Dr. Timothy Keller: My Personal Legacy

The Christian community lost a giant yesterday.  Tim Keller, preacher and author, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 72 – we would have wished for another decade or two of his unparalleled contributions to The Church.  He pastored a church in New York City for 28 years and wrote over thirty books.

Dr. Keller significantly impacted me and three generations of my family.  My parents, who lived in the suburbs of NYC, began attending evening church services to hear Keller preach in the 90’s.  As different family members visited my parents, they joined in the late afternoon trip to the city and to Keller’s church.  Once, while with my parents on that very outing, my husband and I ran into Dr. Keller, who was leaving the coffee shop we were entering, catching a meal between church services.  The five of us had a brief chat and he was gracious in speaking to us though he had to continue on to preach again.  We expressed our appreciation for his ministry.  Dr. Keller’s intellectual giftedness and logic, his unbelievably wide scope of reading, and his keen understanding of culture and thought, brought an unmatched depth and applicability to his Biblical teaching.  My father, an intelligent and widely read man who was selective with words and not prone to exaggeration, described Keller’s influence on his own life-long faith as profound.

Tim Keller’s congregation consisted of young NYC professionals, and he was able to connect with that age group.  His preaching and writing resonated deeply with the third generation of my family.  Our family rarely took a road trip that Tim Keller didn’t join us on, as we listened to his sermons either on CD or online while we drove.  My kids have read more Keller books than I have!  So yesterday was a day of shared sorrow in our family at the news of his death.

We grieve because we feel a loss and an end, but we also know well that this is a beginning and a victory for Tim Keller.  Followers of Christ look forward to seeing and spending eternity with Jesus, the Savior they served.  Dr. Keller said recently of his expected death, “There is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest.”  We shed tears but all is not lost.  Thankfully, he left a legacy of sermons and writings that will continue to challenge and inform us.  I trust that God will raise up others who will rightly continue to inspire His kingdom on earth … bearing the torch until Jesus returns!  AMEN

Here is a link to one of Tim Keller’s sermons   “Christ the Final Word.”    It is classic Keller:  his depth of Biblical insight, his humor, his connection to culture and the modern mindset, and landing on the Gospel!  I hope you will listen to it through to the end (and it begins with a Scripture reading by someone else).  If you get lost a little, hang on.  You’ll catch up; he goes deep, but it is real!  His website is http://gospelinlife.com

Rev. Keller’s memorial service took place on August 15, 2023 in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NY    A Worship Service of Praise to God for the Life of Tim Keller

Author: Brenda Proulx

Wife, mother and grandmother, educator and someone who thinks about the things I observe. I am the daughter of a writer; my dad's career was in the field of journalism. More significantly, I am God's child, a person believing in Jesus Christ and in His timeless Word. Blogging is new to me but I feel like I've always had a pen in my hand. I jot notes in my planner, mark papers, underline verses, write many letters, and occasionally draft articles for work or church. When I am not holding a pen, I am probably cuddling a mug of coffee. View all posts by Brenda Proulx