MESSAGES, TRIBUTES AND COMMENTS

page 1::page 2::page 3::page 4::page 5::page 6::page 7::page 8::page 9::page 10::page 11::page 12::page 13::page 14::page 15::page 16::page 17::page 18::page 19

George Cottenden, Hatboro, PA
Few people have played as significant a role as Ed in shaping me for what up to this point has been 38 years of pastoral ministry. I came to Westminster Seminary unsure whether the Lord was calling me to the pastorate or to college teaching. The reading of Ed's Called to the Ministry during my first year, settled the issue decisively. His teaching during those three years at WTS formed my way of looking at the Bible. He helped me to see, in a way that I had not before, the glory of Christ in all the Scripture. Listening to him preach was a delightful spiritual feast. I still use his sermon on "Sharing the Father's Welcome" in my mentoring of pastoral interns.

In 1981, when I came to my present pastorate, in Trinity Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Hatboro, PA, I had to get used to having my former homiletics professor sitting in the front row. Jean was, at that time, directing the choir and Ed would sit at the front so that she could join him after the choir sang. I need not have trembled. Ed was there to worship his Savior and to feed upon his Word, not to critique the preacher. He was unfailingly gracious and encouraging. (Would any who knew him expect otherwise?). What a privilege it was to have been his pastor for those few years!

The writer to the Hebrews instructs us to remember our leaders, who spoke the Word of God to us, and to consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. When I do that with regard to Ed I am compelled once again to look to our faithful Savior. I thank him for his work of grace in Ed's life that touched me and so many others.

Owen Lee, Burbank, CA
I did not know him well, but I had a preaching class with him when I was a student at Westminster Seminary, CA. By the time I had arrived at seminary, Dr. Clowney was the stuff of legend. People joked that he was "so eschatological" that he lived in heaven and just came down to "our world" to teach classes... and then he would "go back up" into heaven. Nobody really knew where his office was, so we just figured he kept his office hours in heaven.

I know that sounds awful strange (and even heretical), but in a seminary "context" it was understood as a vivid portrayal of how closely he walked with the Lord Jesus.

I guess Dr. Clowney got tired of the "commute."

On a more thoughtful note... when a man like Dr. Clowney finishes his earthly pilgrimage, crosses that river, and enters into the land of his rest and inheritance... it profoundly strengthens my own faith. Men like Dr. Clowney are often praised and exalted by those who love him and were greatly impacted by his life and ministry. But Dr. Clowney would be the first to humbly confess that is is "all of grace."

Dr. Clowney loved to preach Christ because he loved Christ. He knew profoundly that it was his Lord who would bring him safely to His heavenly kingdom. And just as the Lord Jesus brought Dr. Clowney safely home, so too will He bring me (and all who trust in Christ as Dr. Clowney did) safely home.

One day, my pilgrimage in this world will end; one day, I will enter through the gates of the celestial city. One day, I will "fall asleep" in Jesus, and I will awake in His likeness. One day, I will be where Dr. Clowney is... even now. Not because I am of the "calibur" of Dr. Clowney (no, far from it), but because we love and trust the same Lord and Savior... and the risen Lord Jesus Christ saves to the uttermost all those who call upon Him for salvation.

And this is an amazing thought, that my Lord loves me as much as He loves Dr. Clowney... though it is hard to believe that in my flesh, for I am not even worthy to be compared with such a saint of God. None of us are... but we are children of God, heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ. The glory into which Dr. Clowney entered is the glory that we will enter one day.

Dr. Clowney accomplished a lot of great and wonderful things for the kingdom, but it seems like the thing for which he is remembered most is that he loved and preached Christ from all of Scriptures. What a glorious way to be remembered... to be remembered in such a way that the Lord Jesus whom he loved and served is glorified as being precious and all-satisfying.

Dr. Clowney, I will make my "commute" to where you are one day, and I shall see you again... and I shall see Him, the One you taught me to love and preach.

