W. Davd Phillips » Personal

New Features and Opportunities

David Phillips — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:15:44 +0000

If you have visited the site recently, you noticed a new look. If you visit the site now, you will also notice a mailing list sign-up form on the left side of the site. I am going to create a member’s only area with some posts available only to those who sign up for the monthly newsletter. But I’m not merely trying to get your email address. Nope, I am not doing that at all. I’m not sure what I would do with your email address anyway. What I’m actually going to do is give you something for signing up.

I am going to start offering posts only available to people who have a password. That password will only be found in the monthly newsletter. I will also be offering, from time to time, a free book. Instructions on obtaining that book will be detailed in the newsletter.

The first book will be 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam. I have recently completed an interview with her and that will be a member’s only post. I also have an interview lined up with Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, and who recently spoke at the Willow Creek Leadership Conference. That might be a free book give away. I’m thinking that a free copy of Len Sweet’s new book Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There may be a free book give away.

To gain access to these posts and giveaways, simply signup for the newsletter.

Note: you will only be able to get one free giveaway per year.

Copyright © 2008
This feed is for personal, non-commercial use only.
The use of this feed on other websites breaches copyright. If this content is not in your news reader, it makes the page you are viewing an infringement of the copyright. (Digital Fingerprint:
63d78be34e7054de080da99a50c72238 (38.107.191.110) )

My Summer Listening Tour

David Phillips — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:17:09 +0000

I’ve spent June and July in relative silence. I’ve been listening a lot. I’ve been observing a lot. I’ve been reading a lot. I’ve been praying a lot.

It’s not because I’ve really wanted to be quiet. There have been times when I’ve wanted to make a snarky comment or put up a snarky blog post because of what I have seen. Tweets have come through and it would have been easy to respond in a way that made it evident I was just rolling my eyes at the tweet. The same with a facebook post. But I thought twice about it and just deleted what I was going to say. It was better for me that way. Actually, I got convicted every time I wanted to say something so I just kept my mouth shut for the most part.

A lot has happened over the summer that I haven’t commented on and I thought I would make a few observations in general on what I have seen and heard.

The SBC
The Southern Baptist Convention was held in June and the big deal was the Great Commission Resurgence. We all knew it would pass, and it did. I did find it interesting that the leadership of the SBC and their minions took to the twitterverse to try to sell the package, and, in some ways, to shout down those who were against it.

The SBC is a unique animal. It is incredibly political. I have seen the underbelly of it on a couple of occasions and, as recently as this year, it became personal. It really shows me that denominationally it is mostly about money and power and control.

I also realized what SBC professors do not write much, and if they do, it all sounds the same. I was having lunch with a former SBC professor and he told me this story. He said that in most institutions of higher learning, it is publish or perish. However, in SBC seminaries (and others where you have to sign a denominational confessional statement) it is publish and perish. There was no such thing as academic freedom. I can accept that, but could not embrace it. It stifles the learning process that the Spirit has for the person and those whom he or she teaches. I also guess that is why I just don’t read books from SBC professors anymore. It’s the same old stuff.

Practitioners
I had someone who is a well-known practitioner tell me in the past few years, “I really love …. and he’s a friend, but his stuff is all theory. Find someone who is practicing what you want to accomplish and get to know them.” I have really taken that to heart. Yet I see more and more people who don’t practice try to tell pastors how to do things. Not just on a philosophical or theological level, but on a practical level. You cannot hold conferences about that which you have not practiced in twenty years. You can’t say you understand what small church pastors are going through if you haven’t been one in twenty years. You can’t teach urban church planting if you have never planted an urban church.

That is why I love to read and dialogue with actual practitioners. I love to read people like NT Wright, who until recently, was a pastor in England. I love to read David Fitch’s blog. He is a professor and pastor of a missional community in Chicago. I really enjoy Bob Roberts in metro Dallas. Then there is my friend Todd Littleton. He as some really good things to say. Caleb Crider has some great things to say as well.

