Integrating Missionally » Personal

Sunday Psalm: Ps 32

David Phillips — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:24:44 +0000

Psalm 32

A David Psalm

1 Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start,
your slate’s wiped clean.

2 Count yourself lucky—
God holds nothing against you
and you’re holding nothing back from him.

3 When I kept it all inside,
my bones turned to powder,
my words became daylong groans.

4 The pressure never let up;
all the juices of my life dried up.

5 Then I let it all out;
I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.”
Suddenly the pressure was gone—
my guilt dissolved,
my sin disappeared.

6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;
when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts
we’ll be on high ground, untouched.

7 God’s my island hideaway,
keeps danger far from the shore,
throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.

8 Let me give you some good advice;
I’m looking you in the eye
and giving it to you straight:

9 “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule
that needs bit and bridle
to stay on track.”

10 God-defiers are always in trouble;
God-affirmers find themselves loved
every time they turn around.

11 Celebrate God.
Sing together—everyone!
All you honest hearts, raise the roof!

The Message (MSG)

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Sunday Psalm: Ps. 63:1-8

David Phillips — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:06:42 +0000

A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.

3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you!

4 I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.

6 I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.

7 Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

8 I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.

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Sunday Psalm

David Phillips — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:03:10 +0000

Psalm 71:1-6 (New Living Translation)

1 O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
don’t let me be disgraced.
2 Save me and rescue me,
for you do what is right.
Turn your ear to listen to me,
and set me free.
3 Be my rock of safety
where I can always hide.
Give the order to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,
from the clutches of cruel oppressors.
5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
6 Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.
No wonder I am always praising you!

Usable. Wearable. Art. And reconnecting with a friend.

David Phillips — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:16:01 +0000

The Church at Auvers

I am not an art connoisseur of art. I have been to museums. I was able to visit the Pablo Picasso Museum. That was unique, not my style, but certainly worthy of being considered art. I really like Van Gogh, particularly his Starry Night painting and The Church at Auvers. The church has no doors and the person can’t get in. Very telling!

That being said, and particularly because I’m not a connoisseur, I have divided up art into a few categories.

1. The Thomas Kinekade/Norman Rockwell kind of art. You know, the “everything is perfect art”.
2. The Picasso kind of art – abstract and unique.
3. The Mass-produced, put behind your couch kind of art. It’s pretty. It’s contemporary. It livens up the walls.
4. The starving artists art. Someone licenses a painting to a group who then outsource the painting to China (or some other place) and then sell the paints for $20 US. I have a couple of pieces like that in my office.
5. The “looks like a photograph” kind of art. I’ve got some of those in my office, particularly Daniel Moore paintings.

My favorite art, however, is the customized, personalized kind of art. A few years ago, we had a lady do two paintings during one of my sermon. She did one painting and I talked while she did that, got the art and showed it to everyone, and then moved on while she painted the second piece. Now she already had it sort of drawn out, so that I wasn’t preaching for hours. In fact, I actually had to improvise so she had time to finish. Those pieces are in my office and I cherish them. They aren’t perfect. But they are an expression of her and are personal and contextual.

Later, we had another lady do a series of paintings based on the sermon series. I have some of these on my office wall. I cherish these as well. One of the designers who contracts with my publishing company often does paintings for the cover, scans them in and uses those scans for the cover. I have a few of those pieces on my wall as well.

We have another lady in our church who makes jewelry. She made a thumb ring for me based on a particular love knot design and made Brenna some earrings and a ring based on the same design.

I love this kind of art for a couple of reasons:
1. It’s local
2. It’s contextual.
3. It’s personal.
4. It’s not perfect. You know, life isn’t perfect and “perfect” art doesn’t reflect reality. We are people with flaws. That’s “real” art.
5. I can show it off all the time (I wear my thumb ring daily).

