Monday...really?

Is it really only Monday? I feel like it should be Thursday and that I should be walking into the Louisville Airport ready to board a plane and fly to Minneapolis, but it is only Monday and instead I work on processing a collection in the archives.
Yesterday I woke up after spending a few days sick at Grandma's house and made the drive from Louisville to New Washington. During the worship service my congregation got to participate in my commissioning service as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD) to the 219th General Assembly. Since I was not at the Presbytery meeting where the others received their commissioning, the Moderator came down and it was part of our Sunday morning worship. It was great because my pastor was preaching on the fruits of the spirit, something I hope to remember as I go into a busy week of prayer and business.

During the service I also received a wonderful gift from our Prayer Shawl Ministry, a green and brown prayer shawl that is beautiful, warm, and full of love.

Overall Sunday morning was a day full of excitement and reminders of the importance of remembering to be and remaining rooted in Christ as I venture off to the 219th General Assembly. It is an exciting time and I still have lots of preparing to do. This has all fallen into place for me in the last 4 weeks so I haven't had much time to prepare but I am doing my best to read through the material and prepare my heart and mind for the things that are to come.

I look forward to flying out of here on Thursday (even after my loving congregation decided to share horror stories of flying with me) and making it to Minneapolis to spend time with other Presbyterians discerning with the mind of Christ and making decisions together that will change the church. Together we are the future of the church and together we will press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

Exciting days ahead, I look forward to enjoying the next few days, then heading north to engage in conversation and fellowship with people from all over the world.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.-Max Lucado

Peace,
KP

Challenged by a Song

I love music, especially music that happens to make you stop and ponder the lyrics. Over the last week I have heard a song time and time again on the radio and the words have echoed through me even as I get out of my car and go on doing whatever I was out to do. This song is by christian artist Matt Maher, the title is Hold Us together and the lyrics below are of the chorus:

"Love, will, hold us together, make us a shelter to weather the storm. And I'll, be, my brothers keeper, so the whole world will know that we're not alone. 'Cause even in the dark you can still see the light, It's gonna be alright. "--Matt Maher, Hold us Together

Love, which binds all things together in perfect harmony will hold us together. Love, the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves, to love God with all of our hearts, minds, and souls, will let the whole world know that we're not alone. Love it is the greatest gift we have to offer, because it was the greatest gift given to us in Christ.
Love will hold us together, love will push and pull us to want to be our brother and sisters keepers, then the whole world will know that we are in it together. Love will show the orphans that they are not alone but indeed they are loved beyond their imagination. Love will put together the cities around the world that have been destroyed by floods. Love will provide for a family who is facing hard times during the economic hardships. Love will stop in and visit the widow. Love will bring communities together instead of breaking them apart. Love will change the world one moment at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time.

And these three remain, faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. For God so loved the world that He sent his one and only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. And love binds all things together in perfect harmony. (1 Corinthians 13:13 ,John 3:16, Colossians 3:4)

Will you be your brother/sisters keeper? Will you love as you have been loved? Even in the dark we can still see the light, go, shine, be Christ to your neighbors, be Christ to the world. Go and light the way...It's gonna be alright.

Peace,
KP

Preaching Camp...A sermon

It has been a while since I've posted a blog but figured I would post a sermon from Preaching Camp. This was given on the last day and the three people who followed me were a part of this sermon as well. We all had individual sermons as well as a group sermon all in one. Great times at camp and this was how it ended. Peace,

KP

Moses, Aaron, or an Israelite: The Common Ground of Standing in God’s Presence

Sermon by Krista Phillips

Text: Exodus 19:1-25, Deuteronomy 5:23-32

Friday June 11, 2010

Camp Kavanaugh, Crestwood, KY

Academy of Preachers Preaching Camp

Wednesday night there were a few of us standing around the campfire making s’mores, and talking theology. Christian kept making the comment that the fire represented an eternal flame of preaching. It was interesting to watch the different ways in which people approached the flame to roast their marshmallow, and it reminded me of the text that the four of us are preaching from this morning. You see, some were like Dr. Moody who represents the Israelites; he stood at a distance and never went into the fire. He respected the flame and stood behind the boarder that was set in place. Katie on the other hand, she was like Moses. Katie was in the fire moving the logs around and keeping it warm and at the same time respecting the power that the flame held. And then there were those of us like Darnell, who was like Aaron, he needed a little coaching to get in the fire. At first Darnell was standing around the outside, but not getting in the fire. After Katie coached him in he finally drew near to the fire and was able to roast a tasty looking marshmallow.

