SSJE Sermons

Those empowered by the Spirit and sent by God are to speak the words of God, tenderly, as a parent does to a child. On the feast of St. Bartholomew, Br. James Koester reflects on Nathanael’s identity as a person “without guile” and on the calling of all Christians to be sent by Jesus.

Her rejoicing is an important model for us: of joy less as an emotion than a response. Preaching on the feast of the Dormition of Saint Mary the Virgin, Br. Lain Wilson considers that Mary’s peaceful passage demonstrates the sacred continuity between our earthly pilgrimage and eternal life, where death is transformed into an awakening to unending joy.

We take Jesus at his word, that he has come to heal us and to set us free: all of us, in every way, in this life and in the life to come.. Br. Curtis Almquist reflects on the meaning of a monthly Requiem as a practice of remembering the dead, praying for their healing and rest, and seeking healing in our own relationships with them.

We may start sinking into the waves, but Jesus calls us to have faith that we will find a hand reaching out to draw us up and a firm foundation beneath our feet. Br. Lain Wilson reflects on the disciples’ exhaustion in the storm and Peter’s attempt to walk on water, suggesting that our deepest weariness can become a place of surrender to God.

None can come to Christ ... and go away as they came. ... Our coming to Christ changes everything. Br. James Koester reflects on the Transfiguration by suggesting that every encounter with God changes us.

The beauty of confession and reconciliation is that they are always inviting us back onto the dance floor. God’s grace knows no bounds. Drawing on the legacy of St. John Vianney, Br.Jack Crowley explores the terrifying grace of being fully known, to stop hiding behind our thoughts, and instead vulnerably expose our hearts to the divine love that seeks intimacy with us.

Five loaves and two fish are not, in fact, nothing. They are very little – but they are something. Br. Keith Nelson reflects on the feeding of the five thousand as an invitation to offer God whatever we have, even when it seems inadequate, that small offerings can become more than enough.

We all will fail. Listen for God, look to Christ crucified, and fail well. Br. Lucas Hall reflects on Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and Christ crucified to argue that failure is unavoidable in human life and faithful action.

As long as we are drawing breath in this world, we can sing praises to God. You don’t need to qualify it and you don’t need a good reason to do it; you can always sing praises. Br. Jack Crowley suggests that prayer is less about a graded performance and more about seizing moments of spontaneous praise as long as we have breath.

Our brightest gifts cast the darkest shadows. When we can recognize them and name them, we can be more perceptive as to their impact on us and the world. Reflecting on Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds, Br. Lain Wilson encourages us to move beyond simple patience and actively "tend our own gardens." By examining our failings and the shadows cast by our own gifts, we can implement spiritual disciplines that nurture health and holiness.

God may seem hidden or insignificant, but that does not mean God is not present or powerful. Br. Luke Ditewig reflects on Jesus’ images of abundance to show God works through our flawed lives and families, drawing everyone to restoration, nourishment, and hope.

We often have to be so wrong about something that it takes God to right us. Sharing a vulnerable story of misjudgment, Br. Jack Crowley reflects on how our narrow perceptions often fail us when we're in the weeds of daily life.

Somehow, somehow, even them. Lord, have mercy. Br. Lucas Hall reflects on Matthew’s vision of Jesus as the one who brings hope to all people, including those whom others may exclude or dismiss. The sermon asks us to recognize our own contempt and to trust that God’s mercy can reach even those we struggle to love.

Tears are a gift. Pray beyond words: weeping, groaning, and clenched. On the day of the monthly requiem, Br. Luke Ditewig invites us to confront our mortality and the reality of loss through the biblical lament of Hezekiah.

Jesus’ yoke is kind to our shoulders and to our heart, enabling us to carry the load more easily. And what is the load? It is the work of love. Br. Curtis Almquist explains that while the work of love is challenging, being yoked to Jesus provides the grace and relief necessary for the soul to find true rest.

Faith is the trust that seeming failure isn’t the end of our story. It not only allows us to stand, but to stand back up when we fall, to face forward with courage and confidence. Drawing on a personal story of a cycling accident, Br. Lain Wilson argues that faith is not a guarantee against injury or failure, but a practical reliance on God that gives us the courage to persist through life's inherent risks.

As we advance in the religious life and in faith, our hearts expand and we run the way of God’s commandments with unspeakable sweetness of love. Celebrating the feast of Saint Benedict, Br. James Koester explores the saint's profound and lasting influence on the Anglican tradition.

Without some degree of compassion in our hearts for other people, all people, we risk becoming the very thing we condemn. By prayerfully contemplating our "enemies" and ourselves through God’s eyes, Br. Curtis Almquist explains that we can tap into the wellspring of divine mercy that transforms our relationships.

