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SSJE SermonsOur Eternal Worth – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist SSJE
Matthew 10:24-33
What is going on with Jesus’ curious, rhetorical question, “Are you not of more value than many sparrows…?” Hmmm. Sparrows? It would have been one thing if Jesus had said, “You are of more value than gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”[i] But no, he says, “You are of more value than sparrows.”
In Jesus’ day, a provision was made for the poor in the sacrificial offerings they made at the Temple in Jerusalem. If one could not afford to sacrifice a lamb, then an offering of sparrows was an acceptable...2025-07-1204 min
SSJEOur Eternal Worth – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist SSJE
Matthew 10:24-33
What is going on with Jesus’ curious, rhetorical question, “Are you not of more value than many sparrows…?” Hmmm. Sparrows? It would have been one thing if Jesus had said, “You are of more value than gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”[i] But no, he says, “You are of more value than sparrows.”
In Jesus’ day, a provision was made for the poor in the sacrificial offerings they made at the Temple in Jerusalem. If one could not afford to sacrifice a lamb, then an offering of sparrows was an acceptable...2025-07-1204 minSSJE SermonsThe Communal Vision of St. Benedict – Br. Lucas HallBr. Lucas Hall SSJE
Benedict of Nursia
Today is the feast of St. Benedict. He is one of the most influential people in Western history, certainly in the Church. Benedict, having learned from teachers in the Greek-speaking East, was one of a few sources in the West bringing forth the tradition of communal monasticism. He wasn’t the first, but he quickly became the most popular, setting the stage for a solid millennium of Benedictine monasticism being the primary form of Christian intentional community.
There is much to explore about Benedict, but I be...2025-07-1107 minSSJEThe Communal Vision of St. Benedict – Br. Lucas HallBr. Lucas Hall SSJE
Benedict of Nursia
Today is the feast of St. Benedict. He is one of the most influential people in Western history, certainly in the Church. Benedict, having learned from teachers in the Greek-speaking East, was one of a few sources in the West bringing forth the tradition of communal monasticism. He wasn’t the first, but he quickly became the most popular, setting the stage for a solid millennium of Benedictine monasticism being the primary form of Christian intentional community.
There is much to explore about Benedict, but I be...2025-07-1107 minFaith – SSJESeeing New Life – Br. Jamie NelsonBr. Jamie Nelson, SSJE
Matthew 9:27-31
Can you imagine what Jesus’s Curriculum Vitae might look like?
What speaking engagements, teaching series, events, & mission statement might be included on his CV?
Let’s imagine what it might look like based on today’s gospel passage, and rest of the stories in the ninth chapter of Matthew’s gospel. In Chapter Nine, Jesus’s mission statement is clear: to heal the sick, offer forgiveness to sinners, and bring Good News of the Kingdom of God to God’s people.
So, what’s liste...2024-12-0603 minRelationships – SSJEShamelessly Free – Br. Lain WilsonMalachi 3:13-4:2a
Luke 11:5-13
If you’ve been around children for more than about five minutes, I’m sure you’ve gotten frustrated. They interrupt and question when you just want to have a nice conversation. They run ahead, or behind, or zigzag, or sit down when you just want to have a nice walk. Think about that behavior. Now imagine yourself doing it. Does it make you uncomfortable? Do you think about what other people may think about your doing or asking? Name that uncomfortable emotion. Is it embarrassment or, perhaps, shame?
The wo...2023-10-1205 minCall – SSJEListen Neighbor – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
Jonah 3:1-10
Luke 10:38-42
Jesus visits his dear friends Martha and Mary in their home. Martha is upset that Mary sits listening rather than helping her with the work as host. Some hear this as about work versus prayer or balancing action and contemplation.
This story come just after the lawyer who tries to test Jesus by asking “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” and “wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus ‘Then who is my neighbor?’”[i] Paul Borgman says the lawyer and Martha are both anxious and...2023-10-1008 minRedemption – SSJEFalling and Rising – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram
Philippians 3: 4b-14
A visitor to a monastery went up to the abbot, and asked him, ‘What do you monks do all day? The abbot replied, ‘We fall down and we get up again. We fall down and we get up again.’ I think that is a pretty good description not just of the monastic life, but of the Christian life itself. It describes I think each one of us who try to follow Jesus Christ. As we try to live this life, we inevitably fall, mess up, we make mistakes, we sin, we fall...2023-10-0815 minLove – SSJERejoice in Understanding – Br. Lain WilsonNehemiah 8:1-12
I have been overjoyed this week to see Br. David, with sign language, showing us the importance of interpretation. At one time or another, we all need an interpreter. We need a translation to understand a text. We need an explanation to understand a law. Or we need an encounter to make real a truth that we may know but do not yet feel.
This is true of the Israelites, as we hear in our passage from Nehemiah this morning. They are gathered to hear the priest Ezra read from the law. At...2023-10-0504 minBeing Christian – SSJEThe Gift and Promise of Hope – Br. James KoesterZechariah 8:20-23
Luke 9:51-51
For a single chapter, it’s pretty hard to beat the ninth chapter of Luke’s gospel for action. There is a ton of stuff going on. What we have in tonight’s reading is just a tiny fraction of the action. If it weren’t for the fact that this rather curious, and I must admit slightly disturbing account of people’s refusal to attend to Jesus’ message, and the threatened consequence, was the assigned gospel text for today, I’d be tempted to gloss over it.
