They Like to Never Quit Praisin' God: The Role of Celebration in Preaching

Frank Thomas has penned a rare book. Very few books on preaching address Black preaching from a sermonic and exegetical perspective. And very few examine celebration in Black preaching. Most people, naively simply think that "Black preaching is emotional." Thomas, instead, looks logically, rationally, and exegetically at the compelling nature of Black preaching. He outlines celebration in preaching as the passionate and compassionate presentation of a problem, resolution of that problem by Christ's Gospel of grace, and celebration of that resolution by the pastor and people as one united congregation. None of these three elements are only emotive, as they all involve cognitive, spiritual, experiential, and volitional components. Thomas not only explains the "what," but equips preachers, of any race, with the "how to" of developing a sermon from start to finish that has as its goal corporate celebration of the good work of God. That work, as Thomas explains, moves from the context of the text and the Biblical work of God to the context of the people and the modern-day work of God. Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

Frank Thomas presents a thorough description of the process of preaching in the African-American tradition. In doing so, he makes the case that his "Sermonic Plot" for planning sermons can be adapted by preachers of any tradition to help not only plan the structure of the sermon, but also build in an assurance of grace for the hearers of the sermon.

What is it that makes Black Preachers so compelling? Why does it seem as though the Black Preacher is more passionate and emotional in presentation and the people?Well this book seeks to answer these questions as well as defend the use of Passion and emotion in sermon delivery and preparation. This book presents a sermon as follows:* Introduction of a problem* Resolution of problem by the Gospel* Celebration of the resolution of the problem.At the introduction of the problem stage it is important to get the congregation on board in not only understanding mentally the problem, but experiencing the problem by being able to see the problem in their own lives. This is primarily emotional, but there is also a cognitive componentThen the black preacher skillfully shows how the gospel resolves not only the problem of the Biblical Story, but also the problem that the people are going through. This is primarily cognitive, but as always there is a emotional component.Finally the black preacher closes with the clebration of the resolution stage. This celebration is experiential for we have experienced every other part of the sermon to this point. This is primarily emotional.The writer privides tips and guidelines for celebration and even provides a method for sermon preparation that has celebration as the goal. This method includes a sermon worksheet that is to be filled out when putting together a sermon.Finally, there are 3 sermons that illustrate the method which help to clarify the use of the sermon worksheet developed in the body of the book. This is a good book that can help most preachers to provide an emotional component to their sermons.The only thing I would probably like is a few more sermons that illustrate the method provided in the book.

Frank Thomas has developed a methodology for the kind of preaching that moves the congregation from the pew to the "mountaintop." Although this book is spiritually based, it contains steps to follow throughout the entire preaching process. One of the things I really liked about the book is that it the powerful treatment of the subject of "celebration." Whereas, most authors of preaching books briefly mention the topic, Thomas provides a thorough analysis of the phenomenon as experienced in African American Christian worship. He takes the time to explain what celebration is, its purpose and function in preaching, and a process that evokes the spirit of celebration. This book moves the reader into a state of awe by discussing the core belief of the "assurance of grace" as it relates to celebration and preaching. Thomas discusses theses topics from the emotive and theological perspective of black preaching and the impact it has on the hearers of the sermon. When the reader is able to fully grasp what Thomas is saying, he or she is better equipped to design and deliver sermons, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, that touch the very souls of the congregation, and motivate or challenge the preacher to be the cheerleader in the worship service that, "never quits praisin' God. This book is suitable for any preacher who loves to preach. The material in this book is suitable for both professional clergy and lay ministers alike.