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MESSAGES, TRIBUTES AND COMMENTS
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| Mark Ryan, L'Abri Fellowship, Southborough, MA |
I only ever had the opportunity to meet and speak with Dr. Clowney on two brief occasions. Both of them, however, were graced by his kind words and encouragement. Beyond these two meetings, I have felt my preaching and my understanding of ministry greatly shaped by Dr.Clowney's many publications. His Called to the Ministry and The Church, along with his volumes on preaching have been especially influential in keeping my work in evangelism and apologetics connected to, indeed rooted in, the local church. Thank you Dr. Clowney. And may the Lord bless and comfort each member of the Clowney family at this time.
| Roger Wagner, Chula Vista, CA |
As the other tributes have pointed out, Dr. Clowney's contributions to the Kingdom of our blessed Lord Jesus have been manifold. I would like to thank God, and Dr. Clowney, that he found time in the midst of his many other responsibilities, to pen his magnificent paraphrase of Psalm 24, "Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord" (Trinity Hymnal, Revised Edition, #292). It has been observed that those who write the songs of a culture may have a far more powerful influence than those who write the laws. That is true of the church as well – those who leave a legacy in song for the worship of the people of God will have an influence long outlasting the best of sermons. Dr. Clowney's sermons were magnificent, but this song will far outlive them all! It expresses the great themes of Dr. Clowney's life and ministry, and exalts the blessed Person and work of our Savior and King – "One King alone, whose hands and heart are pure, one Servant of the Lord with purpose sure, can enter in that glory to endure. Allelujah!" I trust the saints in glory have already added this great "new song" to their repertoire, and now they've met the author in person.
| Susan Erikson, Escondido, California |
2 Corinthians 4: 7-18 NASB
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Thank you Dr. Clowney for being a living example to all of us of Christ's glorious grace.
| Rev. Mark W. Holler, Bethany OPC, Oxford, PA |
I am so glad that I will see my father, friend, teacher, example in the faith in the life to come. Dr. Clowney and I have not kept in touch since I last saw him in 1987, but I know I could have contacted him at any time and we would have picked up where our friendship left off. When I saw him at Calvin he was now in the PCA and he smiled and joked with me that he had worked on writing and revising the OPC BCO for twenty years, and now he was at the BCO in the PCA. At WTS during 1980-83 we went to Taco Bell more than once and walked behind it to hit a small bucket of balls together. He was a straight ball hitter. His article in the WTJ on the "Politics Of The Kingdom" was the end of my belief that theonomy was a credible position. His influence on his friend Rev. Ralph Clough, my first pastor, and Dr. Vern Poythress, just to name two, were tremendous influences on me. I could keep going but let me end by saying that I have copied his sermon idea for ordination's three times, I believe it for myself, and it was true of Ed: "What Do You Want To Be Known For?" based on I Cor. 13. Dr. Clowney was known for His love in him and through him. Maranatha!
| Kevin Van Der Linden, Plainview, Texas |
Dr. Clowney very graciously invited me to his Escondido home to talk theology several times during the mid 90’s. Odd as it may seem, I didn’t know who he was at the time, since I wasn’t from Reformed/Presbyterian circles.
I had graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School 1992, and when I sought counsel from my faculty advisor about what denomination I might serve in, his response was, “Your theology isn’t integrated; no solid denomination will ordain you. You need a theological mentor to work with you.”
Dr. Clowney was to fill that role in my life. He was my first face-to-face with a Presbyterian who was evangelical. Up to that point, I thought all Presbyterians were liberal, but my opinions quickly changed.
Despite my unintegrated theology, Dr. Clowney was very gentle and patient with me, never condescending, and he communicated a genuine desire to help. His demeanor never betrayed his academic pedigree or some of the important ways he had served Christ’s church. He was in my mind just a genuine, loving, gentle, yet very insightful, Christian man. In fact, I was surprised when I learned more about his ministry and writings a year after we first met—and I didn’t learn it from him!
It’s hard for me to quantify the ways that those few but lengthy conversations impacted my understanding of the Bible and its theology. I have and will continue to frequently relive portions of those conversations; there’s scarcely a theme of Scripture that he didn’t speak to at some point.
Thank you, Mrs. Clowney, for sharing your husband with me those evenings while you went into the bedroom; I have not forgotten your generosity with me in that way.
Jean, We are praying for you. I cannot begin to imagine what you feel, but I know God is sustaining you. You both have been used of the Lord. I am glad I got to know the two of you in Escondido. May God bless and uphold you. Love, Joey
| Kenneth Noh, Wyndmoor, PA |
I never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Clowney but the Lord used him to disable my fears of entering the ministry. After reading Called to the Ministry I realized my place is to follow Jesus wherever he leads.
| Dan Cruver, Baptist Bible College |
Paul, thanks for making me aware of your father’s death and this link. I never met your father, but have benefited MUCH from his teaching tapes and books. His emphasis on Christ has been rich food for my soul. I give God much thanks for your father. “May the God of peace fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you might abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
| Steve Shirk, First Presbyterian Church, Milton, PA |
David, I have fond memories of your dad visiting WTS on occassion when I was there. Do you remember when you played harmonica & I played guitar in a classroom on a lunch break maybe in the late 80s? My wife Caroline took your class as well and loved it- Apologetics. I went to WTS for 13 straight years and felt I was always under the biblical and humble influence of Dr Clowney's theology of the church. I still refrence his books and join with your family in giving praise to God for a life well lived... till we meet again! Rev. Stephen G Shirk
| Helen Holbrook, First Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, TN |
Like so many others, knowing Ed Clowney has been an unmeasurable gift from the Lord. My initial terror of being on the staff at Trinity many years ago with him slowly melted away as Ed kept coming into my office day after day with his coffee cup to gently teach me how to teach and lead the children. Ed loves children and he wanted to make sure that they, not just their parents, would be taught the surprise of the Gospel, the story of redemption.
And Ed taught me much about prayer. I would listen to him pray in the hope of learning how to pray better. What I learned instead as I listened to Ed was just to pour my heart out to the Lord, no special words, no special phrases, no special technique was needed - just come as a child to her heavenly Father. Now the years of friendship have been many, the impact of his life on mine is beyond measuring, and my wonder at the Lord's blessing to me through Ed and Jean knows no bounds.
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