In the verses just be...2023-10-0314 minChurch Year – SSJEA Feast of Strength – Br. James KoesterSt. Michael and All Angels
Revelation 12:7-12
I don’t know when it began, perhaps the first time someone put an angel on the top of a Christmas tree. Delicate, covered in lace and flounce, sometimes with a magic wand, they may be beautiful, but they have little in common with the angels of scripture, or the iconographic tradition through the ages. These angels as ornaments are likely to shatter with one tap, or smash into tiny pieces unless handled with care and caution. Not so the angels we hear of today. Armed for battle with sw...2023-09-2904 minCall – SSJEHerod’s Perplexity – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof
Luke 9:7-9
In today’s very brief gospel lesson, we get a glimpse into the heart of Herod Antipas, the Roman Jew who was the ruler of Galilee and Perea during Jesus’ lifetime. This short text from Luke’s gospel reveals that he is both frightened of Jesus and fascinated by him. It calls to mind Herod’s relationship to Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist. We read in Mark 6:20 that Herod “feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexe...2023-09-2805 minTheology – SSJELiving in Wonder; Living in Love – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
Thomas Traherne (1637-1674)
Job 12:7-13
John 3:1-8
Thomas Traherne, whom we commemorate today, was a mystic, a childlike mystic. If his own lifetime had overlapped with J. R. R. Tolkien, or C. S. Lewis, or George MacDonald, I think they would have been very good friends. However Traherne lived more than two centuries earlier than these other three, Traherne born in 1637. He was the son of a shoemaker, and he went on to earn three degrees at Oxford. His university days during the 1650s were the best of times...2023-09-2612 minThe Human Condition – SSJELife Isn’t Fair – Br. Lain WilsonSeason of Creation
Matthew 20:1-16
Jonah 3:10-4:11
Philippians 1:21-30
Today, as we enter this fourth Sunday in the Season of Creation, we stand at the edge of a vineyard in the early evening light. We stand at the edge of a vineyard, staring in frustration and anger at the small silver coin we hold in our hands.
Life isn’t fair.
Can you imagine yourself as one of the laborers who have arrived early, preparing to work all day, looking ahead to receiving your pay for a job well do...2023-09-2412 minLove – SSJEAnd God Waits – Br. James KoesterRomans 8: 28-30
Today is a perfect day for me! I love this feast for all sorts of different reasons.
I love it because it is slightly quirky. Nowhere in scripture is anything at all mentioned about the birth of Mary. All we can really say, unless we believe that Jesus arrived on earth via space ship, is that it happened.
I love it, because who could not love something whose source is a second century document entitled the Protoevangelium of James.[1] While the feast itself may not date to the second century, the...2023-09-0806 minFaith – SSJEUnshakable Faith – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof
Psalm 27:1-6
Most preachers, when they reflect on their preaching, will find that they have a few themes that they come back to again and again. For me, one of those themes is the question of what it means to believe. I return to this theme repeatedly because I want to challenge the popular understanding that believing means holding a certain set of statements or claims to be true – statements, for example, about God or Jesus or the Bible or salvation. When we speak of believing in this way, Christianity becomes a matte...2023-09-0508 minVirtues – SSJEShout for Joy – Br. Lain WilsonJohn 12:24-26
Daniel 3:19-27
Psalm 126
“Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy” (Ps 126:2).
“Joy.” The psalmist repeats this word three times in this great poem of restoration. God’s people shout for joy, sing songs of joy, return from the fields in joy. God restores the fortunes of Zion—and their sadness is transformed into joy. Joy is their response, their witness to God’s working in the world.
In the calendar of the Church we remember today the third-century martyr Laurence of Rome. As archdeacon...2023-08-1004 minBeing Christian – SSJEMake Your Gifts Your Prayer – Br. Lain WilsonLeviticus 23:1-11, 26-38
Matthew 13:54-58
A juggler enters a monastery. He soon discovers that, unlike the other monks, he’s not good at typical monkish things: he can’t cook, he can’t sing, he has terrible handwriting. The only thing he can do is juggle, and what use is that? In despair, he goes one night to a statue of the Virgin Mary . . . and juggles—offering to her, as his prayer, the only thing he has.
The medieval French tale of the “Juggler of Our Lady” imparts a familiar lesson: God gives us gifts that Go...2023-08-0403 minSpiritual Practice – SSJEStill Savior – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
Exodus 14:21-15:1
Tonight, we remember a key part of our story, the rescue at the Red Sea. We retell the story as part of God’s people, descendants of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah and Rachel, and their twelve sons and daughter.
Sold as a slave, Joseph, saved the whole family from famine by bringing them to Egypt. Later expanding in number, they were made slaves and remained so for 400 years in Egypt, that mighty empire, whose wonders we are still discovering and marveling. Freedom from Eg...2023-08-0210 minBeing Christian – SSJEPromises, Promises – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof
Exodus 24:3-8
I’m impressed this morning by the whole-hearted response of the Israelites to the Law that God gave them through Moses:
“Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice: ‘All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.’“ (v. 3)
And just a few verses later:
“Then [Moses] took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, ‘All that the Lord...2023-07-2906 minScripture – SSJEJesus’ Parables of Life – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
We read, “Jesus put before them another parable…” Yet another parable… I can imagine some people in Jesus’ crowds holding their heads and saying under their breath, “Oh dear, another parable…” We know from the Gospel record that Jesus’ reception was mixed: some people followed him, some turned away, some turned him in. I wonder if some of Jesus’ mixed reception was because of his steady stream of parables. Parables are not straight talk. Parables take a lot of work because they must be interpreted by the hearer. In the Gospel according...2023-07-2315 minCall – SSJEChosen to Share – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
St. Mary Magdalene
John 20:11-18
“I have seen the Lord.” Today we celebrate Mary Magdalene. After his resurrection, Jesus first appeared to Mary. Jesus first sent Mary to share the good news.
We know little of her story, but Jesus chose Mary. Jesus cast out from her seven demons. She experienced release and freedom, love and compassion. Mary traveled with and followed Jesus, witnessing his ministry. Receiving much, she kept coming, as she did even to the tomb.
Weeping, Mary did not recognize nor fear angels as m...2023-07-2207 minTheology – SSJELife and the Living God – Br. Lucas HallBr. Lucas Hall
Isaiah 55:10-13
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
As many of you know, when a man comes to join the monastery, he passes through a number of stages before finally taking vows for life. Before each of these transitions, he’s given some time of retreat, alone in prayer, to really listen for the call of God, to discern, to confirm his response the question and the choice he has before him.
