Bob Webber Memorial

Remembering

Dr. Robert Eugene Webber

November 27, 1933 - April 27, 2007

From the Memorial Service

Friday, June 15, 2007

Grace Episcopal Church

Orange Park, Florida

A service planned by Bob Webber for the glory of God

Whatever thy hand findeth to do,

do it with all thy might (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Come now,

thou greatest of feasts on the journey to freedom eternal;

death, cast aside all the burdensome chains

and demolish the walls of our temporal body,

the walls of our souls that are blinded,

so that at last we may see that which here remains hidden.

Freedom, how long we have sought thee

in discipline, action and suffering;

dying, we now may behold thee revealed in the Lord.

(Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison)

A Note from Bob

Dear Friends,

As a Christian I have always believed in Christ as the Victor over sin and death, I believe that Christ was the Second Adam, sent to this earth as God Incarnate, suffered death, was buried and rose from the dead to restore the entire creation. I believe that it is God who narrates the entire world and creation, from start to finish. Consequently, I have no fear of death although I do fear the process.

Today, there are literally hundreds of different styles one can follow and model for a funeral. However, historic Christian funerals were always about God. I was able to think about my own funeral and truly want it to be about God who created this world, defeated Satan at the cross and rose victorious over death and the grave. Today we begin with several eulogies, then when those are done, the real funeral begins and it's all about God. I want my funeral to be a testimony to the God who raises us from hopelessness and blesses us with new life in Him.

I hope these few words help to explain why my funeral is being done in a more ancient than modern way.

The Lord be with you!

Open the Memorial Service Bulletin

Eulogies:

Dr. Andy Hill (3:47)

Wheaton College colleague

and IWS faculty member

Dr. Jim Hart (4:58)

President, IWS

Dr. Darrell Harris (5:55)

Dean of the Chapel, IWS

Dr. John Lindsell (8:44)

Chairman of the Board of Trustees, IWS

and Bob's brother-in-law

Homily:

The Very Rev'd G. Richard Lobs, III (16:54)

Former parish priest, St. Marks Episcopal Church, Geneva, IL

The following is a list composed by Bob and Joanne’s four children. It was read at the funeral held in Michigan. They chose the number 27 because Bob was born on November 27 and died on April 27.

27 things we learned from daddy

1. How to be friendly to everyone

2. How to be gracious and forgiving

3. How to have a sense of humor

4. How to appreciate silence

5. How to eat ice cream standing up, right out of the carton

6. How to be a realist

7. How to be an optimist

8. How to say I’m sorry

9. How to see the best in everyone and let them know it

10. How to do what you love and let the chips fall where they may

11. How to fight fire with grace

12. How to not take yourself too seriously

13. How to take yourself seriously

14. How to be dignified in the face of adversity

15. How to stand up for what’s true

16. How to be broken bread and poured out wine

17. How to cut your losses and move on

18. How to find true humility by giving the glory to God

19. How to march to the beat of your own drum and let others do the same

20. How to go with the flow and roll with the punches

21. How to appreciate the past but live in the present

22. How to be very silly

23. How to hug like you mean it

24. How to hold your tongue

25. How to speak your mind

26. How to take it all with a grain of salt

27. How to seize the day, grab the bull by its horns, and live a life that’s worth

living.

The bottom of the gravestone reads: Dominus Vobiscum et tu Spiritus
(The Lord be with you and your spirit)

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