My high school friend Sarah

Now, I grew up with a girl named Sarah Kellenberger. She and I were in the “gifted and talented” class that met once a week. How I got in there, I don’t know, but she was one bright, smart and precious person. We spent the better part of a day together each week in that class from 3rd to 9th grade. Then, when I was in high school, I video-taped the basketball games and since she was a cheerleader we were around each other then as well. When we graduated high school, she went to The Ohio State University (I think she was born in Ohio in that area) and I haven’t seen her since (I don’t think). I could never find her through google either.

Through the power of facebook, however, we re-connected, as I have with a lot of friends from high school. She’s married now (Sarah Kellenberger Harpham) and still lives in Ohio. And she still has that beautiful smile… For some reason, I really like smiles…My wife has an awesome smile as well.

Sarah is now the proud owner of a historic shop in Columbus, OH called Helen Winnemore Craft. It is the first place for Usable. Wearable. Art.

According to the website:

Helen Winnemore was a Quaker with an interest in handcrafted items. In the 1930’s, she became aware of a vocational re-education program run by the American Friends Service Committee. Through this affiliation, she would discover the craftsmen of Arthurdale, West Virginia who were among displaced miners and industrial workers retrained as a part of the New Deal. It was in Arthurdale that Helen would order much of the craft work for her first store called “The Afternoon Shop”, which was located in her home in the Grandview area of Columbus, Ohio. Helen filled empty cabinets and drawers with hand-woven textiles, ceramics and glass and invited guests to “go through all the drawers”, which would grow to be a much treasured ritual. Helen was a bit shy and began offering coffee or tea as she felt it put everyone more at ease. This hospitality continues today.

Helen continued to seek out new work and artists began finding her. It was in this way that the scope of the work represented in the store expanded. As a student of fine arts at The Ohio State University, Helen encouraged the work of noted artist and architect Ralph Fanning and ceramicist Paul Bogatay. She also figured prominently in the encouraging the work of internationally recognized wood turner Bob Stocksdale, whom she met when he was in a camp for Conscientious Objectors during World War II. She was also an early supporter of the work of Don Drumm, the noted sculptor and designer craftsman of Akron, Ohio.

In 1951, Helen moved to her first official storefront at the corner of East Broad Street and Parsons Avenue. Quickly she began hearing that folks missed the drawers from her home, and so they set about building new ones. The store remained there until the fall of 1966, when interstate highway construction precipitated a move to its current home in Historic German Village. At that time, the neighborhood was in the beginning of a restoration movement which would eventually lead to its placement on the National Register of Historic Places.

Helen Winnemore remained an active part of the shop as long as her health permitted. She died in 1996 at the age of 95. The shop continued during this time under the guidance of her long-time manager Jack Barrow, who had worked with Helen since 1960. In 1997, Mr. Barrow was ready to retire and quietly sought a buyer for the shop. During this time, a woman came into the store to buy a gift for her daughter, whom she’d brought to the shop from the time her daughter was a small child. A shop employee casually passed along the information that the shop was for sale. A few hours later over lunch, the mother gave the gift to her daughter and mentioned that Helen Winnemore’s was for sale. This planted the seed that led to the sale of the shop to the third owner, Sarah Kellenberger Harpham. Ms. Harpham works to maintain a familiar, welcoming environment in the shop, while continuing to introduce new work from talented American artisans..

Helen Winnemore Craft is considered the oldest store of its kind in the United States. In operation since 1938, HWC focuses on the work of American Artisans. What does this mean? It means that our shop is like an arts festival…all year round.

We believe that art should be accessible and isn’t limited to items that hang on walls or sit on pedestals.

Art can be usable.

Art can be wearable.

Art can be-well, ART!

The work of our American Artisans shows that beauty can be found in everyday objects. Daily routines are made rich and personal through usable, wearable, art. Consider the ritual of choosing your favorite mug from the cabinet on a Saturday morning, putting on your favorite pair of earrings, using a wooden salad bowl given to you for your wedding. These everyday items are connected…to the artists who conceive of them, using their talent and energy in the making. They are connected to the moment they were chosen for you, and the person who made them a gift for you.