It was a little more than a year ago when I was on one of these retreats, lo...2023-07-1609 minCall – SSJEFearing a Risky Call – Br. Lain WilsonGenesis 46:1-7, 28-30
Matthew 10:16-23
Almost exactly two years ago, a long period of uncertainty ended in clarity. Clarity that God was calling me here, to this community. And while that clarity was a relief, what I didn’t expect was that that would be the easy part. Leaving my job, packing up my apartment, saying goodbye to my friends—all these practicalities showed that responding to God’s call was definitive, transformative, and risky.
Our Gospel lesson today sits in the middle of what’s called the “Missionary Discourse.” Jesus’s disciples have answered his c...2023-07-1404 minScripture – SSJEFish for People – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
Matthew 10:7-15
After years fishing with our father Zebedee, I was shocked and amazed to be following a rabbi. My brother and I know how to be on boats, to weave nets, and listen to the sea. Instead, we went from village to village witnessing Jesus teach and heal, living in community, and helping with crowd control. We were up close traveling, eating, and talking with Jesus. We witnessed miracles. Scripture came alive. We changed by being with Jesus, and we saw each other change in our group. We received the good n...2023-07-1306 minRedemption – SSJEBeing Saved by the Good Shepherd – Br. Jonathan MauryBr. Jonathan Maury
Acts 2:42-47
Psalm 23
1 Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10
‘Are you saved? Have you been saved?’—the usual opening lines of the would-be Christian evangelist’s speech when accosting a supposed unbeliever. Sincerely held convictions and good intention usually lie behind these expressions of concern for our ‘spiritual’ well-being. But a ‘one-step’ profession of accepting Jesus as your Savior leading immediately to the state of ‘salvation’ is simplistic and can be dangerously ego-centered. Personally ‘achieving salvation’ is not a check-list item for being ‘admitted to heaven’ when we die.
Listen for a moment to words...2023-04-3012 minThe Human Condition – SSJEWhat’s next? – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
John 3:1-15
What’s next? Much anxiety stems from what we don’t know. Fearing uncertainty, we often grasp what we know and have. Nicodemus, a religious leader, came to Jesus sounding confident. “We know who you are.” We know what is possible and impossible. By what you’re doing, “you must be a teacher from God.” Jesus replied, “No one can see the kingdom without being born from above.” How is that possible? Nicodemus asked. “Can one enter the womb again?” Jesus said, “One must be born of water and spirit.” How is that possible? Nico...2023-04-1808 minChurch Year – SSJEA Radical Act – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Some years ago I had the privilege of taking a course with Dr. Stanley Hauerwas, a prominent theologian who was then on the faculty of the Divinity School at Duke University. Dr. Hauerwas, the son of a bricklayer, was a straight-shooting, no-nonsense kind of guy who believed that living as true disciples of Jesus in the world would necessarily put us in conflict with the culture which surrounds us. That was a radical statement to make, but what was even more shocking and unexpected was his insistence that participating i...2023-04-0711 minChurch Year – SSJETake this ride with Jesus – Br. Todd BlackhamBr. Todd Blackham
We have travelled so far with Jesus today. It already feels like it’s been a week since we waved our own palms. Everything all turns so quickly that it’s hard to remember the joy, and excitement, and hope of that Palm Sunday. It reminds me of when I got my driver’s license and three days later I put my car in a ditch. I had planned so I could get it as soon as possible. Applied for my learner’s permit the very day I turned 15 and a half. Made the appointment fo...2023-04-0209 minRedemption – SSJEBlind See – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
John 9:1-41
One of my friends sees as I don’t. He walks into a room and immediately senses things in others and in me to which I’m oblivious. Sometimes he says: “Don’t you see?” and I reply: “No, you’ve got to tell me. I can’t see.” That’s hard to say, to realize being in the dark while another can clearly see, to discover and experience limitation in the light of another’s ability.
In today’s gospel story, Jesus walks along and sees a person who is blind and...2023-03-1910 minScripture – SSJELiving Water – Br. James KoesterJohn 4:5-42
Religious art is fascinating, not simply because of what it depicts, but how the artist portrays the subject matter. Art, in whatever form, is about interpretation, and the arts acts as the interpreter, using a particular medium or form to do so, with each interpretation radically different than the next. It is fascinating to see how different artists interpret and portray the same subject.
One such piece of art that fascinates me, and I’ve seen it several times, is a small porcelain figurine that depicts this encounter between Jesus, and the Samaritan wo...2023-03-1214 minLove – SSJEGod’s Conditional Love; Why It All Matters – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
John 3:1-17
When I was a teenager I heard a chaplain say that God’s love for us is “unconditional.” On the surface, this sounded fabulous to me because I was a very mixed bag. Actually, I was a mess. And the thought that God actually loves me – me! – unconditionally was something I desperately (though very secretly) needed to know. By that point I was in high school, and it so happens I had trained to be a lifeguard. In actuality, it was like I who was drowning in my own stuff. I needed t...2023-03-0514 minPrayer – SSJEThe Divine Rule of Prayer – Br. James KoesterMatthew 6:7-15
One of Father Benson’s less well-known books is a small volume entitled The Divine Rule of Prayer or Considerations upon the Lord’s Prayer. It was published in 1866, the same year he, Father Grafton, and Father O’Neill made their professions as the first members of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist.