And that is why I love Len Sweet. I spent three years with Len as a student. I have been privileged to spend time at conferences with him, and one on one in conversations. I’ve seen people ask Len a practical question and almost without fail, Len will respond with a theological or philosophical framework answer. He doesn’t want to tell you how to do something, because people would leave his talk and all wear jeans and dark sport coats. He wants to you take the framework he has given and allow the Spirit to work it out in you and your community of faith, if that is what the Spirit wants to see happen. Unfortunately, as pastors, we want people to tell us how to grow our church and in doing so we can have the next killer app. But the killer app is the one birthed inside us by the Holy Spirit. Someone suggested I look at Len as an architect. I don’t expect to get practical advice from Len on many things. But he does create a framework that makes me think about what I do and say.

Networks
There are more church networks than there are television stations. And all of them are having conferences. I don’t mind conferences, it’s just that I do not attend them any more. I would rather attend something akin to a multi-day small community gathering of 20-30 people sitting around the room talking with others about life and ministry. I’ve found that so many of the conferences have the same people speaking and you can get what they are saying by reading their books. So it’s cheaper to read the book than spend all the money to go see them on a screen 60 rows or more from the front. Len Sweet does some great advances and the Ecclesia Network does some great things as well, as does the Upstream Collection.

Networks will be important as denominations wane. They will replace the denomination as the primary influencer of ministry, if they have not already done so.

Declining Numbers
My wife, who is a children’s pastor, has noted to me recently that a lot of Children’s Pastors are talking about declining numbers. Pastors are talking about declining numbers as well. It looks like we are finally beginning to realize American Christianity has failed. Oh wait, did I say that? Actually, what I think is happening is a multi-faceted failure to stay true to our first love. We have embraced consumerism, excellence, theological frameworks, philosophical frameworks, ministry styles, preaching styles, and even the gospel while turning away from our first love: Jesus. There are other reasons as well. A friend of mind, who supported the SBC’s GCR, noted to me that when the SBC traded Jesus for the Bible in 2000, things began to change. I think in general, we have a passion for practices instead of a passion for the Person of Jesus.

In all this, I am seeing a change in tone and understanding about what success means in ministry today. I think the church is going to have to learn a new meaning of success.

Etc.
I’ve seen more polarization, particularly in politics but in the church as well. You can’t be a Christian and be a democrat, for instance. All the while, families are falling apart, lives are being destroyed, and people are continuing a dehumanization process into hell. My friend Heidi and I have had discussions about this, and she’s right. We’ve got too many people on a journey into hell to be fighting the government or each other. Change the person, change the culture. Change the culture, change society. Change society, and change the country. And the world. Of course, we do not change people; but as we partner with the Spirit and follow Jesus, we will have those opportunities.

The church is under-forgiving and over-controlling, a lot more pharisees than followers of Christ. I will leave it at that.

If we would do more listening than speaking with people who do not follow Christ we would have more influence in their life to help them uncover the Christ the created them. If we would do more loving than condemning, we would have more opportunities to nudge people to Jesus.

Oh well, I’ve probably said too much. More later. Maybe.

Dr. Randy Millwood Talking about Holy Rewired

David Phillips — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:08:09 +0000

Yesterday I gave a talk entitled “The Journey Toward Wholeness” at a leadership training event sponsored by the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. Dr. Randy Millwood, Dr. Randy Millwood, fomerly of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and now Leadership Development Missionary for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware talks about the impact of reading Holy Rewired.

I am moving around trying to get some seating arranged as people came it.

Holy Rewired is now available!

David Phillips — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:52:38 +0000

I was thinking this morning that I did not announce this in a blog post, though I did put it in the sidebar of the blog.

Holy Rewired is available for purchase. I am offering autographed versions for $12.00 plus shipping and payment is through paypal. You can click on the link in the sidebar to purchase. It is also available at Amazon for $10.79 and at Barnes and Noble for the same price. You can also get the amazon kindle edition.

Frost Yourself!

