Homiletics, Sabbath Justice, Page 3

November 24, 2009August 25, 2017

Preaching with Power – E. E. Cleveland

The next interview is with E. E. Cleveland. He is probably the greatest Adventist Evangelist of our time. When one thinks of Adventist Evangelists E. E. Cleveland’s name will almost certainly come up

Understanding of Preaching

Elder Cleveland did not explicitly speak about his?theology of preaching, but he did speak of a few important points. First he notes that the preacher must have a holy boldness. Next, the preacher must be totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. Next, all of our preaching must be Christ-centered.? Cleveland reminds us that we should not allow T. D. Jakes or Rod Parsely to have a corner on preaching Jesus.
Another interesting point that Cleveland brings out is that the preacher cannot always recognize the difference between a good and a bad sermon.? Just preach your sermon and leave the results to God.? Cleveland tells the story of a time he thouhgt the sermon was not really that good, but someone came, this taught him to just preach.

Method of Sermon Preparation

Once again Elder Cleveland does not really give a method, but he does say that he always prepares by daily reading three texts. First is 2 Samuel 7:8. The second is Nehimiah 13:14. The third is Exodus 23:25.? It is interesting that all three are Old Testament texts which shows how the Adventist preacher and the Black preacher uses the Old Testament just as much as the New.

Understanding of Adventist Preaching

Elder Clevland emphasizes that Jesus must be at the center of our presentations as Adventist ministers. He states that Black Adventist preachers have remembered this. He gives the example of the Sanctuary. He states that Black Advnetists have always kept Jesus first in this doctrine and have not gotten caught up in the perephnalia of the Sanctuary. Elder Cleveland quotes Henry Wright who spoke about the Sanctuary and stated in effect, “I don’t care if the throne is moveable or not, all I care is that there is a thrown and we have an advocate.”

Understanding of Black Preaching

Elder Cleveland emphasizes that it is important to know Black history if you are to be a black preacher. Cleveland believes that Black preaching is not about emotion, but about contextually relating the Gospel to the historic struggles of black people. He believes that?this kind of Black preaching is?totally compatible with Adventist preaching.
Elder Cleveland’s?discussion of the?black struggle for freedom is significant in that he?identifies the freedom movement?as God’s movement. The move for black liberation is not peripheral to God’s hand in history, but it is God’s hand in history. Thus Black history becomes a discussion of God’s acts in history and not merely a discussion of abstract facts.? Black history is transformed into looking for God’s hand in history.? Thus when one speaks of a narrative approach to preaching we can tell the Biblical story as narrative, but we also can tell the narrative of God’s present actions.?
Another interesting point about this kind of preaching is that it reminds us that God cares not merely about individuals, but also about groups.? God cares about Black people as a people.? God cares about individuals AND groups.??Revelation teaches us that Jesus hand is over history.? The Seven Churches teach us that God is taking care of the Church throughout history.? Trimming the lamps so that it can truly be the people of God.?? God is actively invovled in helping us individually, but also as a people.? God is not coming back for an individual or even for us as individuals, but God is coming back for a people a remnant.? It is true that we become members of a group individually, but it is also true that Jesus is coming back for the Bride which is the church corporate and universal.
I think Black Preaching can help us bring back this corporate identity to evangelical Christianity whihc has totally ignored the importance of the corporate in spirituality.? Perhaps this is why some have such a hard time explaining why one should go to church and not just stay home and pray by oneself with their own connection to Jesus.

November 24, 2009August 25, 2017

Preaching with Power – C. D. Brooks

Elder Brooks defined himself as a “traveling Preacher.” He has been the Field Secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as well as the speaker/director for Breath of Life television program.

Understanding of Preaching

Elder Brooks states that his theology of preaching is that he should “exalt Christ and his word.”

Method of Preaching

Elder Brooks does not really define a method of preparation, but he does state provide direction to pastors. Brooks suggests that “Sabbath sermons [should] be pastoral, Sunday night’s sermons [should] be evangelistic, and those for Wednesday nights [should] deal with things like modeling Jesus and Christian standards.” In addition, Brooks emphasizes that one should present the whole “cycle of truth.” Including such subjects as “Sabbath, Judgment, Second Coming, Christian Standards, etc.”

Understanding of Adventist Preaching

Elder Brooks makes explicit use to Adventist resources throughout his interveiw. He notes that his influences on preaching were Advntist including his mother, E. E. Cleveland, and C. E. Mosely. Interestingly enough after all these years he still quotes his homiletics professor, Elder Mosely, in answering questions. Elder Mosely has had a great influence on him.

Brooks also emphasizes that the content of Advnetist preaching must include things like Sabbath, Judgments, etc. in the full “cycle of truth” as noted above. Perhaps most interesting is that Brooks states that if he had three books to take with him on a desert Island they would be The Great Controversy, Desire of Ages, and the Bible. Brooks states that he could preach from those three books until Jesus comes. Elder Brooks’ presentation makes greater use of Adventist materials and refers to Ellen White often and easily.

