Sermon kicks off Ministers Week

By Bethany McCormack
Staff Reporter

When the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. spoke from the pulpit of the University Christian Church, his words were meant to inspire current and past Brite Divinity students and other ministers. The sermon began the university’s celebration of Ministers Week.

“Don’t worry, your blessing is on the way,” Wright said to a packed audience in his sermon Monday night.

TCU, along with UCC, has sponsored Ministers Week for the past five decades. Activities include lectures, sermons, workshops and worship services.

Wright delivered the first of three sermons he will give as part of nightly worship services planned throughout the week.

Wright has been the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago since February 1972. He is also the author of four books and numerous articles. His books include “When Black Men Stand Up for God: Reflections on the Million Man March,” “No Other Help I Know: Sermons on Prayer and Spirituality” and “Africans Who Shaped our Faith: A Study of 10 Biblical Personalities.”

Wright spoke about waiting on the Lord, drawing from a passage in the book of John.

Chrissy Braden/STAFF REPORTER Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. kicks off Ministers Week Monday night with a sermon on waiting on the Lord. Ministers Week runs through Thursday.

“Sometimes you get tired of waiting and take yourself where you aren’t supposed to be,” he said. “The Lord will find you.”

William Carlson, a sophomore vocal performance major, said Wright was a dynamic speaker.

“‘Wait and your blessing will come,’ spoke to me,” Carlson said. “I can relate that to deciding a major and picking a good career.”

Kyle Herron, an associate minister at Park Hill Christian Church in Kansas City, Mo., said he came to Ministers Week to reconnect with friends and to spend time in worship. He is a 1996 graduate of Brite Divinity School.

“(Ministers) spend a lot of time leading and preparing worship, so we don’t get to do much worship ourselves,” he said.
Herron said Wright’s message was something he and other ministers needed to hear.

“He’s the kind of preacher we look to hear, because it gives us encouragement and inspiration that we sometimes don’t have,” Herron said.

Wright will also be speaking 8 p.m. tonight and Wednesday during services at UCC.

Daryl Schmidt, chairman of the religion department, said Ministers Week is a joint project of the Brite Divinity School and the religion department, and it is open to all who wish to attend.

“(Ministers Week) serves, in part, to invite (alumni) back to campus and provide them continued education,” he said. “There is no registration and students are invited to attend.”

Schmidt said all students are encouraged to come hear world-class scholars speak. The week provides a chance for other ministers to come together and hear stimulating lectures, he said.

Bethany McCormack
b.s.mccormack@student.tcu.edu