What is fascinating, in part, about this book, is that in two short chapters, both about 2500 words long, he lays before the reader his understanding of the nature and purpose of prayer. He does this by constantly rooting himself in Lor...2023-02-2811 minBeing Christian – SSJEMending a Broken World – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram
Genesis 2:3:1-7
Matthew 4:1-11
Today is the first Sunday in the holy season of Lent. ‘I hate Lent!’ So said Jonathan Swift. ‘I hate Lent, with its different diets and herb porridge, and sour devout faces of people who only put on religion for seven weeks.’ I actually like Lent. Many of my brothers would I think say the same. It’s a time to get serious. Not just giving up chocolate. The Jesuit James Martin wrote, ‘Don’t give up chocolate; give up being a jerk! It’s time to get serious about...2023-02-2615 minSpiritual Practice – SSJEStay near to Jesus – Br. Todd BlackhamBr. Todd Blackham
Exodus 24:12-18
2 Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9
Psalm 2 or Psalm 99
When’s the last time you were good and truly dazzled? Was it a big budget movie in a state-of-the-art theater, or the big game on an ultra-high def TV? Was it the majestic beauty of a sunrise or the sparkle in a beloved’s eyes? You know the feeling of delighted awe. But, we live in a culture that chases the next dazzling thing so fast that it’s hard to keep pace. We become bored so quickly that it takes inc...2023-02-1911 minPrayer – SSJEWhat Are You Looking For? – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
John 1:29-42
We could infer from this Gospel account that John and Jesus had met for the very first time the day before, when John baptized Jesus. John had said, “I myself did not know him.” Not so. They did know one another. They were cousins. They would have known each other since their births, their impossible-to-believe births, which had been predicted by angels. Angels, no less! Jesus, born to an unmarried mother who insisted she had not had a sexual union; John born to a mother who was old enough to be h...2023-01-1514 minBeing Christian – SSJEHome for Christmas – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof
I John 3:1-6
John 1:29-34
“Did you go home for Christmas?” That’s a question you’re likely to hear these days. “Were you at home for the holidays?” “Did the kids come home for Christmas?” It’s a common theme at this time of year. We naturally associate the holiday season with “coming home.” Retailers pick up on the theme, offering us images of families gathered before the fireplace or around the Christmas tree. “I’ll be home for Christmas” plays over the loudspeaker in the grocery store. The idea of being “home” for the holidays app...2023-01-0309 minChurch Year – SSJENamedropping Jesus – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
The Holy Name of Jesus
Psalm 8
Luke 2:15-21
The federal government tracks a lot of information, including “The Top 10 Baby Names” for any given year.[i]For baby girls, currently the most popular name is Olivia, followed by Emma, then Charlotte, Amelia, Ava, Sophia… and on it goes. For baby boys, currently the most popular name is Liam, followed by Noah, then Oliver, Elijah, James, William… and on it goes.
The naming of a baby is no accident, don’t you know? The child’s given name or names may...2023-01-0110 minRedemption – SSJEUntil the Last Lamb is Free – Br. Keith Nelson
Isaiah 40:1-11
Matthew 18:12-14
If you’ve ever gone astray –
If by choice or by chance, you have found yourself separated – from God; from belonging; from the integrity, the dignity, or the honesty that once anchored you;
If you have found yourself in a place bereft of the guidance, the reassurance, or the forgiveness you so desperately needed;
Or from the touch or the glance or the words that would weave you once again into the fabric of connection, relationship, and love…
If yes, the question Jesus po...2022-12-0609 minCall – SSJEHome at Journey’s End – Br. Todd BlackhamBr. Todd Blackham
Isaiah 2:1-5
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44
Psalm 122
“Now is the moment to wake from sleep… the night is far gone, the day is near.” I don’t know about you some days it’s easier to wake up than others. Sometimes, when the alarm clock goes off I think, surely it can’t be that time already? But there are other days when the anticipation of a new day makes it hard to get to sleep at all. Eyes pop open even before it’s time and you’re filled with energy a...2022-11-2711 minRelationships – SSJESeeing and Being Seen – Br. David VryhofLuke 19:1-10
When I was a child, I learned a song about Zaccheus. I won’t sing it for you, but the words went like this:
Zaccheus was a wee little man; a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see…
The fascination of the story for children, of course, is that this small but important man clamored up a tree to get a better look at the popular preacher who had come to town. He was curious and determined, and he didn’t let his small...2022-11-1508 minRedemption – SSJETake courage … I am with you … do not fear – Br. James KoesterBr. James Koester,Superior
Haggai 1: 15b-2:9
I want to begin by saying how glad I am to be back among you, and to express my gratitude to the Brothers for the opportunity to be on sabbatical for the last 10 weeks, and especially to Brother Keith who covered for me. I also want to say thank you, to all of you who have held me in your prayers these last weeks, as I did you in mine.
My time away was extraordinary. I was able to see members of my family, some of...2022-11-0613 minTheology – SSJELove divine, wild and free – Br. Sean GlennBr. Sean Glenn
Isaiah 1:10-18
Luke 19:1-10
This should come as a surprise to no one, but I really like liturgy. In fact, the Anglican tradition’s rich, sensual liturgical life is what beckoned me into the peculiar and frequently bewildering relationship that eventually brought me here to SSJE. That is, the peculiar and bewildering relationship with Jesus Christ.
And so it should also not surprise anyone that this morning’s reading from Isaiah has from time to time arrested me—particularly as I have almost always encountered it within the context of Chr...2022-10-3012 minCowley Magazine – SSJEIdentity & Belonging in the Great Sacraments“If I want to be a follower of Jesus, do I have to identify as a Christian?” I was asked this question recently by a friend of mine (a member of the Millennial generation) who’s been exploring the teachings of Jesus. The question startled me. It startled me because it caused me to consider two concepts that are closely related to belief and the ways God engages with humanity: identity and belonging. It never occurred to me that someone on the verge of faith might have reservations about identifying with or belonging to the large, diverse popula...2022-10-2130 minCowley Magazine – SSJEBelonging: Living in God’s ContentmentWhen a new man joins our community, the first few months can be quite bewildering for him. There are so many new things to learn, and so many new Brothers to get to know. “Where do you keep the spoons?” “What do you do on the Sabbath?” But after a while there comes this happy moment when instead of saying “you” he says “we”! He no longer feels like an outsider looking in, but has begun to put down roots and begins to feel at last that he belongs. And with belonging comes a deep contentment.
In order to thr...2022-10-2117 minCowley Magazine – SSJEAn Open Letter to Those Who are Spiritual-Not-ReligiousChristianity is so much more than you think
In my mid-twenties, I considered myself a lapsed Roman Catholic who was spiritual, yet not religious. I loved Jesus Christ – I mean, a cross hung above my bed – but if you were to call me a Christian, I would cringe in disgust. If you are either a lapsed Christian, or someone who identifies as spiritual-not-religious, you may know exactly what I mean.