This is real art to me. It can be shown off – it’s not something that you just hang on the wall. It becomes part of you and who you are. It is personal. It is real. It ages, and that aging is a reflection of life and the journey of living.

The shop has a nice website with a few of the items they sell available for purchase. I would encourage you to stop by. If you are in the Columbus, OH area, go visit and tell Sarah I sent you! You’ll really enjoy her company.

Happy 64th Birthday Mom!

David Phillips — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:34:03 +0000

Mom & Dad @ Multnomah Falls

Today, my mom, Margaret Ann Moore Phillips, turns 64. Happy Birthday Mom!

She’s been a great mom. She was, when my dad was working, my warmup catcher when I was a pitcher in Little League. She survived breast cancer in 1997. She and dad both travelled with Brenna and I when I graduated with my doctorate last May. She’s always been there for me.

This year, we’re struggling financially, and mom would not give me any ideas about a birthday gift for that reason. However, I do run a publishing company and so I have a consistant income stream there. At the same time, I was being convicted about living a more simple life, to be content with what I have instead of longing for and desiring more stuff. If I would live a more simple life, I could then give generously. So I devised a plan to kill two birds with one stone. There was a way that I could honor my mother with a continual gift that would remind me of her and her influence on my life. At the same time, there was a way that I could give in such a way to influence and invest in a life the way my mom did.

Enter Compassion International. Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries.

One of the great things about Compassion is that you are the only supporter of a child. You get to interact with the child you support through letters and pictures. In addition, you can actually visit your child on the field, which I hope to do some day.

For $38 per month, the children Compassion serves receive, among other things: the opportunity to hear the gospel and learn about Jesus; regular Christian training; educational opportunities and help; health care, hygiene training and supplementary food if necessary; a caring and safe Christian environment to grow in self-confidence and social skills; personal attention, guidance and love.

Compassion works through a one-to-one child sponsorship. A sponsor is someone who has made the decision to personally invest in the life of a child in need. Through sponsorship, children are able to participate in a church-based program that offers life-changing benefits that range from educational opportunities to health care.

Compassion focuses on individual child development rather than broader community development work. Community development is important work that addresses the external circumstances of poverty and is an important complement to our work. However, our primary focus is individual child development—an inside-out, bottom-up approach that recognizes the God-given value and potential of each individual child. Many of these children grow up to become positive influences in their own communities. However, they have discovered that changed circumstances rarely change people’s lives, while changed people inevitably change their circumstances.

With all this in mind, I went to Compassion’s website to sponsor a child. One of the options they give you in searching to sponsor a child is to search for someone with a particular birthday. Here’s where the 2 birds, one stone comes in. I searched for a child with the birthday of January 24, my mom’s birthday.

There were a couple of children who had that birthday, and I chose Karen. Karen lives in Hondouras, and is a beautiful young lady. Karen turns 9 today. She turns 9 on the same day my mother turns 64.

Since mom wouldn’t give me a suggestion for a birthday gift, I decided to honor her by supporting a child through Compassion whose birthday is the same as hers. In a way, I’m honoring my mom by doing what she has done for me over the past 40 years: support, invest, influence, pray, and love.

Let me also suggest that you sponsor a child through Compassion. They serve in Haiti, and this would be a great way to make an investment in the lives of children in this poverty-stricken country. Take a moment to watch this video about Compassion’s work in Haiti:

You can also support the relief efforts in Haiti through Compassion. You can donate here.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I told you it would be a different kind of gift!

Psalm for Sunday

David Phillips — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:23:55 +0000

Ps 95:1-7 (The Message)
Come, let’s shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
Let’s march into his presence singing praises,
lifting the rafters with our hymns!
And why? Because God is the best,
High King over all the gods.
In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns,
in the other hand grasps the high mountains.
He made Ocean—he owns it!
His hands sculpted Earth!
So come, let us worship: bow before him,
on your knees before God, who made us!
Oh yes, he’s our God,
and we’re the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.

