Anthony Schindler

Isaiah 35:1-10 - Isaiah's Vision of the Blossoming Desert It will blossom profusely... The first two weeks of Advent we walk through the wilderness.  We mourn and confess our sins and the systemic sin of the world in which we live in.  It is a step into darkness; the dark ways of this world and the darkness of our very souls.  As we walk through the wilderness of our sin the proper response is lament and contemplation.  We lament the evil depths humanity (including me) is capable of wallowing in.  We contemplate - we recognize that something is not right here and hope to God there’s a better way. It’s not hard to feel like God has left us while we walk through the wilderness.  It is easy to feel like He’s distant, like He doesn’t care, or like He doesn’t hear our prayers.  But even in the wilderness, flowers bloom.  The crocus is a small flower that thrives in the dry, gray wilderness.  It blooms late in the season.  After all the other flowers have had their turn, it blo

Silence. 400 years of silence. 400 years of darkness. 400 years of waiting, seeking, longing, wondering… (Don't we get antsy after 400 seconds?) On Sunday we lit the first candle of our Advent wreath - The Prophet’s Candle.  We lit The Prophet’s Candle to remember that The Prophets spoke of the coming of the Messiah.  God spoke through His Prophets and promised restoration, healing, deliverance, release, salvation - a Savior.  And then The Prophets stopped talking.  For 400 years they went dark.  From the last word of the OT to the first of the NT 400 years of Prophetic silence pass. The Prophets are full of promises.  Promises from God!  It is easy to imagine how 400 years of silence might affect one’s faith.  It would be easy to conclude that God doesn’t care or that He is removed.  No doubt, sometimes is sure feels like God is a God who makes promises and then leaves (I first heard Dr. Reeves say it like this.) “Late in time, behold Him come.” Waiting an

Detailed Written Plans 1 Chronicles 28:9-10   9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act." 1 Chronicles 28:19-20 19 "All this," said David, "the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern." 20 Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. God has called me to Three Rivers Fellowship.  He has called us to replant (rebuild) His church.  This is no sm

Acts 16:24 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them... Prayer and worship are not out of the ordinary.  Prayer and worship in prison are.  From prison, feet chained to the floor, Paul and Silas worship God.  That is extraordinary; and for those with ears to hear, incredibly subversive. I'm not quick to "guilt" you into coming to church, but sometimes the text reminds me that my situation, although hard in my experience of it, may not actually be as bad as it appears.  If Paul and Silas still worship God when they have every reason to curse God, then maybe I can worship this Sunday even if I don't feel like it. I want to encourage you to come to church this Sunday and worship - regardless of how you feel.  Maybe even in spite of how you feel.  If you don't feel like it, then, in my opinion, that's the best time to worship.  Anyone can worship God when they

On  Sunday we looked at the scars Paul bore for the sake of the Gospel (Acts 14).  We also discussed the possibility that the 'scars' we bear for the sake of the Gospel are the preferences we sacrifice for the sake others in the church; i.e. what we give up for the sake of others in the family.  Why should we prefer the needs of others over our own?  Why is it so important that we get along?  Because the truth of the Gospel we profess to believe depends on it.  "[The unity of the body] is loadbearing," say N.T. Wright, "If this gives way, everything comes crashing down." The church is one body; united by one God, through his one Son, filled with the same (His) Spirit.  Church unity is really important. Getting along with others in not important because it is convenient, but because the Gospel you profess to believe depends on it. The picture above is helpful.  It is from N.T. Wright's book Paul and the Faithfulness of God .  Sometimes yo

Sabbath is Death Busyness.  The American mantra, "I'm busy."  Basically it means, "I'm stressed."  Or, "I'm worried." Or, "I'm depressed." It means I don't know how to say "No."      Which means I don't know how to prioritize.      Which means I don't know what's truly important. I don't know what's truly important so I'll make my life busy so that I feel important (w ork 50-70 hours per week, s chedule back to back meetings, etc.). We feel busy, because we are trying to get everything done this week when realistically we should give ourselves a month.   Or we are trying to accomplish everything in one month that should take six.   Or we are trying to accomplish in ten months what really take one year. We are stressed because we don't know how to rest.  We don't know how to rest from work.   To rest from work means to trust God.  We are busy and stres