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

by Frank A. Thomas

"This work starts admittedly where I left off, and carries the topic of celebration well beyond. The author has explored and analyzed and come up with crucial insights and needed terminology with which to further the scholarly discussion and increase the understandings needed in the classroom.... Frank Thomas has contributed much to the meeting of this need, probing celebration to new depths.... This book adds to the corpus of serious scholarship available to instructors for the purposes of a more powerful pulpit, in an era of desperate need in the field". -- Henry H. Mitchell, from the Foreword

Here is a book that will change the course of preaching in the twenty-first century. Through the lens of African American preaching, Frank Thomas sheds light on what is "good" preaching -- and on what methods can be employed to achieve it.

Celebration in preaching is an important component of any preaching that can be considered "good". Thomas explores the theology, dynamics, design, and guidelines for celebrative preaching and provides sample sermon illustrations as well.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Church, Christian, Theology

142 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

Reviews

[Catherine McNiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read an entire stack of books on preaching this week, but this was by far the best. Bonus: it includes one of the best summaries of the gospel (Note: *not* substitutionary atonement theory) I've read.

[Dr. Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This easy read is a great addition to the dialog on the role of celebration in preaching. Dr. Thomas argues that celebration need not take on predictable forms found in any particular culture or within any particular group - but that the celebration comes from a much deeper place where the human experience transgresses the lines of race, culture, age, and gender. A place where the experience of life may be born of different events - but the human response to pain, suffering, fear, hope, joy, despair, and so on, find their way into the heart and experience of every human. Dr. Thomas then outlines his sermonic movement to the final moment of celebration, giving both instruction and warning with regard to creating a genuine celebration that will resonate in the hearts of human beings across the lines that otherwise divide us. A Must-Read for preachers who seek to celebrate or understand the role of celebration in preaching.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Thomas provides a detailed look into the philosophy and practice of Celebrative Preaching. For those of us who have been moved by the power of celebration in African-American preaching, this inside look helps us understand what is involved in the preparation of sermons that sing.

Personally, I came away with new insight into incorporating more power of emotional movement into my own preaching. His sermon work sheet has potential for any of us who spend our time trying to figure out how to move from the text to the sermon.

[Rev. Val Ohle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one of the most educational books on how to write sermons I've read so far. I struggled throughout it, not with what the author had to say, but with how one could put it to work in a mainstream predominantly white church, especially during the first four chapters. Chapter 5 forward seemed to clear most of that up for me as the author began to spell out more specifically the process for crafting a celebrative message. By the time I reached the end of the book I was definitely sold.

Now to save up for the companion book, videos and audio.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession: I did not read the whole book, but I have every intention of coming back to it because the half assigned for class was wonderful. Thomas is clearly a seasoned preacher who knows exactly what celebration is, how to do it, and what its purposes are. Certainly I, and others in my own tradition, could learn a lot about celebration from him.

Four stars for editing, not Thomas' writing; my edition was so riddled with typos that it distracted from the content.

[Susan Fennema · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a seminary course, Preaching Foundations. I selected it to learn more about celebrating preaching and gleaned a number of insights. The aim of African American preaching “is about helping people experience the assurance of grace that is the gospel” (17). Who doesn’t need grace? Dr. Thomas also asserts that “the role of preaching is to attempt to over-record the tapes of fear, hatred…and strengthen the tapes of hope, love… by reaching the core belief [of the congregation] with the gospel (24).”

There are sermon planning tools and examples in the book. It’s an easy read and will be useful to any preacher.

[Rob O'Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good contemporary introduction to the African-American homiletical paradigm of "celebration." Pulls from systems theory to develop a healthy approach to the emotional component of preaching that is stylized in this cultural approach to preaching. Can be somewhat repetitive, however Thomas presents his material with confidence and competence.

[Demetrius Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fascinating work here that helps the preacher explore not only the cognitive, but also the emotive and intuitive aspects of human awareness. And Frank Thomas confers with the thinking of Edwin Friedman to help.

[Brianna Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

seminary has bogged me DOWN the last few months and this read was a necessary encouragement— some celebratory wind in my sails, pointing me toward the assurance of grace in Jesus. thankful!

[Robert Conder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book on preaching. It is one that I will keep close by.

[Sean-david · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book for a class, and it really was a great read. Fascinating insight into the African American preaching tradition, and also important components of Gospel preaching that every preacher should consider.

[Bob Wolniak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really learned a lot from this book on some of the best historical and contemporary features of African-American preaching. Robust with examples and very challenging to those of us overly committed to merely cognitive-appeal only philosophies of preaching.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly useful homiletic, with a welcome nut-and-bolts character. Especially useful for White preachers considering adding celebration to their toolbox.

[K Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very biased on this review because Dr. Thomas is like a second father, but this book is outstanding. If you want to preach better, get this book!