MAY 2007
For Feather Phill

1 Thessalonians 4: 13 – 18 NLT
13 And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died….So comfort and encourage each other with these words

“Known to many as "Feather Phill," Phillip Grosser, 22, had a distinct presence on campus, both spiritually and visually. Many of Grosser's close friends remember him as someone passionate about celebrating and sharing his Christian faith. But even those who did not know Grosser personally could identify him by the feather-adorned hat, a graduation gift, he wore daily. Grosser died May 27 when another vehicle struck his motorcycle at a Colorado Springs, Colo., intersection. A New Hampshire native, Grosser was in Colorado interning for a nonprofit Christian development organization, Engineering Ministries International. Grosser planned to return to GW for a fifth year in the fall to complete the requirements for his degree in civil engineering.” ~ www.gwhatchet.com

“I have AMAZING brothers and sisters…that I love…even though I don't easily verbalize it. My parents are completely supportive of my choices in this new sub-culture of the goth that I am getting involved in. I have been saved from mindless and soulless religion by Jesus my Savior, and He died on the cross so that I can have a beautiful relationship with God the Father through Him, and I have been new by the Holy Spirit…. I have been allowed to serve, praise, and even TALK to my Creator – amazing, awing, and mind-boggling – wow – GOD IS AMAZING!!!” ~ Feather Phill

“We all went out to eat at the same restaurant as usual. One of the females stood up, and immediately Phill stood. He showed respect. Respect for all….He always spoke highly of everyone” ~ Elphie

“I first met Phill at the 2005 Christian Goth Gathering in Baltimore, MD. I came by myself and I didn't know anyone there. I felt at home among my Gothic brothers and sisters in Christ, but I wasn’t going to invite myself to dine with them during the first evening. I said goodbye for the moment and turned away to excuse myself from the circle of friends who previously knew each other. I heard a voice call out and say, "Hey! Where are you going off to?! Don't try to be all 'Goth" and think you can eat dinner all by yourself now." I turned around to find Phill smiling at me, arms folded underneath his cloak and looking at me as if he knew he could get away with saying such a comment. I accepted the invitation, and in that one night, became closer to several strangers then I ever thought possible. Many people touched my heart that weekend, and Phill was certainly one of them” ~ Naomi Joy

“Once, when I was struggling to share Christ with a seeking goth, Phill gave me the following advice: “The key to this is listening intensely. This is not the kind of intensity that people use to find loopholes in arguments. No this is the intensity that says, “I find you to be worth my time to listen to.” Show them love in that way, and if they merely want to argue and not listen, that will speak to them more than your best argument. Try to understand their point of view completely. Fully listen to them while they speak, don't be thinking things like, “OK, well, how can I totally smack down that argument they just said?”….Winning the argument is not…the most important part…be sure to show them that you care about them as a person….Hope this helps. A Blood brother, Feather Phill”
~ David Dellman

The following was sent to Donna Sheehy from Phill’s father:
“For those that were not at the Service of Witness to the Resurrection for Phill, Bill Ackerman gave the Homily and concluded with extemporaneous remarks something like...

“So many of those in their twenties have been disillusioned by the church, with its immoral ways, emphasis on possessions over people, parochial attitudes, etc. (his list was much better and indicting). It's no wonder that they have opted out of the Church, just when the Church needs their energy and commitment to authenticity.

“Tertullian said "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” While Phill was not a martyr per se (persecuted to death for his faith), he was nevertheless a warrior for the Kingdom and on a mission for his Lord. He has fallen in the middle of the battle and now, who of you is ready to stoop and pick up his sword and stand in his stead with the same fervor for the Kingdom and love for the lost?

“Virtually everyone under 30 rose to their feet and the place erupted in applause from the older (my) generation.

“I was overcome with sobs of joy.”

When I first met “Feather Phill” there were so many guys named Phill in Christian goth we had to come up with a way to easily distinguish them, and so “Feather” Phill was born.

Shortly after I announced the First Christian Goth Gathering, Feather Phill sent us this message: “Are there still open spots? I am a student at GWU in DC, and would consider myself a Goth, and I have a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. So this sounds very interesting to me. Please let me know more. A brother in Blood, Phillip Grosser”

After the gathering, he said, “I was immensely blessed by the conference, and I cannot wait for the next one. ‘To obey is better than sacrifice. I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights ‘cause if you can't come to Me every day Then don't bother coming at all” ~ Keith Green A Blood brother, Feather Phill

I told him that I loved Keith Green, and that those were some of my favorite lyrics.

When I heard the news of Phill’s passing, I shared this with Donna Sheehy:
“It’s very sad news. It’s weird but my first thought was that I wish I had spent more time with him, been more attentive, ya know.”

Donna provided a great deal of comfort to me with these words:
“He and I talked about you…hehee...all good things. I filled him in on your magic and he was looking forward to seeing you at the UU this year. He thought a lot of you. I think that he would have liked to see you dance.”

“When you get the choice to sit it out or dance…I hope you dance,” ~ Lee Ann Womack
Phill danced and he helped the rest of us dance too.

Thank you Phill.

We’ll miss ya.

Blessings,
David Dellman