David Phillips — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:28:28 +0000

In the movie, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Matthew McConaughey is an advertising executive Benjamin Barry. In the movie, he tells his boss that he can make any woman fall in love with him in just ten days. To prove it, he will find a woman and bring her to the upcoming company ball as his date. If he succeeds, he gets to be in charge of the advertising for the new diamond company account otherwise headed by his boss. Barry succeeds, and as part of the ad campaign, he develops the tag line, “Frost Yourself”. The phrase is meant to portray to women that it is ok for them to pamper themselves with jewelry. It was a pretty good movie.

As I was in the shower this morning, I realized I needed to shave. I don’t like to shave that much, but I do love a good shave. That got me thinking and I realize I really enjoy three things:

1. A good shave
2. A good head rub while I’m getting a shampoo after getting my hair cut
3. A good massage.

In other words, a good pampering! Everyone needs a good pampering from time to time, whether it is a message or a relaxing bath. Life is crazy and stress and there are wonderful health benefits to a restful, relaxing experience.

The more I read, the more I realize that organics are important to our overall health. For instance, a study released in May noted that children exposed to pesticides known as organophosphates could have a higher risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These pesticides are found on many fruits and vegetables. Eating organic would reduce exposure and potentially reduce the risk of ADHD.

Which brings me to the point of this post. A dear friend and his wife, Marty and Sonya Duren, have started a new business called Pampered Bed & Bath. The goal of the business is to provide buyers an assortment of organic and natural products that will make your family’s bedding and bath a restful retreat. So you get the natural experience of the organics and the restful, healthful experience of a good pampering! What could be better?

I encourage you to take a look and make a purchase. Take a little time to Frost Yourself in a healthful way!

A Shout Out to a Old Friend Mark Linder

You Need Sam!

David Phillips — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:32:53 +0000

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a young graphic designer named Sam Raynor. She had developed a book cover for his book and it was absolutely fantastic. Another friend was developing a book, and I recommended him to Sam. I have recommended her for several projects in fact, and have used her to develop logos and my own book cover(s).

One of the things I loved about Sam was her ability to take a concept and truly develop a great design. She was one of the most theologically astute designers I had met. I learned that for many of her designs, she would do an original piece of art, scan it in and use that, for example, as part of the book cover.

In 2008, when I wanted to give Len Sweet something as a “thank you” gift for his investment in my life during my doctoral work, I asked Sam if she might come up with an interpretation of the term “Pneumanaut” which had so impacted me over my doctoral work. It was a term Len described for us during our initial week with him. She came up with a painting, which I scanned in to make sure I had a copy for myself.

I recently found out that Sam had truly struck out on her own, with her own design firm. She can do book covers, illustrations, paintings, logos, or any other graphic need you have. You can check out some of her work at her website here. She has promised me that even though she is becoming a mom for the first time in June (Yeah!), that she’s going to continue her great art and design work.

Head over to her site and if you have a need for some design work, hire her. She’s worth it.

Life Lessons Learned from Writing part 3

David Phillips — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:14:32 +0000

Previously, I noted that we needed editors in our life. Those editors serve a huge purpose, not only in a general function, but in the details. So here is the lesson I learned. We need people to help us focus on the details of life. Details matter. The little things matter. Overlooking the little things will hinder the effectiveness of our life.

I noticed looking over the corrections of my editors that I was horribly lacking in the details of writing. I often had subject-verb disagreements. I would leave out words. It was frustrating to look back at those corrections and realize that though I read over sections several times, I completely missed a “the” or used “his lives” or other similar mistakes. That, however, is the value of an editor.

We act in ways that have become so automatic we do not even realize we are acting a certain way. We miss the details. We miss the little things. Our habits become blind spots to living. It is in those blind spots, however, that we can hurt others. It is in those blind spots where others can destroy us. Those blind spots allow those we are responsible for (children, employees, students) to abuse the rules, systems, and processes that we set up to help them become the best they can be.

Have you ever thought, “I never realized…”

What to we do? Engage an editor and give them the permission to shine a light into the dark corners of our life. We need an editor to help us see our blind spots. We need an editor to help us focus on the details.

