Igniting Prayer's Passion and Power in Us: A Book for Proclaimers

By Dr Walter Brown Jr

"Walter M. Brown Jr. has accomplished something extraordinary in this fine book. He brings into sharp focus the nexus between fervent and prayer and evocative preaching set with in the rich linguistic and poetic world of African-American spirituality."-Robert M. Franklin, Ph.D. Former President, Interdenominational Theological Center

The premise used in Igniting Prayer's Passion and Power In Us has produced extraordinary chapel growth experienced by only one half of 1% of this nation's churches. Brown's theological studies at the Interdenominational Theological Center (Master of Divinity), Emory University (Master of Theology), and Columbia Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry) helped form the bases for this stirring approach to proclamation.

This unique method of preparation is sure to develop a new appreciation for and devotion to prayer!
Simple and effective, Igniting Prayer's Passion and Power In Us will revolutionize sermon preparation.
All Christians can glean helpful insight into improving their prayer life.

Workbook/Study Guide available at: [e-mail]

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Dec 11, 2001
• ISBN: 9781469797069

Dr Walter Brown Jr

During 24 years of ministry as an ordained Church of God in Christ Elder, Walter M. Brown, Jr. has traveled extensively throughout the United States and abroad to preach and teach the Word of God. He has conducted workshops and seminars for the church and the academy. The African American Pulpit has published an essay and two of his sermons. Moses and the Meal An He Took the Cup Are Believers Merely Gazing. He is married to the former Beryl Thompson, his wife of 26 years, and they have three children: Geoffrey, Marcus, and Judith. He has received degrees from the following institutions: Atlanta Junior College?Associates of Science Georgia State University?Bachelor of Social Work The Interdenominational Theological Center?Master of Divinity Candler School of Theology, Emory University?Master of Theology Columbia Theological Seminary?Doctor of Ministry

Book preview

Igniting Prayer’s Passion and Power

IN US

A Book for Proclaimers

Dr. Walter M. Brown, Jr. Foreword by Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Professor of Homiletics, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

Writer’s Showcase

New York Lincoln Shanghai

Igniting Prayer’s Passion and Power in Us

A Book for Proclaimers

Copyright © 2001 by Walter M. Brown, Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, Copyright (c) 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible

ISBN: 0-595-20468-6

ISBN: 978-1-4697-9706-9 (eBook)

Contents

DEDICATION

FOREWORD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE:

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

PART TWO:

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

PART THREE:

APPENDIX OF PROCLAMATIONS

END NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DEDICATION

This offering is dedicated to my family:

My mother, Missionary Marie Y. Hollaway, who was responsible for my birth…twice.

My father, Rev., Dr. Walter M. Brown, Sr., who kindled my desire for preparation, O my papa.

My wife, Beryl, who completes my being; she makes me whole.

My children: Geoffrey, Marcus, and Judith; no parent could have hoped for

more.

My sisters: Beverly, Tresa,…and Jill; they make me feel as though I am their prince.

My brothers for adversity: George—then and now; Marlin and Robert—now; Gerard, Joe, and Roe—now and forever.

My fathers in the Gospel: Superintendent Luther R. Hinsley, Bishop John Dell Husband, Bishop Edward Robinson, and Bishop Chandler D. Owens.

FOREWORD

From the first time I met this Navy chaplain in dress whites in the chapel at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia I knew the hand of the Lord was upon him. When encountering Walter Brown, one immediately knows this is a person in whom the Spirit of God’s presence abides. His humility and faith light up the darkness. His passion for preaching a sound word inspires others to prepare more ardently and never be ashamed of the commission God has placed on their lives. He excelled as a student of preaching and as a natural preacher. As he prepared to write down what God, the Chief Homiletician, has taught him about preaching, one could sense the urgency of sharing the Good News with others. Walter’s intent is to provide information beneficial to all who would undertake the task of proclaiming God’s Word.

Igniting Prayer’s Passion and Power IN US is a necessary tool for those who seek to proclaim God’s Word with integrity and conviction. There are those who believe that once they answer the call to a preaching ministry, no other preparation is necessary. Walter effectively delineates the process of approaching the preaching moment from the seed of inspiration to the delivery of the living Word. His experience as one of God’s messengers allows him to almost instinctively describe the necessity of prayer, the careful attention to God’s instruction, the process of developing one’s own style, the vitality of the biblical text, the composition of the sermon, and the deliberate, yet flexible relaying of God’s Word to the congregation of the saints. Each of these elements is essential to a well researched, well organized, and well-delivered sermon.

