Shawn Stutz

I just finished my first spinning class ever. Wow… I ride my bike, but that was intense. We’ll see if I can make it through class 2 on Wednesday at 5 AM!

I also found this funny YouTube clip about the iBible. Enjoy…

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The iBible
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Here is a metaphorical hymn for a man who most likely didn’t have much of a funeral in New Orleans.

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The following is an article posted by Dan Kimball. I found the title to be truly controversial and catchy since I grew up Southern Baptist. It did not surprise me to see a title like this… it’s just so specific an issue. I just wonder if as a church we are more consistently known for what we are against rather than what we are for! Check out the comments at the end of the blog and leave your own here.

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Would Jesus be allowed to be a Southern Baptist pastor?

“I can assure you of this: if you are associated with the use of beverage alcohol, I think I dare exaggerate not to say that 99% of all doors of ministry in the Southern Baptist Convention will be closed to you.”

- Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

I have met wonderful, loving, godly Southern Baptists. I have spoken at two Southern Baptist conferences with wonderful, wonderful people involved in leadership at them whom I met and got to know. I have attended wonderful Southern Baptist churches where God is moving and active – so this is not in any way questioning Southern Baptists at large…

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Yesterday was a wild and somber day– I learned to rejoice with those that rejoice and mourn with those that mourn (maybe more on that another time).

And… today is our flight home from New Orleans, xrds is right around the corner, and I need to seriously prepare on the plane! The trip has been a full circle return blessing for me. And it was headquartered at NOBTS; the place my core priorities were challenged just a few years ago. It’s been a great week, but I’m ready to be home too!

Oh, and I just found out my blog is rated “G”, which is great I guess. However, I don’t know if some of my pictures pass the ratings test though.

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Click here for the photo slideshow!

Remember us in your prayers.  Just two days left…

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Tonight, like the last few nights, we had our team devo in the foyer of the Seminary’s Student Center. It has a pretty big hotel lobby feel actually, with nice chairs and all. A few minutes into nurse Beth’s study, I felt the urge to visit the men’s room. On the way there, a lady stopped me. Her name was Doretha. She proceeded to share she had come to the seminary book store to see if they had extra boxes she could use to move her stuff from her current FEMA trailer. In fact, the FEMA trailer lot will soon be closing, and she was in need of an apartment. Oddly enough, she paused our conversation there to take a bathroom break.

Upon returning to un-pause the conversation Doretha asked if we were a Christian group. I responded affirmatively of course. And then, with great boldness, she requested that we lay hands on her and pray for her about the upcoming move, finances, and trusting the Lord’s hand in the whole situation. Of course, once again, I said yes. I interrupted our group time, placed a chair in the center, and that lobby became holy ground. Tears were shed, the Spirit moved, and no one left that room the same– especially Doretha.

As I sat there pondering about the divine moment that had just happened, I received a great nugget of truth. We weren’t supposed to meet in that lobby. We had a room assigned to us; HSC 202. We weren’t supposed to meet until 9 pm, but we chose 6:30 pm instead. The book store was closed, but Doretha pressed into the lobby to look around anyway. This was such a God orchestrated moment! Without a doubt, I’m glad we weren’t where we were supposed to be.

I often have wondered if our churches are like that? Without a doubt, we have assigned buildings/rooms, assigned hours, and assigned roles. And yet, I wonder what would happen if we found ourselves in the marketplace more and less in the ‘room’. What divine moments God would bring our way? It makes me think of the story of Phillip who was pulled from his ‘assigned room’ of Samaria to meet an Ethiopian in the desert. How many divine moments God has designed for us? How many do we miss?