Understanding of Black Preaching

The interview does not deal with Black Preaching at all. It would be interesting to see what Elder Brooks has to say about the nature of Black PReaching and its connection to the Gospel as understood by Seventh-day Adventists. It would be interesting to take Bradford’s idea of Black Preaching being issues oriented and compare that to the explicit Advnetist preaching that Elder Brooks presents. For example, how is preaching about and to the Black communities ultimate quest for liberation look when addressed by the unique resources used in Adventist preaching (Ellen White, Adventist understanding of the Bible)? Another interesting question is: Does Adventism have anything to say to the world beside Jesus will come and clean up all this mess at the Second Coming? Need it say anything else?

We also might bring back Barry Black’s suggestion that Adventist preaching might teach the doctrines in the context of narrative. Then we might see some unification of the different kinds of preaching that Elder Brooks brings. Can we preach the Sabbath in such a way that it becomes pastoral, prophetic, and liberative at the same time? I think that Black’s suggestion can push us to not just seek to prove the doctrines but also to celebrate them. Perhaps Wednessday night we can teach the truth of the doctrine and on Sabbath morning we can celebrate it?

I think following Black’s suggestion to use narrative and also Black’s stating the importance of celebration can open up avenues to celebrate Adventism and not just teach the correctness of the doctrine. However, I think that Bradford’s understanding also must be kept in mind that the Gospel does address important issues in the community and we should address thsoe as well. And finally, we must keep Bradford’s idea that Black Preaching cannot become only for black folk. The social justice that Black preaching is a call for justice to all.

November 24, 2009August 25, 2017

Preaching with Power – Charles Bradford

The next interview is with Charles Bradford. Elder Bradford has had a very productive career within adventism including becoming the first AFrican American to be elected presdient of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. His career has been largely as an evangelist and church administrator.

Understanding of Preaching

Elder Bradford’s theology of preaching is based in the fact that God is the source of all preaching. Bradford emphasizes that the “preacher is one amoung many” in a “preaching community.”

Method of Sermon Preparation

Elder Bradford states that his method of sermon preparation is from the New York Theological Seminary. The approach consists of first looking at the text noting “words, events, thoughts, and nuances.” Next he suggests that we develop a theme from this observation and from study. Bradford notes that he believs that one can get a theme from any text. Then Elder Bradford writes out an outline. After completion of the outline, Elder Bradford sets the sermon aside for “a few days.” After that he puts on the flesh.

This time is important to Bradford who states that it takes a long time to put a sermon together. He compares it to the growing of a good crop of strawberries. It takes a long time.

One cannot forget that the preparing of the preacher is very important. Elder Bradford suggests that we make use of the Mystical Disciplines. This is interesting in that one is not often used to hearing Adventists talk about this, but we usually use the terms prayer, meditation, study, etc. I think that such a revival of these disciplines is very much needed today.

Understanding of Adventist Preaching

Elder Bradford’s section of the book says very little about traditional Adventist preaching which is surprising in that he has much to say about it in his book Preaching to the Times. That book is a very valuable addition to any Advnetist preacher’s library. In future weeks I hope to discuss that book in this blog. But Elder Bradford gives some hints on his thinking on Adventist Preaching in this intereview. First Elder Bradford emphasizes that his influences on preaching came from Adventist sources. Also Elder Bradford seeks to emphasize that we cannot fall into the trap of the “wealth and success…pop psychology” gospel. Next Elder Bradford talks about using Advnetist sources like the Adventist Bible Commentary as well as other commentaries from other denominational traditions.

Elder Bradford reminds us, without saying their names, that we cannot fall into the trap of making the gospel pop-psychology or about wealth and success down here.

Understanding of Black Preaching

Elder Bradford believes that Black preaching is “issue oriented.” Here Black preaching addresses issues that are important to the Black community. Elder Bradford however is quick to state that the Gospel is greater than any Black or White issue and transcends them both.

I think that Elder Bradford’s concern of a Gospel that is only relevant to or only worries about issues in one community can be problamatic. I think it is interesting that other Black Preachers are wrestling with this issue. Henry Mitchell stated that he beleives that the hope of American Christnaity is in the hands of the Black Church. The idea was that the black church has always stood with the weak and poor and thus represents a struggle for rightness in the world. Not just in terms of Race, but of all who are oppressed.

I am also reminded of a class in the Theology and ministry of the Black Church by Dr. Forrest Harris. The teacher tried to emphasize that when the Black church is true to its principles of equality it is relevant to more than just black people.

Finally, I am reminded of Pastor Frank Thomas who wrote “They Like to Never Quit Praising God.” In his lectures on the Book he teaches that we become universal through our very particularism. In other words when a Black preacher goes deep enough into his/her own expereince the preacher teaches a universal Gospel.

I think Elder Bradford reminds us like these other voices that our Gospel cannot become provincial and only applicable to a certain group. But like these other voices, I think that Black “issue” teaching can become universal or trasncendent if we, as Frank Thomas states, push it.