.
I remember an elderly instructor of preaching told his students that if you can do anything else, do that rather than preach. There are a few ways to interpret the statement. One could argue that if you have the ability to engage in any other activity besides preaching then go do that.
Peter Mead at the Biblical Preaching site refers to something that I suspect is very common. That at the most inopportune time a distraction happens. It may be a baby crying. It may be someone walking out in a distracting way. It may even be someone showing up late.
Personally, I think just about every sermon should end in an appeal. But what should the appeal entail. I would suggest that the appeal have a three-fold focus.
Should Black Preachers whoop? Does whooping degrade our sermons? Is it an unnecessary detraction? This audio looks at these and other questions in reference to whooping.
The fundamental aspect of the memory system is to connect the thing you want to remember to your brain in a solid fashion. Tony Buzan, in his book Use Your Perfect Memory cites 2 fundamental principles that will aid you in your memory work. In our next post, we will look at the features.
Some one has put the ending of one of Rev. Dr. Marcus Cosby’s sermons on YouTube. This is a part of his sermon entitled He Has Done Marvelous Things. You can view the sermon here.
Someone has put up another classic video of the very influential group “Soul Stirrers.”
Remember those infomercials about “MEGA-MEMORY?” Kevin Trudeau wrote spoke about learning some techniques to strengthen one’s memory. After seeing the thing for years, I finally purchased the system off of ebay for a big reduction in cost.
Sometimes, especially in the Black Church, preaching is seen as glamorous. This is completely understandable. Seeing someone who has been called of God powerfully living into that call by proclaiming the word is a very attractive proposition. All of us whether preacher or not are called to live into our call powerfully like this. However, becuase the preacher’s job is so visible, we can lose track of the fact that the vast majority of our work is behind the scenes.
How do you increase the intensity of your sermons? Preachers often do this by increasing volume, but that can cause difficulties. Find other ways to bring power to your preaching in this audio.