Voices in the Wilderness

Why Black Preaching Still Matters

Thomas

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781498238984
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

FINALLY, a scholarly description of the development of Black preaching in the United States that is accessible to the average reader, but also contributes to the academic conversation about both style and theological content. Written from the perspective of a seasoned practitioner and tenured practical theologian, Thomas surveys Black preaching as it has responded to various social and historical time periods. Starting with the brutality of chattel slavery, early formations in segregated Southern life, rapid migration to and urbanization in Northern cities, and various events throughout the post-civil rights era, the book gives convincing details and examples of how the Black preacher helped to guide and sustain the masses of African American people through the wilderness of social change. At the heart of the book, three prime examples are presented as models of the real "genius" of Black preaching. The reader will never again think about Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson in the same way. A special chapter is devoted to the contributions of Black women preachers along with a closing chapter that makes new proposals for the future. The book is a provocative and critical analysis of why Black preaching still matters.

Chapter 1

What Makes Black Preaching Black?

The essential task of this book is to find a working definition of black preaching. What makes preaching black? What distinguishes it from other forms of preaching? These are only a few questions I will be addressing. First and foremost, black preaching takes place in the context of the African American struggle to exist in this country. It is exclusively focused on the needs, experiences, and histories of its people. Preaching that does not privilege the shared experiences of African Americans is not black preaching. Although there are many sisters and brothers who preach in a variety of contexts, and do so very successfully, but are not necessarily engaging in the practice called black preaching. Beale, in his book Toward A Black Homiletic, explained:

The term Black preaching is used to distinguish Black preaching from traditional homiletics. Black preaching is an art within itself. It follows, to some degree, but not altogether, the methods in the teaching of traditional homiletics. The chief distinguishing mark in Black preaching is the Black experience. The Black experience is one which speaks of suffering. Black preaching speaks to that suffering.16

An African American homiletic theory is unique in that it seeks to provide perspectives about a specific group of people. But perspectives do not always agree or stay the same. The community’s needs change over time. Changing migration patterns within a city can impact the demographics of any church. For example, the emergence of the black middle class is a phenomenon that has impacted the attendance at traditional neighborhood churches. As many of the regular attendees moved out of the neighborhood of their church, some chose to commute one or more days a week back to their original congregations in the inner city. “Black flight” drains resources from the community in similar ways as “white flight.” As a result, the generational and social divide in many congregations appear as if there is a church within a church. Conflicts over music or worship styles are typical. African American homiletics must acknowledge these trends in the life of the church and adapt it modes of interpretation. However, for our purposes a closer look within the dynamics of black preaching provides an initial definition.

The Pulpit and the Pew

Black preaching can be first of all defined by the conversation between the pulpit and the pew. It is not an activity performed by one person in service to a larger group. Instead, it is a corporate event in which the people bring to the worship service their needs and their voices. The preacher in turn listens attentively while attempting to engage in a conversation. The effectiveness of the message is dependent upon the positive celebrative response of the people.17 The “call and response” dynamic gives black preaching its conversational flow. This back and forth between the pulpit and the pew is not simply stylistic in nature. Meanings are shaped and shared in the participatory way in which the preacher converses with the people.

Eurocentric models of homiletic studies assume that preaching is the act performed by a single individual toward a group of other interested parties. Eunjoo Mary Kim in her response to Lowry’s concept of the “episodal sermon” emphatically claimed, “Preaching should no longer be understood as the journey of a lone star.”18 Many black preachers understand themselves to be members of a community, both past, present, and future, participating in an intergenerational tradition of transmission. The difference between these two perspectives, the individual and the communal, have serious practical implications, especially when it comes to how certain practices of black preachers are viewed by outsiders. One such example is related to the viewpoint that a sermon, whether written or oral, is the sole propriety of a single individual. Therefore, to use the material or ideas of another person without giving them due credit is considered a violation of “intellectual property rights” and carries serious consequences. However, when preaching is understood as the activity of a community of preachers there is little recognition of an individual’s proprietary rights. As one black preacher once said to me, “Even Jesus said, the words I speak are not my own.”19 It is not uncommon for black preachers to attend large ministry conferences where sermon manuscripts are exchanged and preached wholesale in pulpits the following Sunday morning. Black preachers enjoy listening to each other’s sermons without fear of reprisal for replication. This practice has largely been condemned by most white preachers and scholars. I have never engaged in the practice of sharing uncredited sermon material, nor am I advocating for a pass on plagiarism; however I believe there needs to be more critical consideration about the cultural assumptions made by a communitarian understanding of preaching.

The Preaching Moment

Black preaching is not a thing to be described as much as it is an event to be experienced. As a black preacher, I often feel awkward preaching in settings outside the black church experience, especially when there is pressure to “perform” for an audience whose interest is usually in seeing black preaching instead of hearing it. The preacher can have a “fish out of water” experience if the attendees do not share in the historical and cultural realities of being black in America. It is impossible for black preaching to occur under such voyeuristic conditions. Black preaching is best understood as a collective existential experience.

The communitarian nature of black preaching also makes it relational more than an act of oral transmission. There is a transfer of information that is usually familiar to both the pulpit and the pew. Any black preacher worth her or his salt appreciates the relational nature of preaching; a moment of sharing the embedded knowledge of the community. Therefore, black preaching assumes that the sermon is never presented as a finished product. For this reason, many preachers either don’t use a manuscript or use only a sketched outline of their sermons. I prefer to use a manuscript when I preach simply because of the enjoyment gained from the creative writing process. However, I am fully aware that my sermon is never complete until the community participates in the preaching process. Affirmations such as “Amen,” “Preach on,” and “Well” help to bring shape to the sermon. Much of black preaching involves bringing both new information and confirmation of old information. Recitation of old hymns, poems, or familiar clichés are affirmations of the people’s story. Orthodoxy, although an important value for me, does not serve the chief intent of the sermon. Making a connection with the community’s narrative and offering possible redactions for consideration give preaching its relational character.

There are two common ways in which I connect with the people through the sermon content. First, when introducing a new idea in order to challenge my audience to think differently about the current situation, I add familiar phrases such as, “The Lord will make a way out of no way” or “God may not come when you want, but God is always on time.” Some of these sayings may not be up to date with the latest progressive scholarship, but they reflect the shared heritage and wisdom of the community, both old and new. Preachers who are fluid in the practical wisdom of the people are better able to gain trust and credibility. Challenging the congregation by reframing past beliefs and traditions enables one to imagine new possibilities for the future. Second, when preaching on a biblical text, I often choose a familiar pericope and leave more complex or less known texts for other times such as Bible study. This is an attempt not only to affirm what the community already believes but also to challenge them to look at what might seem familiar in new and different ways. In addition to the main text, I also quote familiar passages of Scripture verbatim without the need to interpret. Or I use verses from a popular hymn that speaks to the sentiments of the congregation. It is important for the black preacher to connect with the audience through these familiar and commonly shared expressions of understanding. For me, celebration occurs when the pulpit and pew mutually discover something new about what God is doing in our midst.

Celebration in Black Preaching

Another important aspect of black preaching is celebration. Henry Mitchell, the father...