Archive for 2014

The Parable of a Prodigal Public: A Homily in Honor of my Son and the Staff at Parklands Hospital in Durban, South Africa

The following transcript is from a homily given in Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN) on October 13, 2014. As part of the faith and learning series in Daily Sabbath, the text for the day was Luke 15:11-32. The audio recording can be found at 8:45 on the below link:  https://gustavus.edu/podcasts/chapel/2011/2014-10-13%20Daily%20Sabbath%20Chaplain%20Brian%20Konkol.mp3 Let us […]

The Path of Accompaniment: Presence and Presents (A Family Weekend Message)

The following is a transcript from October 12, 2014, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of a Service of Holy Communion for Family Weekend, the following sermon considers Matthew 14:13-21. Let us pray. Help us to live, O God, with the grace of falling leaves, the serenity of old […]

On Being Maladjusted to the Status Quo

The following is a transcript from September 28, 2014, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of a Service of Holy Communion for the Sunday Worshiping Community, the following sermon considers Matthew 4:1-11. When reading the Bible there are certain chapters that certainly capture our attention from the first verse. […]

Why the Body of Christ is Not White

The following transcript is from a homily given in Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of the “From Segregation to Integration through Conversation” faith and learning series in Daily Sabbath, the text for the day was 1 Corinthians 12:14-26. The audio recording can be found at: https://gustavus.edu/podcasts/chapel/2011/2014-09-08%20Daily%20Sabbath%20Chaplain%20Brian%20Konkol.mp3   The color of […]

Thoughts for White People, From a White Person

The following reflection was published by the Star Tribune (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) on September 5, 2014. The online version can be found at http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/274024641.html I am white. Most of the people near my house are white. This is the way it is for most of us white people in the United States, and as we continue […]

Fair Trade in the Household of God

The following is a transcript from Daily Sabbath on May 12, 2014, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). — “The field of the poor may yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice” (Proverbs 13:23). Throughout my first decades of life I heard numerous stories about my ultra-adventurous uncle. Uncle […]

The Sexist Effects of Sexting the Biblical Text

Sexting is commonly known as the act of sending sexually explicit text messages, primarily between mobile phones. The term originated in the Globe and Mail article “Textual gratification: Quill or keypad, it’s all about sex” (May, 2004), and was later added to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary in 2012. While the original Globe and Mail piece […]

Peaceful Words for Angry Birds

About five years ago a Finnish video game designer sketched a flock of over-sized leg-less birds. Among other things, these birds were both round and red, equipped with large and yellow beaks, thick eyebrows, and intense (slightly deranged) expressions on their faces. While the video game designer refused to laud his creation at the onset, […]

A Lenten Commitment to Homeland Insecurity

In response to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush proposed the establishment of an Office of Homeland Security (OHS). In fulfillment of this comprehensive legislative proposition, the Homeland Security Act was signed into law on November 25, 2002, which in turn began the largest U.S. federal government reorganization in […]

Made New. Today. Together.

The following is a transcript from February 10, 2014, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of the “Opening Celebration of the Spring Term”, this message cites Revelation 21:1-7 and considers the consequences of “being made new” during periods of significant change. The rhythm of an academic calendar offers a […]