virtual memorial: robert webber 1933-2007

April 28, 2007

Many have expressed their gratitude to Dr. Robert Webber for his ministry to the body of Christ. As a worship pastor/leader, I would like to extend a tribute.

Webber [along with Dan Kimball] had a profound impact on my formation as a young, burgeoning worship pastor. I remember coming across one of his lesser known books, Evangelicals On the Canterbury Trail, in my previous church’s library and reading it cover to cover. That begin my journey through Webber’s other books, worship materials, and passion for evangelical reconciliation vis a vis The Chicago Call and The Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future. In fact, as I’ve mentioned before, the very name of this blog was inspired by Webber’s ‘ancient-future’ moniker.

IMHO, Webber was more than out on the front end, he was the front end of what is considered ‘emerging worship’ today. As a man in his second half of his life, he embraced the worship ‘future’ or better, the worship of the contextualized present, which was so encouraging to young worship leaders. And he took the worship ‘ancient’ beyond the 60’s Fanny Crosby era to a more robust Biblical and historical perspective, encouraging to all worship leaders.

You can’t read Kimball’s words in Emerging Worship on the revitalization of liturgy, Jewish traditions, Christian seasons, etc. without hearing Webber’s inflection. You can’t listen to hymns played by Seattle’s Mars Hill Church without hearing Webber’s ‘ancient-future’ philosophical influence. And you can’t read any book on the emerging church without hearing the echoes from the words of Webber’s The Younger Evangelicals.

Read more tributes:

David Fitch: I have learned that in times of death, that there are two extreme ways to die in our society. One extreme way is to die technologized, put out of our misery, where we expire in the company of machines. The other extreme is to put suffering and death into the context of the whole story of our lives and what God has done in and through us, so that the meaning of suffering and death takes on a quality of holy struggle in witness to the ultimate victory of Christ over sin and death. Here, all the time is redeemed. Here, love, reconciliation, and appreciation are shared in a community. Suffering is borne with grace as somehow these sufferings take on the very task of entering Christ’s sufferings for our salvation. Tragically many in our world die close to the first extreme. Rarely do we see alot of saints die in the second extreme. Bob Webber, and Joanne his wife and partner, showed us how to walk faithfully in this second way. For this I thank God. [Read entire tribute here]

Dan Kimball: Death is a weird thing - as I sit here and type and ponder the news of his death. One day we all shall be in our Maker’s presence. I hope when I am old, or whenever it is that is God’s timing for me, that I will end serving well and faithfully as Bob did. We are here for a short time, although it sometimes feel long, but it is short and we each have a mission and task that we are assigned with in this life. [Read entire tribute here]

Andrew Jones: Bob has done an incredible amount of good in bringing people together and educating the church. He was the guy behind the Chicago Declaration and more recently, I signed Bob’s ecumenical document when he sent it to us. What a remarkable contribution to the family of Christ! [Read entire tribute here]

Michael Spencer: The tireless reclaimer of the Great Tradition and the man who gave post-evangelicalism meaning for thousands of us, is gone to be with the Lord. He passed Friday after a recent serious illness… God give his rest to the soul of Professor Robert Webber, now with the gathered children of light. [Read entire tribute here]

Doug Pagitt: We love you, Bob. Go in the peace and joy of the Lord. Prayers and blessing be with Joanne and the entire family. [Read entire tribute here]

Posted in Christian season, church, emerging church, quotes of note, worship