(The Black Church has historically been a source of hope and strength for the African American community.)
Call And Response With-In The Black Church!
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Call and response did NOT originate with the Black Church. But it has been part of our culture for many generations. In fact did you know that the enslaved blacks used call and response as a form of communication--be it on Sunday morning, when preachers called "exhorts" would bring the message of God, or in day-to day communication when they would sing hymns to one another. This form of communication became very important as it was used to plan escapes via the Underground Railroad or whatever. They would plan escapes from slavery to the North, or even to Canada. One slave would begin to sing a song like, "Crossing the River Jordan." The others would respond with an answer verse. A perfect example of this is "Wade in the Water." It can be sung this way: Wade in the Water, Wade in the Water, children, Wade in the Water...
In the church I grew up in we had a preacher/teacher who was very loud with his preaching. Now if the pew sitters felt that he was speaking directly to them by the unction of the Holy Spirit, someone might answer him back with:
Help 'em Lord!
Well?
That's All Right!
Amen!
Glory Hallelujah!
Note in this video how the congregation responds to the preacher. Also note how the preacher's very presentation style makes room for the audience response. He pauses between phrases to make room for the congregation. In this way the pastor knows his congregation is "feelin'" him, or connecting with him. They are understanding him, and they are also getting how he wants it to apply to their lives.
Good post. Call and response does indeed come from the African culture where the listener in an active part of any discourse. In some cultures, responses like the "amen corner" would be considered rude. In the African tradition, not to respond would be considered rude or inattentive. It's expected. That's right Miss Ann.
Its gets to be ugly if some don't agree. Why not just do what you do and allow others to do. What they do. I don"t find it necessary to yell all through the service. I need to focus and understand what the speaker is saying.
My church is not "black" per se, but we say Amen after almost every sentence of the speaker. This is based on Paul's word in I Corinthians 14, where he argued that speaking or praying in plain words was more beneficial than using the gift of tongues. Verse 13 says, "Otherwise if you bless with the spirit, how shall he who fills the place of the unlearned in tongues say the Amen at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?"
Thank you for sharing this important historical and cultural context regarding the origins of call and response in African American culture. It is true that call and response has been an integral part of the African American experience for many generations, including during the time of slavery when it was used as a form of communication and expression.
Lord have mercy, Kirk Franklin was on the B.E.T. Hip Hop awards last weekend doing a “freestyle” and said, “The Lion and the Lamb will bow to the Goat.” Kirk, Kirk, let’s just correct those words that got messed up. The goat WILL bow down to the Lion and the Lamb. All knees will bow and the Heavens sing HOLY HOLY HOLY is the Lamb of God. Now Kirk is under fire from the Christian community for the slip-up. In my opinion, his action was one of ERROR, therefore I wouldn't jump to judge him of not being a Christian. Let's pray for himπI honestly think he misspoke, and he shouldn't have defended those lyrics. Regardless if he said he meant himself being the goat or whatever. Jesus will NEVER bend a knee to anyone!!
Yall the above picture has set off a firestorm online after Worship Leader Chandler Moore post a picture of him simulating doggy style as his wife “twerks” on him after their wedding. In my opinion, this is an inappropriate picture to post on social media, especially if you are claiming to work for the kingdom of GOD. The picture is distasteful and inappropriate for public consumption. They should’ve kept that to themselves. Don't get me wrong, they’re young and probably wouldn’t share this with the world as they grow and mature in Christ. Any believer who doesn’t see anything wrong with it is revealing where they are in Christ and how much they reverence the Lord. The spirit of the fear of the Lord is missing in the church today. This pic is evidence. I pray God will open their eyes to show them a better way of glorifying Him. Chandler Moore is an American Christian singer, songwriter, and worship leader. Moore is a member of the Maverick City Music collective and has a leading r
Church I found the above picture on someone's Facebook page that I followed and decided to post it here. Check out the post below and tell me what yall think: "Joyce, I am so disappointed in you that you would use the money from the ministry that people send to your ministry and use that money for your face because you don't want to look old. To get plastic surgery for your face. I've seen you on Fox and Friends one day and I couldn't even recognize you I'm disappointed. God did not give the ministry to you to take advantage of the money. You should be ashamed of yourself being irresponsible. think about the story in the Bible where Jesus got really mad the way they were using God's Temple for gambling. Do you remember how mad he got? So think about how you're using that money the same thing as the people using the synagogue for gambling for their own gain. they use the temple for the wrong reasons as you use the money for the wrong reasons and f
According to # thenorthcarolinabeat , 35-year-old Greensboro North Carolina pastor Demiro Johnson, who's accused of impregnating his then 14-year-old “spiritual daughter” in 2022 has been arrested by the Atlanta Georgia Police. Demiro was taken into custody by authorities at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport just before noon today Thursday, January 5, 2023 sources tell The North Carolina Beat. Demiro was taken into custody by authorities at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport just before noon Thursday, sources tell The North Carolina Beat. His arrest comes from warrants out of North Carolina by a mother and now 15-year-old girl that said Johnson had sex with her twice in October 2021 at his Greensboro North Carolina home. Johnson is the pastor of the Church of The Apostolic Saints in Greensboro.
