By Junpeng Zhang | Reporter
Dr. Dante Wright came to George W. Truett Theological Seminary for a community gathering for worship on Feb. 28. Wright was invited to preach by Dr. Todd D. Still, a William M. Hinson professor of Christian scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary.
“It was a hopeful and Biblical call for us to be grateful people,” Todd said. “Dr. Wright’s style is energetic and contagious. Those who hear him speak are inspired to less what they used to be than what they ought to be.”
Wright serves as the senior pastor of Sweet Home Baptist Church, also known as the Pinnacle of Praise in Round Rock. Wright leads the church with a passion, purpose and a mission to build soldiers, to reach sinners, to resemble the savior, according to the church’s website. His unwavering conviction has transformed the Pinnacle of Praise to be a place where souls are attracted and Jesus is the main attraction.
Wright spoke about how the seminary should worship and the call to worship for the seminary. He chose Psalm 100 from the Bible as his main theme for this worship to show how to find who the Lord or God is. He said when some people who love the Lord come to church and pray, they are not even sure who the Lord actually is.
Wright then pointed out Psalm 100:3 of the text as the most unique part. He clearly said that if you could understand Psalm 100:3, then you can understand Bible. He highlighted Psalm 100:3 as a clue to understand this text and what the central element is going on in it.
“The Lord is the subject of the song,” Wright said. “The worship is when you bring the God that you created before the God who created you. I have a lesson to want you to learn, and that is God is the answer to the who, the why and the how of your worship. The seminary can understand the call to the worship because it begins with who you will worship. Don’t come to worship as a spectator, come to worship as a participant.”
Joel Gregory, the George W. Truett endowed chair in preaching and evangelism at George W. Truett Theological Seminary said he admired Wright’s speech.
“He is an example of passionate, applied Biblical preaching. He is always well-prepared,” Gregory said. “The message expresses his own passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the church in Round Rock has responded to that as one of the most phenomenal stories grows in any Baptist churches at Texas in the last generation.”
Then Wright took syrup as an example from his real life to explain how he feels God is good. He compared with so many different kinds of syrup by trying them one by one. After he finally knew why the one he likes the most is better, Wright said he thinks that God is great and worth to be served because God puts so many flavors in his life so that he can feel much.
Jimmy Hunter, a pastor from Toliver Chapel Baptist church also shared his opinion on Wright.
“Wright is both informational and inspirational, and these are always keys for preaching. Worshipers receive information as well as leaving inspired,” Hunter said.
