SSJE Sermons

“The Spirit teaches us to pray in Jesus’ name, training us to love what Jesus loves and desire what Jesus desires—sometimes to the detriment of our own private desires, ambitions, or assumptions. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray with the hopes that God will refine our desires.” Br. Sean Glenn takes up Jesus' "vexing consolation," which promises, "If in my name you ask for anything, I will do it."

“What strikes me today about Julian, is that in the midst of a world filled with such grief, loss, death, and uncertainty, she could write with so much confidence about the mercy, grace, and love of God. In the midst of her own illness, the Great Famine, the Black Death, and so much political and religious turmoil, she could still write all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” Br. James Koester echoes Lady Julian of Norwich's powerful words, spoken across the centuries, from one time of pandemic to another.

“The winter has been destroyed. Death has been conquered. As the leaves and flowers burst forth, so Jesus burst forth from the tomb. ‘Behold I make all things new!’  There are so many reasons right now in our world why our own hearts might feel frozen or wintry: anxiety, restlessness, uncertainty, loneliness, grief. Yet the Risen Lord is longing to draw near to us, and to draw us ever closer to the fire of his love.” Br. Geoffrey Tristram points our hearts toward Spring.

“Jesus does not desire to enter your heart by means of force, deceit, or for hope of his own gain. Jesus desire is for intimate relationship with his beloved. Jesus is calling your name with the hope of gaining your trust for the invitation to enter.” Br. Jim Woodrum tunes our hearts to hear the Good Shepherd calling us by name.

“The love which John's gospel portrays and Jesus commands, is not a sweet, sentimental, romantic love. It is a love which we know propels and compels Jesus to the cross. It is a love which is self-giving, self-offering, and self-denying.” In these times of isolation and quarantine, Br. James Koester suggests how we follow Jesus in self-denying love, even as our arms ache to embrace those we love.

“Every day we will be reminded that life is too much for us to navigate alone, that we are powerless or at least not powerful enough to navigate the day alone. And God will greet us with a reminder from our past, to give us the clarity of trust we need for now. Or God will greet us with a visitation from the future, the paradoxical gift of faith. It’s all present, it’s all presence to God. Jesus assures us, ‘I am with you always’: past, present, future.” Br. Curtis Almquist turns our eyes to those cousins – faith and trust – for proof of God's presence with us in every time.

Romans 6: 3 – 11Psalm 114Matthew 28: 1 – 10 I’m sure that we all know someone like this. Maybe it’s even yourself. We all know someone who isn’t very good at telling jokes. Sometimes that’s about timing. Maybe their timing is off. Perhaps they don’t have a sense of irony, and take everything…

from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday – 2nd century Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness.  The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.  The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have…

Good Friday Book of Common Prayer – pp. 277-280 Dear People of God: Our heavenly Father sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved; that all who believe in him might be delivered from the power of sin and death, and become heirs…