Charles R. Biggs, Round Hill, Virginia
Dear Family of Dr. Clowney,

I had the privilege of learning from Dr. Clowney's Christ-centered interpretation and preaching at Westminster Theological Seminary, taking a class with him in 1997. He had a great influence on my life and through my preaching and teaching, all those whom the LORD has been gracious to give to me to shepherd and to lead here in Virginia. He was a warm, gracious and knowledgable man. I am using his book on The Church(IVP Press) to use for the training of elders at our congregation. His influence will continue by God's grace and we thank God and glory in His grace in giving us such a servant leader who taught, and continually reminded us all that the gospel is about JESUS CHRIST- - beginning with Moses and the Prophets, Dr. Clowney explained Christ from all the Scriptures!

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Richard P. Kaufmann, 964 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101
Dear Jean and Family,

I both weep and rejoice with you in Ed’s going to be with our Lord!

Dr. Clowney was my professor, pastor and friend. He is one of three men who most shaped my ministry. He taught and modeled to me the most important lesson: the Bible is all about Jesus. I will always think of him with appreciation as I see our Savior in all of scripture.

Jean, thank you for the role you played in enabling Ed to have such an impact on so many!

Love,

Dick

Richard P. Kaufmann

Rev. Dr. Larry G. Mininger, Orlando, FL
Dr. Clowney was President of WTS when I arrived in 1966. Our class was the biggest in the history of WTS up to that point and was filled with gifted men, according to comments made by Dr. Clowney. He had many of us over to his house in order to get to know us and to answer any questions that had arisen. He was direct yet gentle with me when I could not readily grasp his use of the words "covenant" and "kingdom" due to my dispensational background. He played ping-pong with me and other students at the lunch breaks and his competitive spirit was more evident than was his time to practice the sport. Later in life we played golf together in Florida. He lost many balls in our lakes and canals but enjoyed himself thoroughly! I was quite impressed how much he improved in his game after teaching in California and getting lessons from his son-in-law, Peter Jones. He was an enthusiastic golfer and a gentleman on the course. It was certainly a privilege to play the game with him.

Our high regard for Dr. Clowney and his wife, Jean, influenced Gail, my wife, and me to join their denomination, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We saw in them a deep love for the Lord and for the world that was lost. We saw in them a total willingness to face all that the Scripture contained, along with a joy in serving the Lord. My wife and I sang in the Glenside choir with Jean directing. I was moved by Dr. Clowney's impassioned and Scripturally based pleas on the floor of the OPC General Assembly for the true unity of Christ's church. He greatly expanded my small world and my understanding of biblical eccumenicity. I was terribly disappointed with the OPC when Dr. Clowney left it. I would say that we have never recovered the loss of this gift of Christ.

My career and calling as a pastor (now 33 years in my first church) owe much to the life and ministry of Dr. Clowney. His oversight of the Practical Theology department at WTS and his supervising the preaching labs did much to drill into me the connection between exegesis and exposition. I came to appreciate how the history of redemption provides key hermeneutics for understanding each text. When I was able to serve as an adjunct professor of PT at Reformed Seminary in Orlando, it was Dr. Clowney's preaching of Christ throughout the Bible that guided me in guiding my students. I dedicated my doctoral dissertation on exposition to him and had the honor of presenting him a copy of it at a chapel service at RTS, Orlando.

I have always sensed and loved the approachableness of the man. Not long ago I called him at his home in Virginia to ask him how to deal with some issues regarding worship debates. His counsel was sound and reassuring. Gail and I thank the Lord for every opportunity to interact with this man of God. We know that comfort for Jean and the family flows freely from the Gospel of Christ that they heard their husband, dad, and grandfather expound. We look forward to seeing him again, and maybe a little golf in the new earth!

Lovingly,

Larry G. Mininger

Clare and Pat Martin, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
In the late 60s I was introduced to Dr. Clowney's preaching at morning chapel at WTS and remember thinking, that's the kind of preacher I wanna be. So I enrolled in his preaching class and found him to be a gentle but demanding teacher. His requirement that Christ be preached from even the remotest text has stayed with me all these years. I constantly handing out his books on preaching to students preparing for the ministry and even now am reading through his commentary on I Peter as a devotional. Ed was here in Calgary a few years ago, and preached on the parable of the prodigal son, emphasizing the brother's reaction to the Father's love and everyone whom I have talked to who heard him, remember that sermon. I remember a lady in Vancouver telling us that she thought Ed was going to "throw himself out of the pulpit" in his enthusiasm to proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior. We praise the Lord for using Ed to bring many to Himself, and to encourage the saints to perservere in the faith.