Prayer for the day:
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Prayer for Haiti:
O Father of the poor and the oppressed: Enfold in your arms the suffering people of Haiti. Comfort those in mourning; relieve those in pain; give shelter to the homeless and hope to those in despair. Feed your people, O God, with bread both earthly and divine, and give them your water and wine. Help them bury the dead, nurse the sick and wounded, and raise their faith and dignity, for they are some of your dearest children. Silence those who falsely claim that Haiti is somehow accursed; proclaim the truth that this vibrant, creative nation still shines as a beacon of freedom throughout the Americas. And help us all, the nations of the world and the people of means, to rebuild this colorful land in the image of your Son Jesus Christ, who knows our suffering because he took our mortal pain into his own body on the Cross; then rose again to live and reign with you and the Holy Comforter. Amen.

Taken from The Daily Office, Jan 24, 2010

Saturday’s suggested reads

David Phillips — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:42:07 +0000

From the Pat Robertson Haiti debacle, Jeffrey Weiss has a story entitled “Haiti and the Pat Robertson Paradox” Great thoughts on religion in America (HT: Len Sweet)

From the election on Tuesday

Massachusetts Voters Backed Brown to Show Opposition to Democratic Agenda, Poll Says

“Nearly two-thirds of those who voted for Republican Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senate race said their vote was at least in part to make clear their opposition to the Democratic agenda in Washington.”

Now What? Democrats Struggle to Make Sense of Losses

Between Republican Scott Brown’s surprise Senate victory over Martha Coakley in Massachusetts Tuesday night, the Supreme Court’s decision to lift campaign restrictions on corporations Thursday, Obama’s Transportation Security Administration nominee stepping down, Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke’s nomination coming under fire, and even progressive radio station Air America going off the air, Obama had just come through the most bruising five days his administration, his party, and his progressive base had ever seen together.

From Science this week

Neurons Developed from Stem Cells Successfully Wired With Other Brain Regions in Animals. Why does this matter?

In this study, a team of neuroscientists led by James Weimann, PhD, of Stanford Medical School focused on cells that transmit information from the brain’s cortex, some of which are responsible for muscle control. It is these neurons that are lost or damaged in spinal cord injuries and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “These stem cell-derived neurons can grow nerve fibers between the brain’s cerebral cortex and the spinal cord, so this study confirms the use of stem cells for therapeutic goals,” Weimann said.

Human Brain Uses a Grid to Represent Space. Why read this? Well, these cells correlate with Alzheimer’s. Fascinating read.

The parts of the brain which show signs of grid cells — the hippocampal formation and associated brain areas — are already known to help us navigate our environment and are also critical for autobiographical memory. This means that grid cells may help us to find our way to the right memory as well as finding our way through our environment. These brain areas are also amongst the first to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease which may explain why getting lost is one of the most common early symptoms of this disease.

From Health, Wellness, & Food

Unraveled? Here’s How to Knit Yourself and the World Together. Okay, get past the Buddhist quote and you’ll find some great thoughts:

Have you ever looked into the mirror and wondered who is staring back at you? Or longed to unite the many parts within you? The friendly one, the angry one, the resentful one, the sad one, the calm one, the impatient one, the confused one – that are all jumbled up behind a public persona that’s buffed and glossed – but tends to crack when you’re angry or upset.

27 Fitness and Fat Loss Tips. “These 27 Fitness and Fat Loss Tips will get you on the right track for this New Year”

How To Reach Your Goals By Keeping A Journal. Great suggestions for record-keeping!

Cook Pizza in a Cast-Iron Skillet. A great suggestion.

Think you need a pizza stone to make some great homemade pizza? Megan from DIY home weblog Not Martha suggests trying your trusty cast-iron skillet before shelling out for a uni-tasking pizza stone.

Meet Brenna Phillips

David Phillips — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:27:57 +0000

My FL Fan Wife

I’m the luckiest man alive because I’m married to the greatest wife around. I know many men say that and believe it. I just know it’s true.

