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God's Questions Can Be More Helpful Than Answers
By Craig Pinley
ROSEMONT, IL (June 26, 2003) - Dr. C. John Weborg has always seemed adept at
helping others answer the deeper questions of life, which has made him one
of the more sought-after speakers in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC).
Delegates to this year's 118th Annual Meeting of the ECC will have a
special opportunity to hear Weborg, who retires this year as Professor of
Theology at North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) following a lifetime of
Covenant-related ministry spanning more than four decades. Weborg, a member
of the seminary faculty since 1975, will preach during Friday evening's
ordination and commissioning service.
During his 27 years at the seminary, Weborg has offered NPTS students and
faculty alike plenty of questions to consider as they discern their calls
to ministry and pursue the process of following God's call. He has done so
while offering the kind of care and concern that made his questioners feel
they were valued and respected - a trait not found in every teacher one
meets. Perhaps Weborg's attitude about answers offers a clue into his
humble mindset, however. "I've learned that God's questions to us might be
more helpful in the long run than what we call answers," he observes.
There are few people in the Covenant who have contributed more to Covenant
theology and its spiritual framework than Weborg, an ordained Covenant
pastor since 1962. He has taught hundreds of future Covenant pastors about
theology in the seminary classroom. He has been heavily involved in
preparing denominational materials for worship, including the Commission on
Music and Worship that produced a hymnal supplement in 1990 and a new
hymnal in 1996. Weborg has served on the task force on the study of the
ordered ministry. He also gave leadership in the development of North
Park's distinctive seminary spiritual formation program and was, along with
Sister Agnes Cunningham, a leader in the development of the North Chicago
Theological Institute's ecumenical spirituality program.
As if he weren't busy enough, Weborg has been an active writer. He and
Cunningham co-authored Prayer and Life in the Spirit: A Venture in
Academic Excellence and Ecumenical Collaboration (North Park
Theological Seminary, 1993), which describes his innovative approach to
utilizing the resources of five seminary faculties in providing a
distinctive ecumenical experience for students of the five institutions.
Weborg also published Alive in Christ, Alert to Life (Covenant
Press, 1985).
Weborg has discussed theology and spirituality with many of the foremost
thinkers in North America, but he says that the words of his parents (Ruben
and Pearl), two uncles and an aunt, along with his confirmation pastor
(Samuel Carlson) and a local veterinarian (Dr. Vern Lovell), have made the
most indelible impact on his life. Of course, the Word of God has provided
a constant light along Weborg's journey, which has included a physical
illness that altered his career path and his reading of the Bible.
A native of Pender, Nebraska, Weborg grew up in a farming community and
hoped to become a veterinarian and care for larger farm animals. However,
he was diagnosed with polio in 1952, during his teenage years, and knew he
could not physically pursue that profession. Instead, he attended North
Park Junior College for two years and received his Bachelor of Arts degree
from the University of Nebraska in 1958. He continued his education at
NPTS, earning his Bachelor of Divinity from NPTS in 1961. He later earned a
Master of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary (1970) and a
doctorate from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary/Northwestern
University (1983). Before returning to the seminary as a faculty member,
Weborg served as pastor of First Covenant Church in Peoria, Illinois
(1961-1966), Village Covenant Church in Spring House, Pennsylvania
(1966-70), and the Evangelical Covenant Church in Princeton, Illinois
(1970-75).
"One of the things it (illness) teaches you is freedom within limitations
as opposed to absolute freedom," said Weborg in describing how polio
affected him. "If you carefully observe what's going on you begin to
discover that there's more than one kind of freedom.
"But it also has led to an intense interest in the Psalms, not as hymns but
(as described by theologian Christoph Barth) 'schools of prayer' or (as
described by St. Ambrose of Milan) 'the gymnasium of the soul,'" Weborg
continued. "That's because the Psalms include anger as well as hymns of
praise and laments as well as confession, so the entirety of life can be
prayed."
While the questions involving the spiritual journey have been a regular
part of Weborg's calling, he likes the actual journeys he makes and is
excited about the next stop down the road. John and his wife, Lois,
celebrated 45 years of marriage on June 7 and have decided to head to
Princeton, Illinois, during retirement to be closer to their family. That
includes son, Clement; daughter-in-law, Sharon, and their children, Cody
and Shelby; and daughter, Catherine, and son-in-law, Jimmy, and their
children Tyler, Casey and Jamie.
In retirement, Weborg says he hopes to enjoy his share of farm, steam
threshing and train shows - he enjoys train travel and is an expert on rail
lines in the United States - and hopes to continue writing. He's made it
clear to colleagues, however, that he wants the opportunity to do so
without stringent deadlines, preferring to continue his writing at a pace
that will allow him to keep centered on God, family and those who cross his
path.
"I like where my journey has gone," Weborg said in reflecting upon his work
at the seminary. "I do get homesick for serving a congregation, but I've
been happy with what I've done and have had opportunities that would not
have come in any other fashion."
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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