Entries tagged with ‘Office of the Chaplains’Page 3
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 […]
Epiphany, Poverty, and Foreign Policy
The following is a transcript from January 6, 2014, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of the “Daily Sabbath” January-Term rhythm, this homily examines Matthew 2:1-12 and considers the relationship between theology and development. The work of the late South African theologian Steve de Gruchy (“Wise Men Bearing Gifts”, […]
Being Saved from Time in 2014
In order to orientate a variety of foreigners for residence in North America, L. Robert Kohls and his staff at the United States Information Agency constructed a groundbreaking article, “The Values Americans Live By”. In specifics, Kohls felt that visitors to the US needed to understand “common American values”, as such insights would allow them […]
An Invitation to Reconciliation
The following is a transcript from December 15, 2013, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of an Advent Worship Service of Holy Communion, the following sermon considers Matthew 11:2-11. Over the past week the attention of the world focused on the Republic of South Africa, in order to celebrate […]
Being Human in December
A predominant message of this holiday season seems to be both loud and clear: Our value as human beings is often dictated by our capacity to consume. While the average North American consumes approximately twice as much as fifty years ago, we are significantly less satisfied with the quality of our lives, which is – […]
Born Privileged
The following is a transcript from November 21, 2013, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of the “Daily Sabbath” fall semester rhythm, this homily examines a variety of biblical texts in order to consider the nature and consequences of social privilege. Today is my birthday. I was brought into […]
Liberation from the Desert of the Unreal
The following is a transcript from November 10, 2013, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of a Service of Holy Communion, the following sermon considers John 14:27-28. It was over 14 years ago, on March 31, 1999, when Warner Brothers released a cyberpunk science fiction film that opened the […]
Gustavus Unplugged: To Promote Life Plugged-In
We live in a so-called plugged-in era. With constant access to instant information, “google” is now a verb, thoughts are shared in 140 characters or less, news is old within twenty-four hours, and friends are requested with the click of a button. A world wide web is available at our fingertips, and because of it, […]
Do Christians, Jews, and Muslims Worship the Same God?
The following is a transcript from October 29, 2013, in Christ Chapel of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN). As part of the “Daily Sabbath: Discuss” fall semester rhythm, the following provocation intended to provide various sides of a particular question, and in doing so, sought to spark discussion surrounding faith, learning, and life in […]