« James B. Davis, R.I.P. | Main | Obama's faith, his pastor, and his foreign policy »
April 29, 2007
Bob Webber joins in heavenly worship
Struggle with pancreatic cancer ended late Friday.
I was away from home this weekend to play the organ for the memorial service of a friend's mother. When I returned home, I found multiple e-mails telling me that my friend Bob Webber had finally passed away after his long struggle with pancreatic cancer.
Bob taught many of us that God--not the congregation--is the primary "audience" for what happens in our worship services. He has now joined with the heavenly anthem in proclaiming, "Worthy is the Lamb."
CT will soon be posting an obituary on our website. And I'm sure others will want to join me in blogging their own memories of Bob. But in the meantime, here's a press release from Dr. Jim Hart of the Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies.
[Full press release after the jump]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Noted theologian and author Dr. Robert E. Webber died yesterday in his home in Sawyer, Michigan, after an eight-month struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 73 years old.
Dr. Webber was born in Congo of missionary parents, and was raised in the Philadelphia area. He earned the Th.D. from Concordia Theological Seminary. From 1968 to 2000 he served as Professor of Theology at Wheaton College, and was named Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 2000. He was appointed William R. and Geraldine D. Myers Professor of Ministry and Director of the M.A. in Worship and Spirituality at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall of 2000.
Bob Webber founded The Institute for Worship Studies (now the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies) in 1998. The Institute for Worship Studies is a Masters and Doctorate level graduate school focused on the study of the theological, Biblical, historical, sociological and missiological foundations of Christian worship. The school is hosted by Grace Episcopal Church of Orange Park, Florida and combines distance learning with one-week on-campus intensive courses involving students, faculty and alumni from around the globe.
IWS Provost and President-Elect Dr. James R. Hart commented, "Bob Webber significantly influenced many in our generation with the understanding that worship is the key to the renewal of the church. We mourn the loss of our friend and mentor, but rejoice with him in worshiping the risen Christ."
Webber was noted for his numerous writings and workshops in worship and worship renewal. His books include such titles as Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail, Worship Is a Verb, Worship Old and New, Ancient-Future Faith, Ancient-Future Time, Ancient-Future Evangelism, Journey to Jesus, The Younger Evangelicals, and The Divine Embrace. He served as editor of the seven-volume The Complete Library of Christian Worship (Hendrickson, 1993) and was a regular columnist in Worship Leader magazine.
Webber leaves behind a wife, Joanne, four children, John (Isabel), Alexandra (Jack), Stefany (Tom), and Jeremy (Susie), seven grandchildren, and a rich legacy of friends, colleagues and students.
Memorial services will be held at Northern Seminary (please call for date, time and location) and at Grace Episcopal Church in Orange Park, FL on Friday, June 15 at 7 PM, during the June session of the Institute for Worship Studies. In lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be made to the Robert E. Webber Endowment Fund at the Institute for Worship Studies, 151 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park, FL 32073, or the Robert E. Webber Center for an Ancient Evangelical Future, c/o Northern Seminary, 660 E. Butterfield Rd., Lombard, IL 60148.
Grace and peace,
Jim HartDr. James R. Hart
Provost/President-Elect, The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies
151 Kingsley Ave.
Orange Park, FL 32073
1.800.282.2977
Comments
I never met Bob, but his Ancient-Future books showed me way a way as a church leader to navigate through postmodern and post-Christian culture to what the church, acting like Christ, could and should look like.
Posted By: Shawna R. B. Atteberry | April 29, 2007 8:31 PM
Both I and my wife studied under Bob (at Wheaton and at Northern Seminary, respectively). Both of us are worship leaders and are indebted to Bob for helping us have a better understanding and practice of worship. The fact we’re Anglicans now is due in large part to his influence and pointing us back to the riches of liturgy, history and tradition. As a recovering fundamentalist, Bob was always somewhat conflicted about the evangelical world, but evangelicalism is the better for having had him with us. He will be missed.
Posted By: Al Hsu | April 30, 2007 10:59 AM
David,
It sounds like a week of mourning and mourning with those who mourn for you. May the Lord comfort and strengthen you. Your aunt sounded like a fascinating person who understood what life was all about.
Posted By: Christine | April 30, 2007 12:49 PM
I met Bob when he was teaching at Covenant Seminary in the mid Seventies. h was the most refreshing and challanging teacher there. Since then I have read some of his writings on worship; great stuff- he will be missed.
Posted By: Mike | May 1, 2007 4:34 PM
He was a significant light in the Reformed Episcopal Seminary, Philadelphia, Class of 1959.
__
Posted By: Wally Moyer | May 2, 2007 4:06 PM
I join the Church global to celebrate the life of Robert Webber and to mourn his death. If ever the people of God needed focus - for their faith, their kingdom work, and their worship - it has been the last thirty years. It was his undaunted, relentless message of Jesus Christ's saving, sanctifying, all-sufficient work that set Robert Webber apart. Nothing could draw him away from this message...not the gravitational pull of career advancement, cultural relevance, or popularity. We miss you already, Robert. Your gifts to us are only made exponential in your passing.
Sally Morgenthaler
trueconversations.com
Posted By: Sally Morgenthaler | May 2, 2007 4:09 PM
As a student at The Institute for Worship Studies, Dr. Webber gently and humorously led this young Southern Baptist kid on a journey to discover a church much older and richer than he had ever known. Along that journey that same kid saw Jesus daily embodied in the person of Robert Webber. Thanks Bob.
Posted By: Joel Lanier | May 3, 2007 9:32 AM
I believe this one applies "Unless each man prodiuses more than he receives, increases his output, there will be less for him than all the others", doesn't it?
Posted By: Daniela Essley | May 28, 2007 4:40 PM
This one makes sence "One's first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything."
Posted By: Myles Sargent | June 14, 2007 4:03 AM
iuclefzg kpzxub haldfs rickztq gbzr htdigbl ifkqlp
Posted By: foilve cwxah | December 4, 2007 2:22 AM
iuzx datrq oultp qewjzsxp pjyshmb nhwuk slbq http://www.bnqfz.fgwkyj.com
Posted By: sqfwjud kstqauez | December 4, 2007 2:23 AM
As a student at Wheaton College in 1969-70 my lasting impression of Robert Webber has been a man who had no idea where he was going or why. That appealed to a lot of Wheaton students of that era who found in him an echo of their own disconnection from God. I think what he found in the so-called ancient church was a substitute for real life through the indwelling Spirit.
I regret his life and I regret even more his death.
Posted By: Jon Andrews | September 28, 2008 4:23 AM
It was a very nice idea! Just wanna say thank you for the information you have shared. Just continue writing this kind of post. I will be your loyal reader. Thanks again.
Posted By: links of london Necklace | October 29, 2009 7:27 PM