This s’more making scenario where we built a fire played a significant role in our weekend here at camp. It bonded us together but it also taught us about limits and boundaries, as well as a healthy respect for others, their opinions, their theology, and how fear cannot get in the way of things that are built on holy ground.

When we see fires, whether they be in a house, in a forest, or some other uncontrolled flame our response tends to be that we either high tail it out of there or we send someone else in to take care of it. For the Israelites this meant sending Moses up the mountain, for God had commanded them to set limits around the mountain and not to cross them, because it was holy. Wednesday night the flame where we gathered for making s’mores was holy. The conversations, the fellowship, and the sermon that the four of us have come to preach here today were all the results of standing together on holy ground.

Moses and the Israelites were on holy ground at the bottom of Mt. Sinai and this was nothing new for Moses. If we think back to the burning bush we remember that Moses was asked to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. Fire throughout scripture has been representative of something holy, powerful, and transformative. Look to the book of Acts, at Pentecost the tongues of fire that rested over the Apostles provided a holy experience. Yet when we see fire in our lives we become afraid, we retreat, and we send someone else in to put it out.

God does not want someone else to go in and put out the fire. God told Moses in our text this morning not to let anyone else break through to go up to the LORD. Some of us are called to be the Israelites standing on the outskirts, behind the boundaries, respecting and fearing the fires of God, being faithful listeners, encouragers, and followers. Others are called to be like Moses, ascending the Mountain and eventually being sent back down to lead the Aaron’s back up the mountain with us.

The transformative, powerful, and holy encounters we have at the feet of the mountains that we face throughout our own lifetimes are scary. They are mountains that we wish we could send others up. The mountains come in many forms as they could be a call to preach the gospel, a call to stand up and fight against injustice, the mountain could be an unsupportive family, a lack of confidence, or a call to live in solidarity with the poor. The good news is, that no matter what mountain we face, God descends on our Mountain, God lights a fire that is more holy, more beautiful, more powerful, and more transformative than any uncontrolled flame of this world.

God’s flame is controlled; it consumes us from the inside out. God’s flame beams a light so bright that we cannot help but draw near to it and follow it, to follow the path it sheds the light on, to refuse to turn to the right or to the left. God’s flame is intimidating to our eyes because it is an unknown flame; it holds more than our life, for God’s flame holds our eternity.

God’s flame burns the aroma of Christ that is in us, to be a fragrance among all people. God’s flame is representative of God’s guidance and God’s presence. God descended upon the mountain and claimed it as holy ground. God descended upon God’s people and God has said “You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD and holy.” God takes that which is broken, that which is challenging, that which is of this world and makes it holy in Christ. In 1 Peter chapter 1 we find a call to holy living where we are reminded that we were ransomed with the precious blood of Christ that was without defect or blemish. Through Christ we are born anew, we are holy and blameless before God.

God descended among God’s people creating an atmosphere for holy living. Our mountains become our own holy encounters with the Creator. We all share this common holy mountain of being young preachers of the gospel. Some of us have gone up the mountain, some of us are going down to bring others up with us, but all of us are standing on holy ground.

What do you see on this holy ground? How do you feel? Will you be an Israelite, standing behind the boundaries, not crossing the limits? Or will you be Moses ascending to God and going down for others?

A concern for the wholeness of others...

I became very frustrated today, and it has been growing on me over the last couple of days but this morning in Sunday School I realized why I was becoming frustrated. We were reading a section out of the Book of Order (W-3.5400) and a phrase within this section struck me, "..pat of the ministry of Jesus which the church has been called to continue as one dimension of its concern for the wholeness of people." The "concern for the wholeness of people" is what really struck me. And I attribute this to the work I have been able to do in Appalachia, getting to know an area and serving them because I love them instead of seeing them as someone who needs my service I see them as people who I love and wish to walk alongside in making the world a better place.

I feel like I have grown over the last five months or so, my theology has taken shape and I continue to strive towards a life of wholeness in Christ. This wholeness comes with brokenness as I have tried to put the pieces of my life in perspective and figure out how in the heck I've made it to where I am today. But none the less I know that the only wholeness I can find is in Christ and that is where I seek to find it. I would say that my "concern for the wholeness of people" has also grown in the last five months. As I have studied about oppression, seen oppression, felt the hurt of a community wrecked by oppression, I have grown and I worry about humanity.

