Sermon - Calov Conference Sermon 2026 - Psalm 91

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Isenheim Altarpiece, Matthias Grunewald, 1512 Trust in the Lord and Look upon the Savior God delivers us through the blood of Jesus Christ He ordains the angels to lift us up He intentionally directs us to walk in danger for the sake of our faith After Absalom killed Amnon he fled. Joab directed a theatrical scene between David and a pretend widow, in order to convince David to welcome Absalom back to Jerusalem. In this dramatic scene, the actress recites a powerful line: “ We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and He devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. ” What a rich illustration she uses of water spilled on the ground. Two other times in the book of Samuel water is poured on the ground. Once when Samuel is judge, after the ark has returned to Jerusalem, he pours water upon the ground as a sign of repentance. A second time David pours the water on the ground when his m...
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Emmetsburg Newspaper Article: The Transcendence of Christianity

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If you’ve ever been to a traditional Christian church service you may have wondered: “What’s with the chanting and strange clothes?” It all seems out of place today; archaic in a very modern world. We live in an age of electronic gadgets with screens everywhere. Our smart watches tell us our heart rate, we order pizza from our phones, and go to work from behind a computer. Even our tractors practically drive themselves these days! Everything is fast, casual, and modern; why not the church?!

God says of His Christians in the Bible: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” Christians aren’t meant to be like the world around them. Christians are to be otherworldly because God is otherworldly, and so Christian churches are like nothing else in this world; they’re transcendent. When you step into the sanctuary, you’re entering a foreign embassy, belonging not to this world but to the Kingdom of God.

The church isn’t lined with changing screens. Here we use unchanging hymnals, like God who doesn’t change. Things here aren’t fast and automatic. We take our time to ruminate upon God’s mercy. We don’t just speak everything, but we slow down and chant because these words are God’s words and worthy of ornamentation. The church isn’t living a perpetual casual Friday. The transcendent divine Creator of the universe is present, now is not the time to be casual. This isn’t an hour of entertainment with a laugh a minute. We’re not here to be entertained, rather God is present to forgive our grievous sins, strengthen our weary souls, and nourish our bodies with the medicine of immortality. 

So yes, the christian church is out of place today, and it always has been. If you’re looking for something fast, casual, and modern, you won’t find that here. But if you’re looking for that which transcends this modern temporal life, if you’re looking for the Divine and the eternal, if you’re looking for something better than this life, then here is where you’ll find it.

In the name of Jesus,

Rev. Koopman

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