I recently learned that one of my favorite professors from Wheaton College died at the end of April--Dr. Bob Webber. You can read a bit about him here and here.
Dr. Webber was all about worship. I can't imagine anyone agreed with everything he taught or believed (the notion of Protestants and Catholics reuniting is scandalous to some), but no one could deny his passion for true worship and his fascination with the many facets of Christianity. He was genuinely interested in people and how they came to Christ and experienced their faith day-to-day. He was a joyful man, too, delighting in seeing people opened up to a new part of the universal church that they may not have known. He was great at pushing protestant evangelicals (Wheaton's bread and butter) out of their comfort zones. I attended my first Orthodox service with Dr. Webber, in fact.
It is hard to be sad at Dr. Webber's passing. I only have a small idea of what he's experiencing right now, but my heart sings to imagine him finally seeing the Big Picture and being able to worship with all of his being. He will be missed and his contributions in this life were many, but he didn't belong here any more than you or I.
Incidentally, I should add a note of gratitude. For whatever reason, Dr. Webber saw fit to include me in one of his books, The Younger Evangelicals. A true honor.
2 comments:
Cool Nate...it's always bitter sweet to lose a friend and mentor...I would love to see a copy of the book...thanks for the link.
Dear Nate,
I am sorry for the loss of Dr. Robert Webber. An atypical American Protestant who had a vision of Unity for Catholics & Protestants & a passion & emphasis on the Worship of God. He is not only Wheaton's loss & yours but all of ours as well. I wish we had more men like Dr. Webber in the church & country. I wish I had the honor & pleasure of meeting him. I will say a prayer for him & the family. L&P Michael Atto
Post a Comment