What do yall think about this? How can one prove that Bishop Jakes and his church have a connection to one of the biggest urban gossip (The Shade Room) sites on the internet? In all, honesty, you really can't! It's alleged that the owner(s) and founder(s) of The Shade Room go to Bishop T.D Jake's church the Potters House in Dallas TX. which somehow turned into Bishop Jakes and the church-owning "The Shade Room". Twitter had a field day with this newsπ
Does anyone else wonder about the rising number of these senseless acts? Another senseless act. I don’t know what to make of all these acts of extreme hate. Every day there is a headline concerning this type of behavior. Most are (now) attributed to the attacker having some sort of “mental issue.” Anyhow, members of a Baltimore church "The Church of the Redeemed of the Lord" are giving thanks that their longtime pastor wasn’t seriously injured during a mid-service assault on November 20. According to news reports, a 55-year-old man allegedly attacked Bishop Jerome Stokes with a hammer during Sunday worship at The Church of the Redeemed of the Lord (CRL). Stokes, 78, received only a minor laceration on one ear. The alleged attacker, whom police say may have been having a mental health crisis, was evaluated at a local hospital. ( You Can Read About It Here )
Pastor Jamal Bryant delivered an awesome sermon on Sunday calling Herschel Walker, the GOP nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia out. “Y’all ain’t ready for me today,” Bryant warned the congregation at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church during his, blistering critique of the former football star. "They thought we were so slow, that we were so stupid, that we would elect the lowest caricature of a stereotypical broken black man as opposed to somebody who is educated and erudite and focused! “In 2022, we don’t need a Walker, we need a runner,” Bryant declared. “We need somebody who’s going to run and tell the truth about Jan. 6. We need someone who going to run and push for the cancellation of student loan debts. We need someone who’s going to run and make the former president respond to a subpoena,” he continued. “We don’t need a walker. We need somebody who will be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding, knowing your labor is not in vain.” Pastor Jamal Bryant of Atlant
According to ( this article ) from Nov. 2, 2022, “Hillsong’s latest annual report reveals the megachurch is bringing in $17 million less in revenue compared to two years ago. That’s a drop of almost 20%, due, at least in part, to a series of controversies.” “The decline comes as former leader and founder Brian Houston faces charges of covering up his late father’s alleged sex crimes. Houston has vowed to fight the charges, which are expected to be heard in a Sydney court this December. He has yet to enter a plea but has indicated he will plead not guilty.” “Hillsong is also entangled in a Fair Work case filed by former employee Natalie Moses, who alleges the church unjustly suspended her from her finance department position after repeatedly expressing concerns about financial misconduct and questionable expenditures inside Hillsong.” “Additionally, there are accusations Houston, who has been married to his wife Bobbie for 45 years, sent inappropriate texts to a staff member, struggl
I find this troubling and so ironic that they are spending so much money on advertising when it could be used to feed the poor and help others in need. It’s a desperate move as more and more people walk away from churches. They want to keep their power! An alliance of Christian media ministries has launched a couple of months ago “He Gets Us,” an extensive $100-million-dollar national ad campaign to share inspirational messages about Jesus Christ with “skeptics and seekers.” It features stark ads with messages such as “Jesus suffered anxiety” and “Jesus was in broken relationships.” The campaign is backed by a group of undisclosed wealthy Christians, funding the initiative through the nonprofit group The Signatry. Their financial model relies on donor-advised funds, which have recently come under scrutiny.
Why this couple didn't hock, sell, or pawn their guns? According to the article, the Nelson's bankruptcy filing shows they possessed nine guns, valued at more than 18,000 each, and at the time of the filing, they both pointed out their unemployment. An Oklahoma couple named by authorities as “primary suspects” in last week’s murder-suicide that left their six children dead faced mounting money woes, while the husband suffered from crippling pain caused by an old head injury, family members have said. Two adults and six children were found dead on Oct. 27 inside a burning home in the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow. Local police on Sunday identified the parents as Brian Nelson, 34, and Brittney Nelson, 32, but provided no information on whether both adults took part in the killings of their children, who ranged in age from 1 to 13. Brian Nelson’s parents, Danny and Marilyn, told the Tulsa World that their son had asked if they could come over at 3 p.m. Thursday to babysit their gra
Good post. Call and response does indeed come from the African culture where the listener in an active part of any discourse. In some cultures, responses like the "amen corner" would be considered rude. In the African tradition, not to respond would be considered rude or inattentive. It's expected. That's right Miss Ann.
ReplyDeleteJackie thanks for your comment and Amen.
ReplyDeleteIts gets to be ugly if some don't agree.
ReplyDeleteWhy not just do what you do and allow others to do. What they do. I don"t find it necessary to yell all through the service. I need to focus and understand what the speaker is saying.
My church is not "black" per se, but we say Amen after almost every sentence of the speaker. This is based on Paul's word in I Corinthians 14, where he argued that speaking or praying in plain words was more beneficial than using the gift of tongues. Verse 13 says, "Otherwise if you bless with the spirit, how shall he who fills the place of the unlearned in tongues say the Amen at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?"
ReplyDeleteWhat a great history lesson! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this important historical and cultural context regarding the origins of call and response in African American culture. It is true that call and response has been an integral part of the African American experience for many generations, including during the time of slavery when it was used as a form of communication and expression.
ReplyDelete