JAZZ OF PREACHING by Kirk Jones ($16)*
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ABG: 0-687-00252-4
What if preachers were as contagiously joyful in their preaching as Louis Armstrong was in his playing and singing? As rich in their sermonic renderings as Sarah Vaughn was in her musical vocals? As honest about heartache as Billie Holiday was every time she sang about the blues of life? As alluringly clear as the angelic voice of Ella Fitzgerald? As tenaciously uninhibited in the action of creating as Duke Ellington? Of course this is entirely too much to ask of persons, even those presumably "called by God." However, it is not too much to ask this question: Can preaching be enhanced through the metaphor of jazz? Can an understanding of the inner dynamics of jazz—its particular forms, rules, and styles—inform one's practice of preaching as well? Can jazz's simultaneous structure and spontaneity help preachers better understand their own art? The answer to those questions, says Kirk Jones, is an unqualified yes. Jones explains how to dramatically improve one's preaching through understanding and applying key elements of the musical art form known as jazz. These elements include innovation (what one commentator refers to as "the experimental disposition of jazz"); improvisation; rhythm; call and response; honesty about heartache; and delight. After discussing the reality and role of each of these elements in jazz, and how they can be important for preaching as well, each chapter will conclude by including exercises for applying the jazz element to preaching preparation and performance. Drawing on a deep love of jazz and enlivening his discussion with insights drawn from the tradition of African American preaching, Jones introduces the reader to rich and rewarding possibilities for constructing and delivering the sermon.
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