In Review
The Certain Sound of the Trumpet:
Crafting a Sermon with Authority,
Samuel D. Proctor
Review by Oliver Phillips
The late Samuel D. Proctor served as Professor Emeritus
and Pastor Emeritus of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City,
and had been a visiting professor at Duke and Vanderbilt Universities
and Princeton Theological Seminary.
The Certain Sound of the Trumpet offers Proctor’s response
to the ongoing demand for a “how-to”, step-by-step approach
to powerful sermon development. The author is convicted that sermon preparation
is the critical challenge for those who face a congregation every Sunday
with a weekly dialogue that is clear, concise, credible, cogent, and convincing.
While Proctor warns that his method is not a homiletical elixir, he insists
that after many years of spiritual winnowing with traditional and classical
methods, he found this Hegelian practicum to be worthy of consideration
by those who are called to sound the trumpet with relevance and conviction.
According to this technique, the sermon moves from one thought
to another in a manner that can be more easily followed by the listeners,
and it defies the traditional understanding of “points”, making
such only ancillary to the development of the text. The sermon can then
have one major point or four points, all determined by the chosen text.
Proceeding from the proposition, the following process is
developed:
Antithesis—this is the real-life situation grounded in the meaning
of the text and juxtaposed with the present situation. It is often referred
to as the “isness” of things.
Thesis—this is the ideal situation as reflected in
the text and mirrored in the community’s history, and is an expansion
of the proposition. It is often referred to as the “oughtness”
of things.
The relevant question—what does this scripture tell
us about the nature and structure of the dilemma faced by the congregation?
If the dialectic is recognized between the thesis and the antithesis,
then how does the text shed light on a resolution?
Synthesis—the body of the sermon is the resolution
of the impasse. The synthesis becomes the reconciliation of the concurrence
that was recognized between the thesis and the antithesis.
Used to develop a theme, subject, or proposition, the integral
strength of this approach is that it effortlessly addresses the needs
of the congregation. In the application of Proctor’s method, the
preacher begins by choosing a text and a subject based on the text, and
then proceeds to the writing process. The preacher engages a proposition
(an abbreviated form of what will become the thesis), as Proctor says,
“what you shall have said when the sermon is finished.” It is
the sermon in a nutshell!
I loved the book but had some problems with its lack of
treatment of the necessary exegesis that would apply using this style.
Having used this method for the past ten years, I am aware that the preparation
of expository sermons presents unique challenges. The method fits better
into narrative, topical, and textual genres. That being said, Proctor’s
approach lends itself to preaching that is biblically sound and contextually
relevant.
Proctor’s years of proclaiming the Word of God, pastoring,
and effective classroom instruction to pastors, teachers, and seminarians
make this a must-read for even the seasoned pastor. I recommend this book
without reservation.
(Judson Press, 1994. 138 pp., ISBN #0817012028.)
Oliver R. Phillips is the Director of Mission Strategy in
the USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism department at Nazarene Headquarters.
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