Yet after a long and tumultuous ten-year journey, I now proudly call myself a Christian. The name of “Christian,” however, has a pro...2022-10-2007 minCowley Magazine – SSJECommunities of TransformationWhen I was invited to come to the Monastery to test my vocation as a postulant, I received a packing list. It was sparse. In part, there is simply a limitation on space. I used to have a one-bedroom apartment with all the furnishings of home. Moving into a new home, which I would be sharing with a dozen others, meant that there were some things I didn’t need, some things that just didn’t fit, and some things that I would learn to live without. These were all outer manifestations of inward dispositions as well. To e...2022-10-2015 minThe Human Condition – SSJEEncountering Satan, Demons, and Unclean Spirits – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
Luke 11:14-26
The drama of this Gospel story hinges on Jesus’ encounter with Satan, demons, and unclean spirits. In our own time and place, these “evil spiritual realities” are largely relegated to Hollywood and to children’s fantasy literature such as the Narnia Chronicles, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. We are products of the Enlightenment, so-called, a culture not schooled in the discernment of good and evil. And yet, you can hardly turn a page of the Bible without encountering the battleground of spiritual forces. Saint Paul writes, “For our struggle i...2022-10-0720 minCall – SSJEThe One Thing Necessary – Br. Keith NelsonLuke 10:38-42
In the world of spiritual care, there is an oft-quoted adage. It seems especially common in the world of hospital chaplaincy:
“Don’t just do something. Stand there.”
I first heard it from the novelist John Green, whose experience as a hospital chaplain shaped his authorial approach to empathy. During my own months as a chaplain intern last Fall, this deceptively simple reminder kept me centered in the demands of my role. While I in fact did, and said, and asked many things, it was ultimately just standing or sitting there in lov...2022-10-0409 minSpiritual Practice – SSJESaint Francis of Assisi and God’s Share of Creation – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
Saint Francis of Assisi
Job 39:1–18
Galatians 6:14-18
There are so many endearing stories told about Saint Francis of Assisi. One legend remembers Francis speaking to the birds:
“My bird sisters,” he says, “you are much beloved by God your Master, and always, in every place, you ought to praise [God], because [God] has given you liberty to fly everywhere; and [God] has given you also clothing double and triple. You are loved also by the air which [God] has given to you; and moreover, you neither sow nor reap...2022-10-0220 minCall – SSJEGodliness and Contentment: An Alternative to Human Greed – Br. David VryhofAmos 6:1a,14-16
I Timothy 6:16-19
Luke 16:19-31
Money is not the problem. Money is neutral in itself; it’s simply a means to facilitate commerce and trade in our daily lives. Having money is also not the problem: there are many examples, particularly in the Hebrew Scriptures, of people who considered their wealth a gift from God, and used their wealth to help and benefit others. It’s not money itself, but the love of money that poses a dangerous threat.
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul is criticizing a gro2022-09-2516 minSpiritual Practice – SSJELive simply, that others may simply live – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram
Amos 8: 4-7
Luke 16: 13
Today is the third week in this Season of Creation. During this week two pieces of Scripture have ‘grabbed’ me. They are by two very different prophets, and I’ve been praying with both passages. The first is our reading today from the prophet Amos. It’s harsh and fiery. He pronounces God’s judgment on the wealthy who, full of greed, oppress the poor, and who see the fruits of the earth simply as sources of illegal profit. “We will offer wheat for sale and practice deceit, with false b...2022-09-1816 minChurch Year – SSJEPray for All Creation – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Luke 14:25-33
As we begin this Season of Creation[i], we join the Church worldwide to pray and act in caring for all of creation. The 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church recognized climate change as “an all-encompassing social crisis and moral emergency that impacts and interconnects every aspect of pastoral concern including health, poverty, employment, racism, social justice, and family life and that can only be addressed by a Great Work involving every sector of society, including the Church.”[ii]
The earth is groaning, heating, burn...2022-09-0415 minSpiritual Practice – SSJEHelp and Hope in Unwelcomed Silence – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
Psalm 62:5
The psalm appointed for today, Psalm 62, includes the phrase: “For God alone my soul in silence waits”; however another translation of this text is: “Before God, I am silence.” Not, “I am silent”; but rather, “Before God, I am silence.” And therefore, when God speaks, I am silence: I am an empty, open vessel to receive. 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.
But for many people...2022-08-3105 minSpiritual Practice – SSJEEvelyn Underhill, and the God Who Comes to Us, Secretly – Br. Curtis AlmquistCommemoration of Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), Mystic and Writer
Br. Curtis Almquist
Matthew 6:5-8
In the calendar of the church we remember today an English woman, Evelyn Underhill, born in 1875. She had a vast influence on the spiritual formation of her own generation, and to generations since. In her prolific writing, speaking, and retreat leading she was revered as faithful, as insightful and passionate, as wise and practical, and all of it laced with her disarming humor.[i]
She taught how the “mystical life” is not just for the saints, but for all...2022-06-1505 minChurch Year – SSJEGod’s gift of fuel for our spirits – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram
Acts 2:1-21
My brother Michael used to live in Manchester in northern England. I went to stay with him one August during a heat wave. His apartment was hot and claustrophobic, and the city felt suffocating. So, one day we just took off. We got on the little pay train which wound its way slowly, out of the city and up, up into the glorious Peak District. The train stopped at a tiny station surrounded by magnificent hills. We got out and we climbed and climbed for several hours till we reached t...2022-06-0515 minBeing Christian – SSJESomething Better and More Lasting – Br. James KoesterHebrews 10:32–39
It was Lent 1977, and Anglicans around the world were asked to flood the Ugandan postal service with Easter cards. A few weeks earlier, the Archbishop of Kampala, Janani Luwum[1] had disappeared. The government reported he had been killed in a car accident while resisting arrest. Weeks later his bullet riddled body was found dumped by the side of the road. He had been murdered, not simply on the orders of Idi Amin, the Ugandan dictator, but probably by Amin himself. I took several addresses, and months later I received cards in return, expressing gratitude that the ev...2022-06-0305 minRelationships – SSJEWelcome Visit – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 1:39-57
“Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved.” I love that line from Psalm 80. God, turn your face toward us. Look at us. See us. See me. A small yet significant request, to be seen. When we are seen in love, when another’s face lights up at seeing ours, we feel love.