Life Lessons Learned from Writing a Book part 2

David Phillips — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:12:43 +0000

Life lesson #2: We all need a group of editors.
Editors are different from accountability partners. Accountability connotes keeping track; that is the role of an accountant and that is the meaning of the root word. However, 1 Corinthians reminds us that love keeps no accounting (record) of our wrongs. If we love someone we don’t keep track of their faults and failures as an accountant would keep track of every dime spent. That is not love.

An editor does things differently. An editor takes what they are given and offers corrections and suggestions based only what is before them. They do not keep copies of your previous submissions. They may notice patterns, but they do not keep a systematic and conscious account of all that you have done in the past. Their job is to take what is given and get it to better place.

Too many of us have accountability partners. More of us need editors. And we need a group of editors, not just one. When I wrote Holy Rewired, I had input from several people across multiple disciplines. They gave their input, offering criticism on content and grammar. Some were specialized, offering comment on just grammar and others offered comment on the content. But there were several of editors. And the book is better because of their input.

Who are your editors? Who do you trust to partner with the Holy Spirit and get you from where you are to where He wants you to be?

Life Lessons Learned from Writing a Book part 1

David Phillips — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:48:12 +0000

This week I finished all the edits on my upcoming book, Holy Rewired: Science, the Gospel, and the Journey Towards Wholeness. As I was sending the last thoughts to the publisher, I began to think about the lessons I could learn from writing this book. I generally process experiences after they happen, and this was one experience where I did not want to have the lessons leave me. I have written them down for myself, and I want to share with you over the next several days some lessons about life that I have learned from writing a book.

Life Lesson #1: Despite your own thoughts, if you have haven’t done something well many times, you are not going to be good at it.
I went into this process with the mindset that writing would be easy. The hard part would be putting aside the time to write. I was wrong. This book was birthed in 2006-2007, early in my doctoral work. In fact, my intention was to also produce a publishable manuscript in addition to the dissertation. So when I set out to write my dissertation, I enlisted an editor who had edited some well-known books. It was then that I learned how bad of a writer I was.

I would get back from her a document that looked like she had bled all over it. And the criticism was difficult. I didn’t explain things. I didn’t define things. Some things just didn’t make any sense. I had mis-matched metaphors. And that didn’t include all the grammar issues! She was tough, yet I was immensely greatful.

When I turned the dissertation into a book, I had to write differently. I had to transition my writing from an academic work to a work for the masses. I had to clean up language, dumb down language, and make it understandable to those who might not think critically or want to get deeply involved in a intellectual exercise. That took a great deal of work, which I hope I have now accomplished.

Now truthfully, I thought I was a pretty good writer. I thought I was a good writer because I always got good grades in English and when I did papers in graduate school no one ever really criticized my writing. Working with a professional, however, showed me I was wrong.

After getting this book done, I’m actually trying to work on my writing by taking some free creative writing classes through several universities as part of the open courseware consortium. I am trying to be more careful with my language and my metaphors. I am trying to be more cautious with how I express my thoughts. I am trying to pay more attention to details (more on that later).

There is an old saying that practice makes perfect. That is not true. Practice makes permanent. Many of us have practiced something over and over again and now it is permanently part of our behavior. That doesn’t mean its perfect, unless you believe that you can do something perfectly wrong. Unfortunately, that is what I did. I developed a style of writing and that style became permanent. But it wasn’t good writing.

Anything that is worth doing is worth doing right. It is also worth doing well. To do that, however, will require the help of an editor. More on that in the next post.

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)

W. Davd Phillips » Personal

New Features and Opportunities

Related Posts:

Related posts:

My Summer Listening Tour

Related Posts:

Related posts:

Dr. Randy Millwood Talking about Holy Rewired

Related Posts:

Related posts:

Holy Rewired is now available!

Related Posts:

Related posts:

Frost Yourself!

Related Posts:

Related posts:

You Need Sam!

Related Posts:

Life Lessons Learned from Writing part 3

Related Posts:

Related posts:

Life Lessons Learned from Writing a Book part 2

Related Posts:

Related posts:

Life Lessons Learned from Writing a Book part 1

Related Posts:

Related posts:

Sunday Psalm: Ps 32

Related Posts:

Related posts: