“What I propose here is a new approach to preaching funerals,” pastor,  scholar, and author Peter Wherry explains, an approach that is pastoral, holistic, and healing.” In this new book, pastors and preachers will discover more than conventional homiletics theory about mechanics and methodology. In it, the author envisions anew the content of preaching in the shadow of death. Learn to transform the moment into an incarnational engagement between the grieving individuals and the risen Christ.Chapters include practical wisdom about:How "preaching" begins long before the funeral service startsEmbracing the funeral as a teachable momentHow to make the most of sermon structure in funeral preachingFeatures sample sermons from:Claude R. Alexander Jr.Brad BraxtonNathan DellDebra HagginsToney L. McNair Jr.Gregory K. MossPeter M. WherryMary H. YoungIntended both for seminarians and scholars as well as for pastors who crave an accessible but substantial resource for priming the pump for preaching when the burden of grief and the busyness of ministry cause inspiration to run dry. “Most homiletics textbooks dive quickly into the mechanics of preaching—but not Dr. Peter Wherry’s book, Preaching Funerals In the Black Church: Bringing Perspective to Pain . Instead, Dr. Wherry becomes an advocate for soul doctors (pastors of the heart). In this scholarly work, he unabashedly invites preachers back to the most important work of the pastor: ministering to broken hearts and lives. Dr. Wherry makes it clear that funeral sermons, eulogies, are an "incarnational engagement between grieving persons and the risen Christ" that results more from good bedside manner than good theological training. With the surgical precision of a professional soul doctor trained at the seminary, the funeral home, and the bedside of hundreds of dying or bereaved parishioners, Dr. Wherry cuts to the heart of preparing funeral sermons—which is knowing the heart of those who have suffered loss by being present, patient, and observant. Then and only then is the soul doctor prepared to write a prescription for grieving families from the Word of God. As a practitioner, Dr. Wherry not only gives vital instructions for preparing to develop the eulogy, but practical methods in developing, writing, and delivering the funeral message. He closes this unique preaching text with powerful models from his own pulpit and other great preachers. This is a must read in an age when preachers are prone to be more concerned with the glory than walking with people through grief. I highly recommend this book.” --Dr. Roland J. Hill, Stewardship & Wealth Creation Consultant, Total Life Stewardship Ministries PETER M. WHERRY, MDiv, DMin, currently serves as pastor of Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. In more than thirty years of ministry, he has had experience in a wide variety of settings, as pastor, preacher, professor, and musician. He has ministered internationally and preached from coast to coast in the United States. He has taught courses at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology in Richmond, Virginia, and he serves as doctoral advisor at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina.