Most folks who know me understand how deep my desire is to be part of the Church.  My Christian education, from Lancaster Mennonite to Eastern College, were constant reminders that a Christianity without an awareness of it's history was a dead-end.

After I graduated seminary and started pastoring, the desire to take up some of the ancient practices of the Church grew in my heart.  As I glanced around the spritual landscape of Evangelicalism™ I saw how we were either (a) reinventing the wheel, (b) committing some of the same errors the Church had wrestled with centuries earlier, or (c) becomming convinced of what I call "the next big thing-ism."  The Church needed some gifted pastors and academics to help start charting a course that would attach our ancient roots to our need of a present future.

God gave Evangelical Protestantism Rober Webber.

Last week, Robert Webber fell asleep and has gone to be with the Lord.   I'm saddened by this loss the Church has suffered.  He was a great inspiriation to me and many other "Younger Evangelicals " (even though many of us don't take that label for ourselves any more), and I hope that we will use the gifts God has given us to continue his important work.

May he rest in peace.