Walter’s manner of revealing how God has worked in his own preaching life through stories, spiritual insights, and practical suggestions for preachers under girds the wealth of information found in this text. The organization of the text lends itself to immediate understanding of the communicative intent of the work. While some may believe that there is no need for a how-to book on preaching, those who are in the trenches, preaching each Sunday, will appreciate the practicality of this methodology and identify with the situations and suggestions presented. Regardless of one’s denomination, theology, polity, gender, age, education, time in service, or our perceived preaching ability, the text will be a welcome resource for broadening one’s preaching ministry. To utilize the alliterative style of the genius of Black preaching, Walter Brown is prayerful, personal, pastoral, prepared, practical and prophetic. Let his God-given vision of God’s presence in the preaching moment ignite new passion and power in you.

Teresa L. Fry Brown, Ph.D.

PREFACE

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), an expert in religious law asked Jesus the question, Who is my neighbor? attempting to set limits on love and hospitality. Rather than establishing limits, Jesus expanded them. When offering information in the public domain, one is always a struggle with boundaries. Publishers often ask a question similar to the initial query of that parable: Who is your audience—Whom do you hope to reach? In wrestling with boundaries I was reminded of a story that assisted me greatly.

In a church not far from here and close to everywhere, inclement weather forced the cancellation of a regular Wednesday Night Bible Study. Three people showed up anyway: the pastor, a young minister, and a lay-member. The pastor was already at the church; the young minister and the lay-member lived nearby but did not get the word concerning the cancellation. Already there, they decided to go ahead with Bible study. After a while, their concerns drifted from the lesson text to personal ministry issues. All three were anxious about their effectiveness in proclaiming biblical truths as they interacted with congregations, small groups and individuals. Though different in their level of training and ministry experience, they had one thing in common: an expressed desire to be more effective in reaching people with biblical truths.

The pastor, seminary trained, wanted to pray more but simply could not find the time. He suffered from a normal ministry malady: a too busy schedule. The young minister, though lacking formal training, maintained a committed prayer life—a fact well known throughout the church. He had recently petitioned God about a personal need for a more systematic approach to proclamation and preparation for prayer. The lay member was a fairly new convert. Already witnessing one-on-one, this lay-member’s zeal and speaking ability were producing numerous opportunities to address small groups and church congregations. Also lacking formal training and having recently committed to a stronger prayer life, this lay-member queried the two ministers for advice. ‘What I need is a practical, simple understanding of proclamation and prayer.’

The systematic pastor, impassioned, prayerful minister, and talented, practical lay-member made a pact to meet regularly and learn from one another.

Their pact had an immediate impact on them as well as the congregations, groups and individuals they served and encountered.

At one time or another, many of us have been one or all three of the above individuals: too busy to pray, untrained and in need of structure, or zealous, requiring direction. This book will address these all too common concerns by answering the questions:

•   How do I satisfy the longing for a more committed prayer life?

•   Are there practical, systematic approaches to sermon [proclamation] preparation?

•   What can I do to understand my gifts and effectively unleash my zeal—with knowledge?

So then, who is my audience and whom do I hope to reach? I want to reach the trained and the untrained, the seasoned and the novice, clergy and laity. This work is produced that all might experience (and at the very least) bear witness to the Igniting of Prayer’s Passion and Power In Us.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A book may have one author but there are many contributors. My list of those who provided technical support and insightful collaboration is extensive—a mixture first-time authors cannot do without. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown has graced me with her friendship and provided kind instruction and ministry opportunities. She has given encouragement that covered me like a gentle summer rain. Like grace, her gifts were unmerited and free. Brother Frank, Providence smiled on me when our paths crossed.

John K. Carter came to my rescue and, though busy with ministry, took time to assist his brother. He is my editor-in-friend. Mark and Denise Thompson and Roe Grigley were—to me—a testament that God will always send you what you need when you need it most. Robert M. Franklin, Ronald C. Mathieu, Oliver J. Haney, James Washington, Henry H. Nixon, Jr., George Frye, Alfred Chapman, Gerald Gray, and D. A. Graham provided the proper mixture of criticism and encouragement.

The Church of God in Christ nurtured me in those crucial formative years of salvation and the call to ministry. Pastors, members, and leaders of that tradition took me under their wings: The Howard family—G. LaMarr, Gwendolyn, Lytia, and Ramona Howard (Doctors the lot); Superintendent Luther R. Hinsley, Bishop John Dell Husband, Superintendent Edward Robinson, and Bishop Chandler D. Owens. They provided counsel, training, and opportunity.

I thank church folk like Rosa Mae Mahone, Marionetta Rucker, Dr. Exume (my spiritual granny) and her prayer gang for their much-needed prayers and support.

INTRODUCTION

This is a book for proclaimers about proclaiming the Word of God. Proclaimers are persons who publicly and privately preach, teach, and witness to biblical truths. The activity of proclaiming may take place before congregations, small groups, or one-on-one. This book is also an offering about prayer—a biblically required, personal form of communication between the believer and God that connects one to God in unique and unusual ways. It speaks to the need to link this God-humankind connecting communication with proclamation in an intentional and effective way. Linking proclamation and prayer is no easy chore, though they share a sacred, undeniable bond.

Proclamation is an out-front, easy-to-see activity. No one has to tell us when proclamation—however good or bad—is taking place. When proclamation meets its expected aim, we connect with what is proclaimed and with the proclaimer. Prayer, on the other hand, tends to be a behind-the-scenes, though equal partner in any proclamation process. The actual activity of prayer is sometimes unseen by those witnessing and/or experiencing the proclamation.

Perhaps the analogy that best explains the importance and individual nature of prayer and preparation is that of the marriage covenant. Both husband and wife are distinct and have their own uniqueness but are interdependent. They can operate independently, and often do; however, their best chance for marital success is their sacred, unbreakable union. This union may require one or the other to take the lead in various situations. There are special moments in the marriage covenant when husband and wife do indeed become one. Likewise, proclamation and prayer can occur simultaneously and share a special intimacy. (I will explore and explain this intimacy in the section on prayer.)

As I prepared for and proclaimed God’s Word, the single act of proclamation dominated this sacred union, and I often left out prayer. Prayer was the unequal equal partner. I concerned myself (too much) with the how of proclaiming biblical truths rather than the under girding and guiding principle of committed prayer. A short story addresses my confusion.

Henry McNeal Turner High School was known for its basketball prowess in the late ‘60’s. We were third in the state of Georgia (‘68) for the AA

Classification. The honor of making the team was bestowed on just a few. The first day of practice, the called were chomping at the bit. We could not wait to get our hands on one of the many basketballs lined up against the walls around the gym. When the warm-up exercises concluded, we all—to a man—broke for the basketballs, those intoxicating burnt-orange spheres. After all we were the chosen, the ones anointed to lead the school to its lion’s share of basketball victories. The deafening shrill of the coach’s whistle brought us all to a screeching halt.

Nobody touches a ball, the coach exclaimed. You’re not ready…yet. We will focus on fundamentals, conditioning, and teamwork before we take one shot, dribble one ball, or throw one pass. Dejected, especially after several days passed and still no basketball, many of us even thought of quitting the team. But the coach knew exactly what he was doing and how to prioritize training and preparation. By the time we finally picked up the basketballs, we had been honed into a solid and well prepared team. The rest, as they say, is history.

Though our focus is often on the out-front activity of proclamation, we are obliged to give full attention to the fundamental training-activity of committed prayer. This prayer can then intersect proclamation at many different points in the preparation and delivery process. (See Diagram 1).

Image372.PNG

All proclaimers must develop a personal style and preferences of proclamation. The method outlined in this book is not presented as the method; it is simply one of many and has become invaluable to me. Three sections characterize this book. PART ONE focuses on Preparing the Proclaimer for Proclamation and consists of three chapters: The Call to Prayer, Hearing the Voice of God in Us, and Proclamation: Searching For a Personal Style.

Chapter 1, The Call To Prayer, details the proclaimer’s need for a consecrated and committed prayer life. Included as well are reasons why the pro-claimer might long for this kind of life, and the specific steps that can lead them