African-american Preaching

African-American preaching arises out of the cultural and religious experience of the oppressed. It reaches people in their dislocation and relocates them in God and in the promise of a brighter future. "Telling the Story" The proclamation of the Word of God, the "telling of the story" is essential to authentic African-American worship. There is a saying among some of African-American preachers that the brothers and sisters will forgive you for anything but not preaching. African-American folk expect the preacher to "tell the story. " What does it mean to "tell the story?" Biblical Emphasis. African-American preaching, almost without exception, is biblical. It takes the biblical message and the biblical stories and weaves them in such a way that the stories come alive and relate to the lives, needs, feelings, and existential situations of those gathered in the congregation. Each story is told in a way consistent with the biblical story, yet having relevance and application for Afri…