dynamic voices for a diverse church. This is pass the mic.

It's an honor to have Dr Frank Thomas on the line with us here at Pasta Mike. Dr Thomas,

thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you, thank you so much for having me.

It's a great honor.

Just a great honor to be a part.

Now whenever I have the opportunity to speak with black preaching experts,

I always like to ask this question because I think it's so foundational and it kind of gives us a look into your personal life and how you process the art itself.

But in all your years of listening to and studying preaching, what are a few of the most memorable

sermons that you've ever heard? I know I'm putting you on the spot here with this, but what are a few? You're like, I can't reduce it down to two or three but if you can give two or three that off the top of your head are the most memorable sermons you've ever heard

Yes, of course you know there are many but know, it's pretty easy to come up with three.

My first one, I was a, between my junior and senior year of college and I was on the south side of Chicago I was attending

Champaign-Urbana University of Illinois and while I was home one of our

neighborhood friends used to live across the alley from me in Chicago was shot and killed in a

botched shoe store robbery. Oh my goodness. And so we went as a grieving community to a church on 83rd street. It was passed by Dr. L K Curry and we were green.

Yes, deeply and profoundly, you know, it's nothing like youth grief, you know, we think we're inevitable,

uh, invincible when we are young. And so I sat there and he got up and

preached and when he finished I felt better and I kept wondering how did he do that how did he take me from grief to hope

and you know I know now it's the text, but also the preacher, it's gift, it's the grace of God.

I know a lot now, but it put me on a search in terms of black preaching, a black church, as being, you know, one of the most powerful instruments

for hope that, you know, I've ever seen. That was my, really my first one. My second one was when, it's a lot of them, but I heard Dr. Frederick

G. Sampson called Shakespeare in a sermon and I am kind of nerdy and so here I am in seminary I'm trying to work through my little

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