Spirit Speech: Lament and Celebration in Preaching

Spirit Speech: Lament and Celebration in Preaching

That the Holy Spirit is present in preaching is something we take for granted. How the Spirit is present is a question we seldom ask. Luke Powery suggests that we fail to ask that question to the detriment of our preaching. Drawing on the tradition of African American preaching, he locates the Spiritâ€™s activity in the sermon in two primary places; First, in celebration, the joyous acceptance of Godâ€™s gifts to the church and to the world. But equally as powerful is the expression of lament, the lifting up of our sorrow, grief, and suffering. In these two experiences the Spirit plays the decisive role, enabling the preacher to lay the congregationâ€™s joys and sorrows at the feet of the living God, and announcing Godâ€™s presence in both our celebration and our lament.

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