The reason these words struck me so hard this morning is because I have been trying to pull together a trip to Nashville to go down and serve alongside others in cleaning up after a flood that has caused many people hurt, pain, loss, and even fear. As I have been planning I've heard many of times "what are we doing down there? What specific jobs will we have?" And as I explain that we are still awaiting word on where we are needed to help I can't help but think why does it matter? The point is, people are suffering, people have nothing, people have to start new, people need our help and that is why we are going. Even if things went totally out of wack and the only thing I got to do down there was sit and listen to someone talk about their fears, struggles, hopes, and dreams, it would be worth every ounce of effort put into the planning. Why? Because I am called to serve my brothers and sisters in Christ in whatever capacity I can in the circumstance I am given.

It does not matter if I build a house or hold a small child, if I sort through donations, or hand a bottle of water to someone who is thirsty, if I listen to the story of how someone came to help or provide a shoulder for someone to cry on. It doesn't matter what capacity I serve in, so long as I am serving in the mind of Christ.
Matthew 25:34-36 says:
"Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

I hope and pray that one day we will stop asking how, why, what, and instead we will just go and do without questioning. When we become selfless in our service, then I think we will be imitating Christ. Until then I hate to say it but I feel like we are going through the motions, and that upsets me. I care about people, I love people, and I hate seeing people suffer. That is why I would gladly drop everything to go and help someone. I see God in everyone around me, the good the bad and the ugly we all are made in the image of God and have characteristics to prove it. I just pray that we start showing them sooner rather than later, so that we can truly be there to serve others when the time comes. After all Christ didn't throw a fit when he had to get a little dirty in helping others, Christ did what He was called to do, selflessly, for the glory of God, for the benefit of others. I can only hope and pray that I come close to imitating the service of Christ.

One of these days, we will all be willing to drop our selfish ways, to go out of our way, to step out of our comfort zones in order to serve a brother or sister...one of these days...I long for the day when we all become concerned for the wholeness of our neighbors, when we look out for one another and love one another as Christ loves us. I hope others will hold me accountable in this journey toward wholeness in Christ and being concerned for the wholeness of others.
Thanks be to God that even though we fail, we are still loved, we are still forgiven, and we get another opportunity to wake up and try again tomorrow.

Peace,
KP

Living a life that is rooted

Whoa! Life has been crazy over the last few months and I have realized just how easy it is to get so caught up in the things that are going on in life and forget the call to be rooted in Christ. Everyday is a challenge to stop and ask is this a life that is rooted in the one who came to spread the good news, to free the oppressed, to heal the sick, to comfort the mourning, and to give the gift of life?

It is easy to throw around the love I have gained for the people of Appalachia, it is easy to show pictures of myself building a house, but it is hard to look back at the struggles I have had over the last couple of months. For a week I didn't eat and I slept more than I was awake...why? Because I'm growing up and it is scary. But the good news is that all things are overcome through Christ. I have people who love me and people who I love that reach out to me and keep me going time and time again. The realization I made this week is that not only are those whom I love dearly reaching out to me, I am often times like Bartimaeus who sits on the corner and calls out to Christ. Thankfully I serve a God who stops, calls me where I am, and leads me along the road time and time again.

The commitment to live a life rooted in Christ is not an easy one, I don't expect it to be, but it provides a deep joy and desire to press on toward the prize to which we are called and that I hope to do in humility but at the same time with a sense of pride.

Living a life rooted in Christ is what drives me to go to Appalachia and meet AWESOME people, to go back and build a house, to clean up shingles and a roof, to love those others call "hillbilly's" to love those others write off as "good for nothing and lazy, poor, cousin loving, and red necks" and to love them for who they are. They are children of God just like I am, they are made in the image of God and I am to love them with the love of Christ. I have learned so much from Appalachia and my heart is there in those mountains, safe and secure in those mountains at that.

Being rooted in Christ is a long hard road, but the good news in my life is that through it all these roots have grown, I am rooted in a deep soil that provides me with just enough to get through the day showing the love of Christ to anyone and everyone I can. Because of these roots I can say that I am overflowing in thanksgiving. In 23 days I move into an apartment with my best friend, in a month I go to Atlanta for a preaching camp, in 24 days my sophomore year will be complete, and the only thing I can do is sit here and praise God for watering the soil and keeping me going.

I pray that my roots continue to grow and that I continue to reach up, longing to breathe in God's word, ready to go out in service to brothers and sisters around me and around the world.

As a good friend always reminds me,

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

May your roots grow deeper in the love of Christ, may your love of others be rooted in the love of Christ, and may the world around you be the recipients of God's amazing love, mercy, and grace.
Be rooted, be strengthened, overflow with thanksgiving and share with those around you!