Mary set out and went quickly to visit Elizabeth, a normal visit turned extrao...2022-05-3114 minTheology – SSJEGod’s Grandeur – Br. James KoesterJohn 17:20–26
It is easy to get lost these days, and in many ways all of us are lost. We are lost in fear, worry, concern, and anxiety. We are lost in sorry, sadness, and anger. We are afraid of the future and worried about the present. We are concerned about those we love, and anxious about ourselves.
All of these are normal and natural feelings, and I do not for a minute want to suggest that there is something wrong with you because you feel one or other, or all, or more of these things. Fi...2022-05-2914 minSpiritual Practice – SSJENo Treasure But Him – Br. Sean GlennBr. Sean Glenn
Rogation Day
1 Corinthians 3:10—14
Matthew 6:19—24
The Church Pension Fund publishes an infamous yearly calendar, notable for its lighthearted, if not “punny,” cartoons centered on scenes one might encounter in the church. If you hang around Episcopal circles long enough, you’ll come across it, I promise you.
One cartoon appears year after year (as far as I can tell) and it always grabs my attention. Its content is a simple scene. The rector of a church of shown addressing, very matter-of-factly, three young acolytes in the following way: “In observanc...2022-05-2412 minLove – SSJEWhat is Love? – Br. Jim WoodrumBr. Jim Woodrum
John 13:31-35
If you are like me, the word love initially conjures a notion of sentimentality—of being enraptured with feelings of affection, attraction, and wistful longing particularly for another person. For instance, a couple entering into a romantic relationship might be said to be “falling in love,” and might say to one another, “I love you.” You might be familiar with the Song of Solomon in scripture which poetically expresses the inebriation associated with such love. Listen to these beautiful words: As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my be...2022-05-1512 minRedemption – SSJEThe Resurrection Gives Hope – Br. James KoesterLuke 24: 1 – 12
Growing up as I did, not far from the geographic centre of North America,[1] I was completely unfamiliar with tides. I was unfamiliar with them that is, until I went swimming one day in the Pacific Ocean. I had taken off my sandals, shirt, hat, glasses, and put them carefully under my towel, to be retrieved when I came out of the water. Eventually I did, and returned to reclaim my things. Except they weren’t there. I looked up and down the shore, thinking I had gotten out in a different place, or that someone had...2022-04-2015 minRedemption – SSJEThe Hope of the Resurrection – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
Luke 24:1-12
We hear proclaimed in our Gospel account that Jesus is resurrected. But one thing has not changed. Even though Jesus is resurrected, Jesus’ heart is still broken. Just several days earlier, from the Mount of Olives, Jesus had wept as he looked upon Jerusalem, grieving his own people’s neglect of “justice and mercy.”[i] That wound in Jesus’ heart has not changed. And Jesus is also still wounded by the betrayal and abandonment of his closest friends, the disciples, who literally left Jesus hanging. And Jesus’ resurrected body is still wounded...2022-04-1715 minRedemption – SSJEThe Poison Contains the Medicine – Br. Keith NelsonBr. Keith Nelson
Numbers 21:4-9
John 8:21-30
Seasoned practitioners of many spiritual traditions have come to understand a basic premise. In moments of profound crisis, the ordeal afflicting our spirit often contains, hidden inside it, a truth we need. We need to encounter, to acknowledge, and finally to reckon with this truth, in order to be healed.
Somehow, the poison contains the medicine.
The corresponding question then becomes:
How do we extract the medicine and live to tell the tale?
In this short story from the...2022-04-0508 minBeing Christian – SSJETurn Aside and Behold a Great Sight – Br. Sean GlennBr. Sean Glenn
Exodus 3:1-15
Luke 13:1-9
It is a cold November evening. The city streets outside your home are silent. The chill in the air is accompanied the thick feeling of foreboding. The silence of the empty streets breaks first as clocks throughout ring their peels to mark the 7:00 o’clock hour. Ten minutes later, the silence gives way a second time—not for the benign chime of mechanical clockwork, but for the sound you and your neighbors had been dreading for days: the distant rumble of military aircraft. You hold your breath for...2022-03-2006 minRedemption – SSJEBathed in Glory – Br. James KoesterBr. James Koester,Superior
Isaiah 1:2-4, 16-20
There is a line in this evening’s lesson from Isaiah that has always appealed to me. In fact, a number of years ago when I was asked what my favourite line from Scripture was, I quoted this one. I don’t know if I would still say it remains my favourite, but it continues to intrigue me. Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord.[1]
The line, and indeed the passage, intrigues me, because of what it tells us about God, and God’...2022-03-1513 minRedemption – SSJEWait for the Lord – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig
Psalm 130
Out of the depths, the Psalmist and we cry, from the deep, unseen, chaos, from the pit, feeling overwhelmed by grief, guilt, and death. “Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord. … hear my voice.” Have mercy.
“If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss,” were to see and respond that is done and left undone, no one could stand. Our sin matters, and God forgives. Both truths prompt reverent fearful awe of God.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits. In God’s w...2022-03-1104 minPrayer – SSJEAsk, Search, Knock – Br. Keith NelsonBr. Keith Nelson
Matthew 7:7-12
Ask… and it will be given. Search…and you will find. Knock…and the door will be opened for you.
What prevents you from asking, searching, or knocking?
It might be a literal lack of clarity. Who should I ask? Where should I search? Is this the right door, or is it that one?
It might be an emotion on the fear continuum: anxiety; suspicion; pessimism; insecurity; loneliness. What if I hear “No” in reply? What if I spend all that energy searching b...2022-03-1005 minPrayer – SSJEA Prayer Renewed – Br. Todd BlackhamBr. Todd Blackham
Isaiah 55:6-11
Psalm 34:15-22
Matthew 6:7-15
Whenever Jesus gives a warning or a woe it’s good to pay attention. Today we hear a warning attached to a crystal-clear positive practice to follow. It is a rare and precious gift. The treasure of the Lord’s Prayer is so vast that Christians have been plumbing its depths since the very first days. It is a pearl of great price, and yet, in its ubiquity, perhaps it has lost its luster.
