SSJE Sermons

“The truly surprising thing is that you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to be surprised by God. You only have to be a pilgrim. And you can be that, right here and right now, by opening yourself up to the power and presence of God.” Br. James Koester invites us to be pilgrims: right here, right now.

“When Jesus finds his voice – at around age 30 – he speaks a great deal about fear, worry, and anxiety: he tells us that we need not be afraid, that we need not worry, that we need not be anxious.  Why is that?  Because of God’s powerful presence and provision; and because of God’s enduring faithfulness.  Jesus learned this.  In facing his own fears, he discovered he was not alone.” Br. David Vryhof encourages us to see our fear not as an obstacle to God, but as an invitation from God, who promises to be with us.

“The world needs monks, because monks are liminal people who stand on the threshold of two worlds, guiding women and men of faith, and pointing to the stranger on the shore, saying, it is the Lord. Jack, today you take your place on that threshold, as friend and guide to others, who is not afraid of the dark, and who has the clarity of vision to see and recognize the Lord as he emerges, clothed in shadows, on the shore.” Br. James Koester welcomes Jack Crowley as a professed member of the community, and as a guide who stands on the threshold between two worlds.

“A farmer works every day through all the changing weather and seasons, with each turn of the spade having the ultimate harvest in mind. So too, the merchant who travels and the soldier who fights. There is always the end goal in mind. And for the monk? The end goal is purity of heart, the conversion to Christ.” Br. Curtis Almquist draws inspiration from John Cassian, whose teachings on the goals and ends of monastic life remain relevant today, in a monastery and beyond.

“We often shoot off panicked prayers, frenzied, striving and scared. How can we be still? Stop. For a minute or for a few. Stop what you’re doing. Stop the noise. Disconnect from devices. Take deep breaths. Go outside to breathe fresh air. Shake out the panic, or walk or run. Gently sway, rocking, calming yourself. Gaze at something beautiful: light and shadow, tree, bird, or you own hand. Pray your desire: 'Let me be still, and know that you are God.'” Br. Luke Ditewig reminds us that we were created for stillness.

“As we gathered around our mother and described our day, the fun bits, the sad bits, our hopes, our fears, our anger, our confusion, we were learning, and growing in understanding and maturity. The same thing was happening when those disciples gathered around Jesus to talk about their days on mission. They described their experiences and feelings, their hopes and fears, and as they spoke, Jesus was gently guiding and encouraging them, feeding their souls, restoring their spirits.” Br. Geoffrey Tristram invites us to look back and chat about our day with God as openly as the disciples did with Jesus.

“If asked the question, “How would you describe God’s character?” how would you respond? Of course, none of us can really answer that question in its fullness. Even with a careful apophasis—that is, an approach to speaking of God in terms of what God is not—we nonetheless remain confronted with the reality that our language about God can only ever attempt to point toward God’s character.” Rising above language's limitations, Br. Sean Glenn points to the heart of who God actually is.

“The picture which Jesus paints of the sabbath is not a day constrained by rules and regulations, such as my mother experienced, but a day of healing, wholeness, and liberation, a day of mercy, love, and delight, in which we discover again the very nature and being of this God, who is a God of rest.” Br. James Koester invites us to experience the joys of the Sabbath.

“How many times have I heard this passage from the gospel, sighed and thought, you’re right, Jesus.  I just need a nap.  I just need to recharge my batteries and I’ll be set.  But that recharge inevitably diminishes and I’m back to weary.  What’s really needed is a power adaptor, a way to plug into the source of power directly.” Br. Todd Blackham invites us to breathe the very breath of God and rest in the wholeness of God's being.

“Perhaps you’ve had one of those moments.  A dramatic conversion, a seismic shift that changed you, realigned your perception, set you on a path you might not have chosen before.  Maybe you discovered something about yourself that gave you new freedom to live with generosity and gratitude in the world. Or maybe it’s been more subtle, little turning points along the way, small degrees of change that over time mark a major change of trajectory.  Stepping stones of choices gradually opening new ways of love and embrace.” Ponderng the ways the Spirit moves within us and among us, Br. Todd Blackham invites us to seize this moment of re-creation, asking: How free do you want to be?