Robert E. Webber - his influence

This is a follow-up to my post yesterday about a mentor of mine, Dr. Robert E. Webber. For a more thorough biographical sketch, you can find a press release from Northern Seminary here.

Bob was the first person to get me to think historically about my faith and theology. In a Christian Thought class that I took with him while at Wheaton, I was introduced to the concept of historical theology and understanding our perspectives on theology through the wide-angle of church history. He introduced me to key theological ideas, such as the importance of the Trinity and the concept of Christus Victor, which Gustav Aulen popularized in his book by that title. Bob's book, Ancient-Future Faith, flowed out of his thinking during these days. I remember times when Bob would stand on the top of desks to make a point or hearing fascinating stories about his days as a rebel student at Bob Jones University.

Bob also greatly influenced my understanding of worship. He pushed me to think beyond my upbringing (Presbyterian) and current leanings (charismatic) to face into historical and biblical understandings of worship. He led me to consider what liturgy was all about: that all traditions have liturgy (whether they understand it or not) and that there are certain elements that should be within every liturgy (invitation, word, celebration/eucharist, dismissal). His many works on worship - Worship Old and New and The Complete Library of Christian Worship - informed and formed me greatly. As a young worship leader with little thought about what I was doing, he shaped me in many positive ways for years to come.

While at seminary, Bob was influential in getting me to engage with the changes happening in the church that have now been dubbed as emergent or emerging Christianity. His thought at this point grew into what became his book The Younger Evangelicals. Though Bob was growing older in body, his mind was always fresh to engage with new thinking about Christianity, ecclesiology, and the manner in which we do ministry in a changing era.

Bob continued to be active in pushing out in new initiatives, spending energy on:
- The Institute for Worship Studies
- A Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future
- developing resources around the ancient-future themes
- teaching at Northern Seminary

Through it all, Bob modeled for me the attitude of charity. He took God seriously, but didn't take himself too seriously. He could laugh about his critics and his forgiven errors. He could maintain a sense of generosity in his pursuit of historic orthodoxy.

Since moving to Milwaukee, his thought and presence has been less visibly tangible in my life, but throughout my ministering and thinking there is much of Bob's thought and presence that continue to make me who I am.

Thank you, Bob. I will miss you.

Dr. Robert E. Webber: 1933-2007

I recently received word that a profound teacher and mentor of mine, Dr. Robert E. Webber, passed away Friday night, April 26, at 6:10 PM. Bob had been fighting pancreatic cancer for 8 months.

Bob was a theology professor of mine at Wheaton College and then was a chief influencer in my decision to attend Northern Seminary, where he began a program on Worship and Spirituality.

Bob was well-known for his works on worship and more popularly for his fairly recent book, The Younger Evangelicals.

I'll write more about him later - his influence and thought, but, for those who know him, I thought I'd post this news right away.

Hearing from God

Last night at The Ave, I was speaking about 'Hearing from God'.

I focused in on Jesus' statement to his hearers: 'Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear" (Matthew 11:15). Jesus uses this phrase often after telling parables or relating simple truths about living in God's kingdom that are so profound we could easily miss the point.

At the beginning of the book of Revelation, the risen and glorified Jesus dictates seven letters to seven young churches in Asia Minor. The end of each letter is a similar phrase: "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 2:7).

My question for all of us was: are we living with our ears on or off? Are we living attuned to God in daily surrender or not?

For those of you interested in a deeper exploration of that topic, I'd recommend the following two books that have been formative in my own journey with God:

Dallas Willard, Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God

Joyce Huggett, The Joy of Listening to God

God Debates - a follow-up article

Further to my post yesterday, Newsweek has provided background on the two debaters, some s0ft sociological research on religion, and more here in an article entitled "Is God Real? The Debate Over Religion."

It's also worth looking at a response to the debate from Rabbi Marc Gellman which critiques it as strangely missing the point by understanding the question wrongly.

Debating God's Existence

A recent issues of Newsweek featured an exchange between Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and pastor of Saddleback Church, and Sam Harris, renowned atheist and author of Letter to a Christian Nation.

The exchange is extensive and touches on a variety of issues: creation via evolution vs. creation via personal divine presence; the nature of revelation; the innerancy of the Bible; sin and peronal responsibility; and more.

The Ancient Paths - The Good Ways

A lot of us are standing at crossroads in our lives right now. We are trying to make decisions about jobs or other plans for the summer. We are looking for direction about what next year holds, whether with jobs or school or relationships. We are asking questions. We are looking. We are standing before the street signs of the crossroad and wondering aloud about which way we should go.

This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jeremiah 6:16)

I find great comfort in the fact that God knows these things and has good plans for His people (see Jeremiah 29:11). It is reassuring to know that God wants what is truly good for us, not just what will work or might be okay.

I was pondering that passage listed above from Jeremiah 6 and thinking about some things.

- "Ask for the ancient paths" - the tested and tried paths that lead somewhere worthwhile

- "Ask where the good way is" - not the way of ruin or the mediocre way, but the GOOD WAY

- "and walk in it" - follow-through on what you hear; Jesus said that we are blessed not simply by knowing what is good, but by doing what is good (John 13:17)

- "and you will find rest for your souls" - Are you achingly weary with the weight of your decisions and questions? Follow in the Jesus way and you will find true rest for your weary souls. Jesus beckons to us to come to Him (Matthew 11:28-29).

- "but you said" - what do we say in response to Jesus' invitation? We are the rest of the story here. As we stand at the crossroads, Jesus lays out an invitation for the tried and true, good way that leads to our rest.

So, as we stand at the crossroads in life right now, may God grant us the vision and hunger to search out the ancient paths that are good ways of rest for our souls.