What Did He Say?

My wife gets on me when I go out to preach because often times that’s when I let my hair down, metaphorically, to sing my sermon. Whooping is what we call it in the African American church. I guess the concern and/or complaint is warranted because I don’t do it often at the church. When I first started to pastor at First Goodwill, I would go at it every week, whooping that is. But Pastor Willie Woods who was my associate at that time, would say to me; “Pastor, stop preaching so hard you have a long way go!” Or he would say, “Be careful not to kill yourself in this pulpit. They’ll get another pastor in a couple of weeks.” I listened but I still would preach like a maniac, whooping at the conclusion of every sermon.

Now, I can, literally, count on one hand how many times I’ve sung my sermon in the past three (3) years or so. I started thinking, why do I whoop? Is my message less powerful or effective because I don’t whoop? Why do I whoop when I go out? Do my members care if I or don't whoop?

One of the reasons why I know I don’t whoop as much is because of the SINGING PREACHER SYNDROME. Whooping comes natural for me because I sing with musical knowledge of chord transitions. I'll love singing and everything that goes with it. However, when I stand before God I want to hear Him say servant well done, that was some good preaching down there. I think sometimes for the preacher singing can be a handicap to our ministries. I’ve been invited to preach at churches and some of the congregants were disappointed because I didn’t sing before I preached. I’ve been invited to services specifically to sing a selection not preach but sing. On one instance, a member of a church I preached at came to me and said; “Good message but I wanted to hear you sing.” To me that makes singing a disability. I long for a choir, praise team, ensemble, or something to keep me from singing on Sunday mornings all the time. I thank God for the gift of singing because it does help tremendously in our worship service. But, if I have to wear the label as a “singing preacher”, I want it to be none that I’m a singing preacher who can preach, with or without the whoop.

I also notice that many people post their close (whoop) on YouTube more so than a lecture that would draw people to Christ and I often wondered why that is? I think YouTube, church websites, or the web in general is a good vehicle to reach lost people for Christ. Is posting our whoop reaching people for Christ? Or do we use the whoop to hide behind a lack luster lecture (say that five times).

Sometime ago a preacher came to Los Angeles that I heard on YouTube (his close). He killed me with his whoop. My God this cat knows how to shut-it-down. But when I heard the lecture (or the meat of his sermon) I thought to myself, what a waste. I think many preachers polish their art of whooping but not the art of communicating the gospel. We must remember that people listen to us communicate the gospel for 30 to 40 minutes before we get to the whoop. What are we saying before the whoop? Does our close compliment the message? What’s more important, our close or the gospel message? Have we given the audience something to think about? Have they been challenged to change their lives for the better?

This is not coming from a person who cannot whoop. I can! But, I wonder sometimes about it's effectiveness.

Understand that the whoop, if not used effectively, can be a hindrance to the message just preached. People can ride through the entire message but then you’re close turns them off because of the frog. What people don’t know is that the frog is the result of taking deep breathes while holding the microphone close to the mouth. However, on the other hand, some of us do it intentionally. Bottom-line people think its nasty and will turn on a deaf ear. Whatever the case it can hinder the message and all people will remember is what was that in his throat? For me I have a problem with mucous build up that clogs my throat passage causing me to choke. It’s not a good idea to clear your throat in the microphone, that’s nasty. So, I've learned to take my time to prevent mucous build up and I my sure I swallow after every sentence.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the art of African American preaching. I love our uniqueness, excitement, and the joy it brings. I just think we should give the people more than a whoop.

I think if you’re going to be a whooping preacher:

Let the Spirit lead you. Here’s another way of saying it; “If it doesn’t fit don’t force it! Just relax and let it go!” I want to say that there are sermons that warrant the whoop but that’s not always true. I’ve written sermons that in my mind was a good candidate for the whoop. But when I got the pulpit the Holy Spirit did something totally different and it wasn’t whooping. In the same context, the sermons I thought were not a candidate for the whoop turned to out to be a good candidate. When it’s right you’ll know but when it’s wrong you’ll know also. Remember, our power comes not from the whoop but from the Holy Spirit.

