Sermon - Trinity III, 2026 - Luke 15

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The Return of the Prodigal Son , Pompeo Batoni, 1773 The Joy of God to Save the Sinner In compassion God atones for sinful man Yet God desires children who love Him, not servants, so He gives us freedom to get lost God’s compassion brings back the sinner crushed by sin God, the angels, and the church rejoices over every sinner saved We have no need of jealousy, for the sinner saved only receives what we have already also received by grace When the father saw his prodigal son returning, seeing his pitiable state, he had compassion for his child. Such is the compassion of God to seek and save sinful mankind. “ As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. ” St. Paul writes: “ God our Savior, desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all. ” Indeed, Jesus...
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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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