SSJE Sermons

“Our life’s invitation is to learn to “be silence” so we have space to receive the work and words of God. It is a good thing to cultivate stillness and silence within ourselves.” Br. Curtis Almquist finds hope in a line from the Psalms, reminding us that our emptiness is actually openness to God.

“How might God be calling you today to be courageous in speaking the truth when you recognize injustice, when you see through the lies and deceptions of the powerful, when you perceive their hypocrisy and deceit? How might God be calling you to speak up when you recognize racism, misogyny, xenophobia or other forms of discrimination? Silence empowers the oppressors.  Be bold.  Speak truth.  And never give up.” Br. David Vryhof looks to the witness of John the Baptizer for the courage to speak truth to power, whatever the consequences.

“God meets us in our human condition where we are most in need. The New Testament verb for this is “save”: Jesus “saves” us, and that Greek word has the urgency of being “saved” by a lifeguard when someone would otherwise drown. Jesus saves us.” On the feast of Irenaeus, the great theologian of the Incarnation, Br. Curtis Almquist marvels at how God is united to us in our full – and flawed – humanity.

Luke 9:51-62 “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”[i] This is the line that Jesus gives to a would-be follower. I think this is interesting, because there are three would-be followers in this story today. The next two seem reluctant, and…

“Our redemption is about more than just harnessing a power beyond human strength. It’s about returning to that relationship of self-giving love that is the essence of the triune God. There’s a wideness in God’s mercy that calls people of all sorts to live new lives fit for eternity.” Br. Todd Blackham reminds us that our salvation and our survival are not unconnected.

“Certainly the sacrifice of Alban is worth remembering today.  We recall with awe his unwavering commitment to Christ, a commitment that prompted him to give himself up to torture and death in place of a Christian priest. We stand in awe of the unflinching witness of the martyrs and pray that, if that day should ever come to us, we would be equally steadfast and fearless in the profession of our faith in Jesus Christ.” Br. David Vryhof challenges us to live mindful of our unspoken witness and its power to change the lives around us.

“Choose life. Every single day we are called to make many choices. They are often very small and unnoticed. But slowly and unseen, over the years, these choices SHAPE our journey through life. The choices we make, however small, set us on a path which may or may not lead to life.” Br. Geoffrey Tristram invites us, as we navigate the paths ahead of us, to “choose life,” that our hearts may overflow with the delights of inexpressible love.

Luke 8:26-39  Our Gospel this morning is a crazy story. It has stampeding pigs drowning in a lake, a crazy naked guy, demons negotiating with Jesus, and finally a city full of people asking Jesus to leave. If listening to all this makes you feel all over the place, you are not alone. Things get…

“Lucas, in the offering of your life to God today, as a witness to Jesus who is Light, and Life, and Word of God, you are, in a sense, standing in the baptismal tank at St. Philip’s with Bernard. Like Bernard, you don’t know where you will be led, but with him you are saying, O give me grace to follow.” Br. James Koester and the community celebrate the Profession in Life Vows of Br. Lucas Hall.

“God is always coming to us in “the Sacrament of the Present Moment.” Pay attention to now. God’s presence is always in the present. Now. There will be “thin places” where God breaks through to you, often mysteriously, in here-and-now. Pay attention to now.” Br. Curtis Almquist celebrates the teaching of Evelyn Underhill and, along with her, encourages us to pay attention to the here-and-now.