Celebrating Life within in African American Tradition
The Rev. George DeFord in his recent book, Celebrating Life, describes the common thread of death and bereavement as he carries us back to the Hush Harbor services on the slave plantations right up to the present-day funeral and memorial services in urban, suburban and rural Africa America. In vivid detail and specific bios, bulletins and other data, the reader gains a rich understanding of past and present attempts to address the reality of death. He writes this book as advice to seminarians, newly appointed, called and lay pastors with the hope that a greater appreciation will be achieved from the awareness of influences from African funeral practices upon the African-American church. After reading this book, his hope is that clergy, regardless of their religious status, will be more informed and able to provide effective and relevant funeral services in their local church. And, for laity sensing a call to ordained ministry, this work will be enlightening as to pastoral care during parishioners' bereavement.
