SSJE Sermons

“ It seems to me that the invitation today is simply to pay attention, as I did to that carrot patch, noticing where things were rotting from too much damp, and not enough air; where things are struggling because the soil was too impacted and hard; where things are flourishing, because the conditions were just right.” Picking up on Jesus' parable of the sower, Br. James Koester encourages us to consider the growing conditions in our hearts.

“Mary was chosen to accompany Jesus in active ministry as an adept disciple. She has herself chose the way of vulnerable, radical availability and self-giving love which Jesus models as being truly human, reflecting the nature of God.” Br. Jonathan Maury celebrates the importance and witness of Mary Magdalene.

“I often feel that trees, rocks, and flowers all make wonderful role models. It’s hard to imagine being adopted into a family with more practice in surrendering to God’s will and resting peaceably in God’s Kingdom.”

“This story isn’t really about agriculture; it’s about theology.  Jesus’ stories aren’t lifted from some journal of farming; they’re told to illustrate truths that are essential to understanding what the kingdom of God is all about.” Br. David Vryhof digs into Jesus' parable about the weeds among the wheat for insight into how we are called to live in community, even with our more nettlesome neighbors.

“To confess Jesus Christ as Lord carries within it the spark of a radical and mysterious reordering of the world deeply at odds with powers of coercion and violence. To confess Jesus Christ as Lord is to reject the lordship of the Emperor and his violent trappings. To confess Jesus Christ as Lord is to seek out God’s scandalous refashioning of the whole creation from the bottom up.” Br. Sean Glenn interprets Paul's teaching on authority and urges us to follow the true Lord of History.

“Our sabbath days are not simply an opportunity to catch up on sleep, they are an opportunity to discover again, how much God loves us, and in that way, by resting, share in God’s divine nature, and participate in God’s divine life.” Br. James Koester invites us to explore, for ourselves and in God, the self-revelation of rest.

“Celibate life can prompt some big, existential questions about the nature of human intimacy with God. When I look at the ring on my finger and imagine a similar ring on the (invisible) hand of Christ, I wonder: What does it mean to be invited to share an intimate relationship – the most intimate relationship – with someone who is so utterly mysterious?” Br. Keith Nelson considers how celibacy can bear fresh witness to the infinite mystery at the heart of God (and the mystery in our own human heart as well).

“Scenes of evangelism may be a challenge for us all right now. We are not presently going, there are no homes into which we might safely venture, no opportunities for face-to-face discussion, study, or prayer. Yet we still hear Jesus’s call, even in the midst of a crisis that would see us shrink back and retreat from the world to which we have been called to bring God’s love. Go.” Br. Sean Glenn explores the invitations and challenges of ministry in the digital, pandemic moment.

“How are you relating to neighbors and strangers? How might you be hording, seeking only your own security? How are you reaching out to share, connect, promote dignity, and seek justice? What is figuratively or literally growing in your garden?” Reflecting on a garden venture at Emery House, Br. Luke Ditewig encourages us to sow righteousness and reap love.

“In this protracted period of pandemic, in the boiling pot of racial tension, in culture wars and divided families…I want to say, Here I am, Lord send me! But I’m beset, my voice just won’t respond. I’m left like a fish out of water gasping for oxygen. Powerless, helpless.” Facing into our current powerlessness, Br. Todd Blackham invite us to enter the province of prayer, rather than action, by praying for God's deliverance.