For as long as I can reme...2022-03-0808 minBeing Christian – SSJEJesus’ Sabbath Keeping: the No and the Yes – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
Isaiah 58:9-14
Jesus would have known and practiced this prophecy of Isaiah – perhaps known it by heart – as Isaiah speaks about the sabbath day. “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.”
One way to “remember the holiness of the sabbath” is by what you don’t do: not working with your hands; not traveling about. As Isaiah says, “refraining from trampling the sabbath… not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs.” However sabbath-keeping is also about what you do practice: to abide, to pray, and to share m...2022-03-0503 minVirtues – SSJEListening for the Path of Life – Br. Sean GlennBr. Sean Glenn
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Luke 9:18-25
Some of you may know that in a former life, I underwent a significant amount of training for a career in music. This was a rich period of my life. The rigors of my training enriched my understanding of something that had—from the farthest recesses of my memory—called out to the deepest parts of my being. I met people who would become life-long friends. The experience opened my mind to a host of perspectives I had never encountered. And the lessons in discipline, patience, and dela...2022-03-0307 minVirtues – SSJEOur Moral Finitude – Br. Keith NelsonBr. Keith Nelson
James 4:1-10
Mark 9:30-37
I want to crack these scripture passages open by sharing some things I’ve gleaned lately about ethics from a rather unlikely pair: a wildly popular content creator on TikTok and an early eighteenth century Quaker. Bear with me!
Alexis Nicole Nelson is a foraging expert and an advocate for growing and eating local food based in Columbus, Ohio. She creates irresistibly funny videos, and her sense of wonder for the earth is contagious. But Nelson, who is a Black woman and a vegan, also of...2022-02-2207 minBeing Christian – SSJERisk, Trust, and Love – Br. Lucas HallBr. Lucas Hall
Luke 6:27-38, Genesis 46:4-15
There’s an old story about the author and theologian C.S. Lewis, on his way out for drinks with a friend. Approached by a beggar asking for money, Lewis emptied his wallet and gave the stranger everything. His friend then said to Lewis, disapprovingly, “He’ll only spend it on drink,” to which Lewis responded, “If I kept it, so would I.”
Today’s Gospel reading is about love. More specifically than that, though, it’s about the risk inherent to genuine love. “Love your enemies, do good t...2022-02-2008 minRelationships – SSJEBred of Misunderstanding – Br. Jack CrowleyBr. Jack Crowley
Mark 8:14-21
Our Gospel tonight is full of misunderstanding. Jesus and his Disciples are frustrated, confused, and struggling to communicate with one another. To make matters worse, they are all stuck on a boat. It is an unpleasant situation. This Gospel passage would probably not be the best text to choose for a wedding, profession, or any other happy occasion. However, we do get to witness Jesus navigate through this misunderstanding and we have a lot to learn from how he handles it.
Just like any other misunderstanding, the background...2022-02-1506 minRelationships – SSJEAnd They Told Him All – Br. James KoesterBr. James Koester,Superior
Mark 6:30
I love the Gospel of Mark because of its breathless character. We seem to race from one place or event to another, with little time in between, and less time to catch our breath. In a few short chapters, Mark crams in the whole of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.[1]
That breathless quality is displayed in abundance in this morning’s reading as we race around Galilee, following Jesus and the disciples, after the first apostolic mission, when they were sent out tw...2022-01-0804 minBeing Christian – SSJEMake Good News! – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram
John 1:1-18
Have you heard the news? That question often makes my heart sink, because it’s usually bad news! The year started with the violent attack on the US Capitol. Then all those cataclysmic climate events, racial attacks, mass shootings, a deeply broken and divided nation and world. And perhaps most disheartening of all, the devastating effects of the Covid virus. Such a diet of bad news, day after day, can profoundly affect the way that we see our own lives. We can look back over this year and see only th...2021-12-2612 minRedemption – SSJEReach Out and Hold – Br. James KoesterLuke 2:1-20
I spent a lot of time by myself as a child. It’s not that I didn’t have any friends. I did. And I’d hang out and do stuff with them on plenty of occasions. So that wasn’t the reason. I think I spent a lot of time alone, simply because I enjoyed my own company. I still do. I can occupy myself quite well reading, or working on some kind of project, or even working on something I enjoy. When I was living at Emery House, I could fill an entire day by m...2021-12-2513 minTheology – SSJEFather and Son – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram
Matthew 1: 18-25
Today’s Gospel is in many ways Matthew’s ‘annunciation.’ When we speak of the annunciation we think of course of the Gospel of Luke and his account of the angel appearing to Mary. But for Matthew the angel appears to Joseph – in a dream. “Joseph, take Mary as your wife. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus. And he did as the angel commanded him.” But he did a lot more than this. This remarkable man became a true father to Jesus.
And this is eno...2021-12-1805 minRedemption – SSJERejoice in the Lord always – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18
I don’t spend a lot of time reading for pleasure, but when I do, I usually gravitate towards mysteries. I love the way skilled mystery writers can weave together a complex plot involving a whole cast of characters, somehow leaving us hanging at the end of each chapter, eager for more. The situations the detectives find themselves in are always so complicated – there are numerous suspects with possible motives and pieces of evidence that don’t seem to fit, and we’re wondering how this t...2021-12-1214 minPrayer – SSJEThe Dawning of the Light of Christ – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist
Luke 21:25-36
It is curious that we begin a new season today, the First Sunday of the Advent season. Outside the walls of this monastery chapel, a new season began just after Halloween, called “Holiday Shopping Season,” along with the Amazon promise that you can have it all now… at least by tomorrow. The season of Advent interposes quite an opposite theme. Anticipating Christmas is not about immediacy. Rather, it is about watching, and waiting, and preparing to celebrate Christ’s infant birth at Bethlehem, and to prepare for Christ’s promise that he wi...2021-11-2816 minLove – SSJEBehold, I tell you a mystery! – Br. Geoffrey Tristram1 Corinthians 15: 51-57
Today we celebrate All Souls Day. We ‘celebrate’? How can we celebrate when shortly we shall be remembering by name before God our loved ones who have died, and whom we so miss?
