What The Blues Teaches Us About Preaching
One of the most persistent misunderstandings that people have with SoulPreaching.Com is the idea that Soul Preaching is teaching Black people to only preach to Black people. One white preacher …
Is Black Preaching Just For Black People? Read More
One of our readers, C. Johnson, wrote a perceptive comment which reads in part:
To a large degree, what is said, heard and done (in the pulpit) is all prepackaged. Even the words that are used, are for the most part scripted long before a text is exegeted and expounded.
and further
Too many who populate pulpits reduce the Bible to the script of the people we serve and as a result, lead them into both mediocrity and blindness.
In the African American Preaching Tradition the ability to “tell the story” is highly prized. It is also helpful when preaching to any ethnic group. There is something about stories that captures the imagination of the hearer in ways that no other method can. Stories grab the people and place them in the Bible story as they recognize parts of the story playing out in their own lives. Stories are powerful especially Bible stories.
Telling the Story and Making Your Points while Preaching Read More
A few years ago, the Biblical Preaching blog asked the question, “Are you a Prophet or Priest?
Is The Preacher A Prophet or Priest Read More
The Talking the Walk Blog has an interesting post that seeks to derive help for preachers from an interview with Denzel Washington.
Denzel answers why he did a particular hand movement in a movie by saying:
Denzel to Preachers – Just “Let It Rip” Read More
Always remember that we are seeking to help the congregation digest the information presented in the sermon. There are times when this discomfort is due due to the powerful truth …
Everyone Doesn’t Respond the Same Way Read More
So many folks continue to ask this question that I thought I would revisit this idea. There are a few questions that come up repeatedly and this is the most …
How Long Should I Preach? Read MoreH. Beecher Hicks in the second chapter of his book Preaching Through a Storm has a sermon entitled How to Silence a Preacher; or, Shut Your Mouth!. Rev. Hicks preached …
Is Your Mouth Open? Preachers and Proclamation Read More
Lowell Erdahl, in the book Best Advice for Preaching, quotes someone who said: “There are two kinds of preachers–those who have to say something and those who have something to …
Something to Say or Say Anything Read More
I asked our readers what was the most important question that they face in their pulpit work. The question asked most was “how do I overcome nervousness.” This was an …
Overcoming Nervousness in the Pulpit Read MoreThe Black Preaching Tradition is a great gift to the larger Christian world. Many acknoweldge the vibrancy and the power of great Black Preaching. I also marvel at the improvisational genious of the great preachers in that tradition. While we accept this great gift of the African American church, we also must acknowledge that there are some who are today abusing this gift by taking it and preaching a Gospel that does not take into account the full counsel of God.
Prostitution of the Black Preaching Tradition – Style but no Substance Read More
A while ago I wrote a popular article entitled The Easy Sermon Resolution. In it I talked about the tendency of many of us preachers to “jump to the gravy” …
Preaching A “But If Not Faith” Read More
A while ago someone came up to me and said that they remembered a sermon that was preached about 7 or 8 years ago. They said that the sermon inspired …
Preaching Matters Read MoreHow does congregational response affect sermon evaluation when preachers are called of God to speak a word “in season and out of season” to the people of God? (2 Timothy …
How Does Congregational Response Affect Sermon Evaluation? Read More