When I was in college, I had a set of priorities that governed my life:

1. God
2. Sports
3. Food
4. Women

And they were in that order. I was looking for a Godly, athletic woman who could cook. My reasoning was that I couldn’t live with the first three but could the last one. When I got to seminary, I found her, and was able by God’s grace alone to marry Brenna. (I out-punted my coverage in a big way!)

One of my desires the past couple of years has been for God to lift her up in due time for the faithfulness and obedience to God that she has lived. Since 1993, she has led children’s ministries in four states (Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, & Delaware). She has led those children’s ministries in traditional churches, contemporary churches, missional churches, small churches that rent their facilities and large churches whose facilities were built before she was born. She has served as a bi-vocational children’s minister and a full-time paid staff person. She has made a huge difference in the lives of parents and kids every where she goes. In addition to that, she has served in the public school system, in church-based child development centers, and corporate child development centers, including starting one at a church where she was on staff. In addition, she taught a college class on children’s ministry at a small Christian college in Alabama.

I promised her that before I got any more schooling after my Doctorate, she could work on hers. She has been granted entrance into a PhD program in Education and we’re trying to get the funds for her to start. I so want her to be able to work on that if she chooses.

She has written an illustrated children’s book – we’re waiting on the illustrations to be completed. She’s also been invited to write a chapter in a forthcoming children’s ministry book and has had a couple of ideas published in Children’s Ministry Magazine.

She is a smart lady with a great mind for children’s ministry, learning styles, and family ministry. She would do a great job if you ever needed someone to consult with you on children’s ministry.

All that to say that right now, she has a great series of posts on learning styles, and learner-centered education. Take some time to check these out.

I know, I am publicizing my wife; it’s what a good husband should do, right? Well, quite honestly, I think she’s better at this ministry thing than I am. She has strengths and capabilities I don’t. She has some weaknesses, one of which is that she’s a big Florida fan, as noted by the picture. But she has a great passion for helping parents and their children develop in their relationship with each other and with God. And she has been very successful at it.

Take some time and get to know her. Ask her questions, bring her to speak, or have her work with your church’s children’s ministry. She can help you greatly.

Love you, hun…

New Year’s Resolution #1 for 2010 – Health

David Phillips — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:10:34 +0000

Let's Get Fit!

Everybody is putting up their resolutions for 2010 so I thought I would offer a few, one per day. One of the things I have learned is that it takes about twelve weeks for a new habit to really stick, so I am implementing my resolutions on a quarterly basis. Two per quarter is about all a person can do. So, here is my first resolution for 2010.

Like most people, my health is at the top of the list. Food has been a self-medicating drug for me for much of my life. However, I’ve worked through a lot of the issues that would cause the use of that drug, and now I feel emotionally and mentally healthy enough to really begin to work on my weight issue.

I need to lose weight so that:

I can better deal with the arthritis in my knees resulting for a torn ligament and cartilage damage over twenty years ago. I know I will eventually have to have a knee replacement and so the less strain I put on my joints the better.
I can purchase less expensive clothing
I can have the energy to accomplish the rest of my goals
I can set in place a lifestyle that will allow me to live long and have a great quality of life.

To accomplish this, I resolve to:

Lower my caloric intake
Eat less unhealthy foods
Exercise 4-5 times per week
Keep a food journal
Make regular visits to my doctor
Enlist a group to be on this journey with me

My goal is 1 pound per week. This requires that I burn and/or cut a total of 3,500 calories per week. To lose one pound in seven days you need to reduce your net calories by 500 every day. The easiest way to do that is a 250 split: Cut half from your diet and burn the other half through exercise.

Join My Private Group?
Would you like to be part of an online group to help encourage each other in our health goals? I have created a private team on a website called PeerTrainer.com. Here we can keep a food journal and encourage each other in a community to get healthy. If you would like to be a part of this group, send me an email and I will get you the group name and send you an invitation. Let’s do this together!

Happy New Year 2010! View my focus for the coming year

Happy New Year 2010! View my focus for the coming year

David Phillips — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:06:12 +0000

Integrating Missionally » Personal

Sunday Psalm: Ps 32

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Sunday Psalm: Ps. 63:1-8

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