What happens when, instead of seeing only failure in the expectations we impose on ourselves, we expect – that is, await with assured hope – the promise of God’s provision? Br. Lain Wilson explores here how the heavy weight of our own and others' expectations can hinder our spiritual lives. He invites us to lay aside these burdens and "wear the boat" of God's grace by trusting in Christ's easy yoke.

Jesus declares forgiveness, dismisses shame, and invites moving with freedom. Reflecting on healing a paralyzed friend, Br. Luke Ditewig's sermon explores the persistent faith of those who carry us to Jesus.

The great irony is we can find ourselves feeling the most alive, present, authentic, honest, and real when death is close at hand. Reflecting on the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul, Br. Jack Crowley explores how we find God in our own experiences of powerlessness and "everyday martyrdom." He reminds us that difficult situations are crucibles where our faith is formed.

If the church is not involved politically – that is, involved in conversation and action around the principled exercise of power on behalf of the people – then the church is simply a bastion of nostalgia. Exploring the fundamental role of the Hebrew prophets, Br. Curtis Almquist argues that the church must remain politically engaged through the principled exercise of power to support those in need and by replacing xenophobia with philoxenia – the love of strangers – modeled by the prophets and Jesus.

God’s invitation for us is to pull up the stakes and make our way to higher ground. Br. Jamie Nelson reflects on Jesus’ image of building on rock and connects it to the ongoing work of discernment in the Christian life.

God comes to us where it doesn't make sense, where we can't imagine what we could do. John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ, yet even he was surprised by how God fulfilled that promise. Br. Luke Ditewig's sermon reflects on the surprising ways God continues to work through unexpected people, circumstances, and grace.

Embracing the purpose for which we have been created is not only the way to abundant life, but also our deepest joy. Br. David Vryhof invites us to live as priests of creation—knowing, loving, and serving God by honoring the world and one another with reverence and care.

A monastery is a place where people with similar flavors of crazy – a craziness for God ‘wiser than human wisdom’ – find they belong to one another because they belong entirely to God. On the Feast of the Visitation, Br. Keith Nelson shares a powerful homily for Br. Jamie Robert Nelson's initial profession, exploring the courage it takes and the profound power of "belonging to God."

Healing can often take a backseat when it feels like catastrophe is driving. Exploring the courage required to "shout out in the dark," Br. Jack Crowley asks how we might orient ourselves toward a posture of healing in a culture often blinded by conflict and catastrophe.

Why not live out our lives cherishing what we believe, meanwhile bequeathing to others respect, dignity, curiosity, and humility? On the feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Br. Curtis Almquist reflects on the first Archbishop of England as a model of humble, curious, reconciling faith and invites us to hold our own convictions with open hands, honoring the vast diversity of God's creation.

Never lose touch with joy. Find it at the core of your being and let it flow. On this Ascension Day, Br. Jack Crowley invites us to hold together the glory of God and the hard realities of life, offering practical anchors for the in-between.

We remember presence, soothing, slowing, one being with us. Brother Luke Ditewig reflects on how Jesus meets frightened disciples not with quick answers, but with peace, tenderness, and promised presence. He invites us to slow down, receive God’s love, and share that same tender presence with others.

God’s courtesy shows that we fail, but that we aren’t our failings; that we sin and do horrible things, but that we are not those things. God’s courtesy assures us that we are loved, loved for all of who we are, which is known fully and completely only by God. While remembering Julian of Norwich, Br. Lain Wilson reminds us that God's goodness allows for us both to see and practice a particular kind of optimism and forgiveness.

Jesus is here talking about peace from the inside out. He’s talking about being at peace in the storm. Jesus offers a deeper peace than calm or comfort – a peace that begins within us and steadies us in the middle of life’s storms. But Br. Curtis Almquist also says that real peace in the world must be joined to justice, and that we're called to help bring both.

The day of quiet, polite, discrete evangelism is over. Our gospel, the gospel of Jesus’ love, needs to be shouted louder than the gospel of vengeance. Using the two-tradition story of St. Stephen's martyrdom, Br. James Koester challenges Christians to move beyond "polite" faith and loudly proclaim a gospel of love and reconciliation in a world increasingly filled with messages of vengeance.

George invites us to pledge our allegiance and loyalty to God and the gospel of hope, peace, and love that Jesus proclaims, and to reject those claims on them made by those promoting despair, war, and hate. Br. Lain Wilson looks to the soldier-saint George as an invitation to wrestle with what may make us feel uncomfortable.

There will be ways we have come to recognize and understand Jesus’ presence and power. The invitation is to open the eyes of our heart to what more Jesus is up to. Jesus is always up to more. Br. Curtis Almquist encourages us to look for all the ways that Jesus is present in our midst, even though he may be seemingly hidden or disguised.