Surprised by Sadness

Robert Webber lives in this world no more. He departed on April 27th after a relatively brief struggle with cancer.

Of all the people that I've never met, Webber was one of the most influential to me. I first encountered him in the pages of Worship Leader magazine. He awakened me to the possibility of real transformational worship through his essays.

I heard him speak at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary early last year. That the Church would encounter God and tell his Story in corporate worship was his plea. During three short lectures my focus was clarified; my purpose became plain; my waning passion rekindled.

So I find myself profoundly saddened. The Church has lost a prophetic voice. (I do not use that term lightly.) Yet God is sovereign. Bob Webber's impact will be felt for several generations. Many of us are now freshly inspired, equipped and committed to proclaiming God's mystery, telling his Story, and restoring the centrality of the Word and Table.