Mary Jane Love Seay, Charlottesville, Virginia
I did not have the blessing of hearing Ed Clowney teach and preach until his last years. His voice was no longer strong, so we had to listen carefully, which was always richly rewarded. His messages were clear, sound, deep. He never wasted a word. He truly spoke the Word in love.
I approached him on one of his last Sundays after Sunday School to ask him a question about the Hebrew in Genesis 1. Well, he took the time to explain it to me and I realized that he was having difficulty staying on his feet. Here he was determined to teach when most of us would take to our beds. I assured him I would get a paper of his on the subject and urged him to find a seat for worship! How faithful and humble he was!

Craig R. Rowe, Bozeman, MT
Dear Mrs. Clowney and family:

It was a privilege to know Dr. Clowney. I will always remember his love and zeal for the church and his kind gentle spirit. I remember many things when I think of him. I have often recounted when he put at the bottom of a paper I wrote, "Dear Craig, please find a typewriter preprogrammed to spell." I remember the time I showed up at your home and he asked me what I wanted. I told him I was there to drive him down to the U of P where he was going to speak on tongues. We made the meeting and he spoke for two hours. Or when he preached at our wedding from Genesis 2 on "Cleaving". He was greatly loved and will be greatly missed.

May God enable those of us whom he taught to carry the torch with a like zeal, humility and faithfulness with which your husband and father carried it. May the fruit of his ministry continue to blossom until the day our glorious Lord returns. God bless you in this time of loss and may His love comfort and keep you.

Your friend in Christ,
Craig Rowe

Richard Faulk, Houston, Texas
Although he probably never knew it, Ed Clowney had an extremely powerful and inspirational influence on my Christian faith. When my wife, Candace, and I were attending Christ the King Presbyterian here in Houston, Dr. Clowney joined as as associate pastor.

Incredibly, we were blessed with having this incredible theologian as our adult Sunday School teacher for over a year. The brilliance of his teaching was only exceeded by his humility, and the combination transformed by life. After hearing his lessons from his book, The Unfolding Mystery: Finding Christ in the Old Testament, we learned to look for Jesus throughout scripture and, more importantly, we learned how to find him almost everywhere. I was so inspired that, in the past two years, I have twice taught a lesson series from the book to adult Sunday School at First Presbyterian in Houston. I am about to teach the series again beginning next week.

Even taught "second hand," Dr. Clowney's God-given wisdom comes shining through every lesson, and people of all ages, whether young marrieds or more mature "boomers," find new insights and enlightenment. Someday, with God's grace, I will give Dr. Clowney a well-deserved "thank you" and tell him all he has done for me, my family, and all the people who have now shared his ideas. Knowing Dr. Clowney, however, he will humbly decline all credit -- instead giving all glory to God.

Stephen Lewis, Salem, Oregon
Standing in a room in London's International Presbyterian Church, I picked up a copy of Ed Clowney's The Unfolding Mystery. I was on a short-term mission trip and was deeply discouraged. Eating away at my heart was a sense of aimlessness. I didn't know why I was alive. As I devoured his book in the summer of 1989 I not only read how the entire Scripture reveals Christ, God removed much of my cynicism and hard-heartedness and for the first time in years I was able to truly pray and truly worship. Years later, at seminary and at church, the only explanation I could find for why Dr. Clowney was so willing to spend time with me is that the Jesus he preached was actually present as his Lord and Savior. I remember his joy, his love of art, "Vast the Immensity" -- his stirring hymn, his patient critiques of my preaching, his rebuke for the time I took a group of students to a drama instead of going to Sunday evening worship, the VBS backdrop he created on the underwater Jonah being swallowed, his passionate arguments urging me to re-think my casual view of worship, his prayers for his own adult children, and his love for the church -- a love which didn't ignore her sins and weaknesses but which still saw her as the beautiful bride of Christ. That's how he treated us. Jean, I praise God for you, for your partnership with Ed, and pray that the God of all comfort will give you great strength. Amy and I are praying for you and your family.