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Sarah Masters reviews the film

Let the Church Say Amen!

Let the Church Say Amen! follows a young African-American seminarian from the Interdenominational Theological Center of Atlanta as he travels through the south in the 1960s and early 70s in search of a place to preach.

This thoughtful documentary, dated in appearance but not in theme, chronicles the journey of Hudson “Dusty” Barksdale round trip from Atlanta through the Mississippi Delta to Chicago and back as he reflects on his various religious experiences in the rural and urban Black churches along the way.

Barksdale thinks at first that he wants to preach in a “ghetto church,” but at the suggestion of his mentor he takes the bus first to a Baptist Church in rural Mount Bayou, Mississippi. There he meets a country preacher whose sermons raise the roof and inspire worshippers to dance and cry out to be saved from the harsh demands of weekly labor.

Then its on to Chicago, where Barksdale quietly observes an urbane minister frustrated over relations with adolescents from surrounding housing projects who are out on the streets.

Finally, the young seminarian returns to Atlanta, where he comes upon Black Muslims who claim that Christianity was used to enslave Africans in America.

Let the Church Say Amen! zeroes in on disparate African-American religious experiences, but is also a coming-of-age story.

“With no proposition, there is no sermon,” Barksdale learns at seminary before he sets out on his journey. For film director St. Clair Bourne, the proposition seems to be that religion and church comprise two of the most basic elements of African-American life, and that it is from the church that many progressive movements arise and will continue to arise.

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Completed: 1974
Running Time: 78 Minutes
Director: St. Clair Bourne

If you are interested in renting this VHS, you can do so at First Run/Icarus Films for $75.00. First Run/Icarus can be reached by e-mail at mail@frif.com or by telephone at (718) 488 8900.

Book Review

Rev. Pat Spelling reviews

Markings on the Windowsill

It has often been said that loosing a child is the worst sort of grief, I never really understood what that meant until I read this little book. Ronald Greer, in Markings on the Windowsill, explains it this way:

“Many say that the death of a child is the worst. I don’t compare losses, since they are each are so different. I simply know it is devastating. It has been said the death of a parent is the loss of one’s past; the death of a souse is the loss of one’s present; and the death of a child is the loss of one’s future.”

The death of a child may be a loss of a future but no matter how brief the child’s life, memories remain. Ronald Greer shares his story of the tragic death of his two-year-old son, Eric. He interweaves the story of the events surrounding Eric’s death, such as the accident, the family’s grief and more, with solid reflections on those events. Within these reflections, the author shares the hope he had amidst tragedy and how his faith grounded him and carried he and his family as they grappled courageously with the death of their son.

This is a little book, not intimating at all. Easy to tuck into a pocket or a purse; but don’t be deceived by its diminutive size. This book contains a wealth of information for anyone struggling with grief.

The author talks about the multitude of feelings that come to those who mourn. He encourages those left behind to grieve in their own way and not give in to those who want to rush the grief process. This book encourages genuine feelings. The book ends with a small section of advice for those trying to help the grieving.

As a mother that has lost a son and a chaplain who has sat with many others who have encountered grief, I highly recommend this book. While there is some information for the helping professional, this book speaks directly to the grieving person. This book is not clinical or preachy; rather it is an intimate sharing of the author’s sorrow.

While this book is helpful for anyone that grieves, this book would be an excellent resource for hospitals to purchase to hand out to a parent whose child has died.

Greer, Ronald J. Markings on the Windowsill, A Book About Grief That's Really About Hope. Dimensions for Living, Nashville, TN, 2006, pp 71.

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