Be clear. What good is the whoop if nobody understands a word you’re saying? I’ve listened to guys whoop and found myself asking; ‘What did he say?” I sometimes become hard to understand in the heat of the moment when playback the tape. I think the close should be a smooth ride to a final conclusion. Tell the story with music, like an opera. Take your time. Speak clear. Drink a little water before you start. Know where you’re going. Pull back the microphone from your mouth to prevent the frog and/or muffled sound. Stay within your element. There are some who can whoop without yanking it but when they try to yank it, it sounds like a wounded dog after being hit by a car. Learn to squall, if possible. It’s safe and easy on your throat. The squall is nothing more than a real heavy vibrato.

Watch the theatrics. I know sometimes we get excited about preaching and we tend to walk on people’s furnishings. Be careful! You could hurt somebody and you can hurt yourself. I remember years ago, I went to hear a friend of mine and he got happy and decided to walk on the pews. Two problems: He was 350 lbs and the third pew was broke and he didn’t know it. When he started his pew walking adventure and stepped on the third pew it broke and down he went. His whoop went from thanking God to crying out for help. As a younger preacher, I was preaching the Seven Last Sayings of Christ. I decided to lie down on a pew as if it was Jesus lying in tomb. Big mistake! When I got up off that pew, I tripped and twisted my ankle. I was hurt and the some of the church was laughing. Theatrical preaching can work if planned out properly but always remain reverent. It really isn't necessary to walk on people's furnishings. I know the Holy Spirit can get a hold of us but I don't think He wants us to hurt ourselves or others as well as tear up a church's furnishings either. We’re worshipping God even during our whoop.

Preaching is not a competition. I think sometimes we whoop to show off, especially, if a lot of preachers are around. I’ve had the opportunity to preach in a number of prayer bowls over the years and I remember my first. The lineup was of 8 and I was #5. The place was packed with preachers in the pulpit and in audience. For many it was their first time hearing me preach. I sat through 4 hours of whooping (literally) and it was obvious that one was trying to out shine the other. When my turn came, many of them walked out during my introduction. When I saw that my competitive edge started to reveal itself during the sermon. I worked my way through the sermon and when I got the whoop, mini me of Leroy Elliot with my twist began to shine that day. “Oh boy, I killed them was my self praise has I sat down!” When I got in the car with Tracy, she says; “You know you were just showing out”. I thought to myself if she felt that way how many others felt the same. From that point on I promised God that I would never do that again. The next couple of years I preached in the prayer bowl with same preachers and I allowed God to dictate the outcome of my close. My prayer before I preach in those settings is “Lord, keep my ego in check so I don’t stand to impress people!” The sermonic spotlight is not to shine on us but on God. Save the competition for another time not the pulpit.

Be prepared for criticism. Criticism will come from the pulpit and/or the pew but I bank most of the criticism coming from the pulpit of Rogers and Eberts. I was told on one occasion by a fellow preacher: “Clint, you weren’t on it today!” My response: “What do you mean my look at the text was good?” After a moment of debate, I narrowed it down to his judgment of my sermonic presentation was not based on the meat of my sermon but on the whoop (or lack thereof) of my sermon. At that point, I wrote him off as being ignorant to our true calling as preachers to spread the gospel message with or without a whoop. Yes, we are to spread glad tidings of great joy but that doesn’t mean it has to be with a whoop. I’m learning more and more each day as a person, preacher, and pastor, you can’t please everybody. Our ultimate goal is glorifying God in everythings that we do.

I love the unique delivery of black pulpiteers. I just wander about some of our true intentions. Are we serving for God's glory alone? Are we serving man for self glory? As the young people say; “Do you!” But make sure that while you’re doing you, God is at center of everything that “You do!”