Peace,

KP

In the Mountains of Kentucky

1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us to do everything for the Glory of God. Well, yesterday I got the chance to get a little muddy, wet, cold, and stinky! AND I can say that I enjoyed every minute of it. I was working with a group to clean up a site where the roof had been replaced. So all of the shingles, plywood, tar paper, and aluminum were on the ground. We had plastic we would throw these on and tie up to throw in the truck. It rained the entire time we were there and I'm pretty sure Donna (our vans name) smelled something gross when we got back. This house we were working at was situated back in the hills, there was an older lady there and what looked to be her daughter brought her child over and they sat on the porch as we worked. As we finished loading the truck for the day they were asking to keep the scrap tin and aluminum, anything they could use in the future or take to scrap for cash.
Being back in the hills is a majestic place to be. You can see mountains all around you, everyone seemed to know everyone, and they all worked together. I could see this sense of community when the father of the child took over a pot to either get water or boil it at the neighbors house to fix the son a bottle. That neighbor could have easily turned him away but instead she welcomed him in.

As the day went on and we cleared the stuff from in front of the house, the rain picked up but so did my energy. By the time we made it to the dump I was on a mission and was tossing Rusty bags to throw off the truck. We were working together for the common good of another family. This small task I was able to be a part of really made me feel like I was doing something that mattered.

While I sit and wait on grades to come in, I can't help but to feel as if they are insignificant to the work I have the opportunity to do here. This work is done to give back to an area that has given so much to me. I love the mountains, I love Kentucky, and I love the people here in Appalachia. This trip has just begun and can feel my spirits lifted, knowing that people who need help are getting it, and that people do care.

I also got to speak with the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hazard, we are staying at their mission cottage and while getting the password to the internet we got to talking about Hazard and the sense of community the people have. She has been here 9 years and says that people think she's crazy, but she is serving the God who has called her to be here and work here. The church is starting renovation in August to better accommodate the groups that come in to work with HDA (housing Development Alliance) since they use their facilities. What a wonderful way to serve not only the community in Hazard by allowing people to stay there, but providing an opportunity for all to see the work of God in those who give of themselves to do things in the area.

I hope I have many opportunities to come back and serve the area.

We will be working on a new construction the rest of the week, and I look forward to seeing the progress we make, to God be the Glory!
Peace from the misty mountains of Kentucky!
KP

My thoughts and feelings as I reflect on a tragedy....

On Tuesday morning when I saw the news of the mine explosion in West Virginia that left 25 dead, 2 hospitalized, and 4 more missing, my heart broke and I couldn't help but think of the community that is left mourning the loss of loved ones. The families who wait to hear if there loved ones are alive or if they too will be planning a funeral service in the next few days. The more I read on this tragedy the angrier I become, not only at Massey Energy and Don Blankenship, but at myself, at the world. We forget that each and every time we flick on the lights, plug in our computers, charge our phones, and make ourselves a cup of coffee, we produce a need for more coal. We put the demand on the companies to produce the product, at all cost. It is sad that it takes a tragedy, that it takes 25 men losing their lives in order for us to wake up and realize how corrupt things really are. It is sad that we are not more willing to stand up for our neighbors, for our brothers (and sisters) who work in the mines daily. Maybe this will not only be a wake up call for the mining companies and the regulators, but maybe, just maybe, it will be a wake up call for all of us. Maybe we will start to be more involved in holding people accountable for keeping miners safe, maybe we will start to care about those who provide the source of our comfort... While playing my flute this weekend I came across a hymn that pretty much summed up my feelings, and it is definitely my prayer as we work towards a world where we all work together in achieving justice, peace, and love. O For A World O for a world where everyone respects each others ways, where love is lived and all is done with justice and with praise. O for a world where goods are shared and misery relieved, where truth is spoken, children spared, equality achieved. We welcome one world family and struggle with each choice that opens us to unity and gives our vision voice. The poor are rich, the weak are strong, the foolish ones are wise. Tell all who mourn: outcasts belong, who perishes will rise. O for a world preparing for God’s glorious reign of peace, where time and tears will be no more and all but love will cease. Keeping all miners and their families in my prayers...One thing is for sure...I left more of my heart in Appalachia than I thought I did...but putting together the prayer service for this afternoon really helped me process the situation and center myself in God's word instead of in the things the news has been posting. So I leave with the scriptures from the prayer service... Why should we care? 1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called-that you might be a blessing. What does scripture say about tragedies? Isaiah 57:1-2 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away while no one understands. For the righteous are taken away from calamity and they enter into peace; those who walk uprightly will rest on their couches. Psalm 126:5-6 May those who sow tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. Where is God in this? Lamentations 31:32-33 Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone. Psalm 125:1-2 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore. And lastly our favorite, Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.