‘Behold, I tell you a mystery! We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible.’ Those amazing, thrilling words from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. I can never read them without hea...2021-11-0309 minRelationships – SSJEConflict – Br. Jack CrowleyMark 10:35-45
Jesus had twelve Disciples to manage. That means everyday he had twelve personalities to deal with, twelve opinions to listen to, twelve sets of emotional baggage to unpack, and twelve different backgrounds to understand. Jesus and his Disciples were not working remotely. This was not a Monday through Friday, nine to five gig. They were together all the time, and as our Gospel lesson today shows us, they did not always get along.
One might think that having the Son of God as the leader of the Disciples would prevent any conflict from...2021-10-1710 minBeing Christian – SSJESolid Rock – Br. Luke DitewigLuke 6:43-49
In the Holy Land, there is much solid rock, whether exposed, under a couple inches or under ten or more feet of soil. To build, one digs down however far it takes to use the foundation of solid rock. People build in the summer when it is dry not raining, yet it is hot. It is very hard work to break through the clay and dig down to solid rock. One may be tempted to skip the harder part, yet a sure foundation is essential to survive the winter floods.[i]
Jesus said, “I...2021-09-1105 minTheology – SSJEAn Enduring, Steadfast Love – Br. Sean GlennExodus 12:37-42
Psalm 136:1-3, 10-15
Matthew 12:14-21
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. It would be a bit like asking the character in a novel to describe the author of that novel. Anyth...2021-07-1705 minPrayer – SSJEPrayer with Substance – Br. Keith Nelson2 Corinthians 11:1-11
Matthew 6:7-15
Monks pray often. But as we learn many times over, quantity or frequency in themselves don’t equal quality or depth. Neither, as Jesus points out here, do length or verbal sophistication in themselves equal substance in the realm of prayer. Even when the phrases are full of meaning, such as those drawn directly from Scripture, it is possible to come to them with absence of mind or heart, and miss the meaning because something in us is missing.
The Christians at Corinth seemed to go weak in the knees fo...2021-06-1705 minPrayer – SSJECaught in the Gaze of Prayer – Br. Jim WoodrumJohn 17:1-11a
After the death of my parents, I had to settle their estate and then prepare the house that I grew up in to sell. Among the almost five decades of memories were photo albums assembled through the years. In one of these albums is a picture of my Mom and me when I was an infant. She was in her nightgown, her hair in curlers, sitting in a rocking chair holding me. She was lovingly looking down at me and I was gazing up at her, our eyes locked while I sucked on my...2021-05-1808 minVirtues – SSJEThe Dangerous Desire for Wealth – Br. David VryhofI Timothy 6:7-10, 17-19
Luke 12:13-21
It is a rare person who cannot be tempted by wealth. Most of us believe that if we were wealthier our lives would be easier and more enjoyable than they are now. We envy those who are rich enough to satisfy not only their “needs” but also most of their “wants.” We imagine that they are free of worry and can rest in the assurance that they have what they need to face the future with confidence.
But appearances can be deceptive. The passages we have before us today warn u...2021-05-1203 minLove – SSJELoving Living; Living Loving – Br. Curtis Almquist1 John 5:1-6
John 15:9-17
That’s a lot of love, what Jesus is saying again and again in this Gospel passage appointed for today. In three verses, Jesus names “love” 8 times. How to live? Live loving. Love. Love. Love. Love… With each repetition, Jesus is clearly trying to catch our attention, but how? What does Jesus’ word “love” mean for us? We need to do some detective work, because the Greek of the New Testament has four completely different words for “love,” words which are indistinguishable in English. What love – which of the four loves – is Jesus talking about her...2021-05-0914 minTheology – SSJEThe Defeat of Horrors – Br. Todd BlackhamMartyrs of the 20th and 21st Centuries
1 Peter 4:12-19
Ps. 69:31-36
Mk. 10:34-39
As recently as 2015, the extremist group ISIS produced a video to terrify the world. Dressed and hooded in black, the militants marched a group of 21 Coptic Christians dressed in orange, prison-style jumpsuits along a beach in Libya. The horrifying scene concluded with the cruel beheading of all 21 Christians. It shocked and horrified the world to see such a brazen act of violence not only perpetrated but promulgated to a global audience. One of the men was from either Ghana or Chad...2021-04-2406 minRelationships – SSJESo Shall We Be on That Day – Br. Keith NelsonMatthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like…
Sheep without a shepherd.
Students without a teacher,
Children without a parent,
Eggs without a brooding mother,
Warriors without a commander,
Citizens without a leader,
Treasure without a guardian,
Inheritance without an heir.
Characters without an author,
Books without a reader,
Object with no Subject or Verb,
Paintings without a viewer,
Dancers without a...2020-12-0504 minRelationships – SSJEThe Advent of Patience – Br. Jack CrowleyPhilippians 2:1-11
We all know the feeling of waiting for that one guy who is always late. That feeling of quiet anger rising as the whole room waits for him to arrive so that the meeting can start. You try to be patient, you try some small talk, but soon the frustrating thoughts creep in… he always does this, God is he clueless, someone should say something to him. The moments drag by…then finally the tardy man arrives two minutes late, holding tea and toast.
St. Paul encourages us tonight to regard others as bett...2020-11-2906 minTheology – SSJEBefriended by the King – Br. Keith NelsonEphesians 1:15-23 & Matthew 25:31-46
My first encounter with a true mountain range occurred at age sixteen. These mountains were the Austrian Alps, so it was quite the introduction. The summer moon was full, and their peaks were crowned with gleaming snow. Tears of pure wonder streamed down my face. God’s power was written in such large figures and I was so small, but in that smallness I felt significant. I fell to my knees.
My presence in that Austrian valley on that summer night was a wonder in itself. Months before, my high school ch...2020-11-2214 minRelationships – SSJEThe things that are God’s – Br. Lucas HallMatthew 22: 15-22
I remember, nearly a decade ago, watching a video on YouTube. In the video, the hosts of the show, consistent with their political leanings, filmed their infiltration of an environmentalist rally. There, they spoke with attendees and asked for signatures on their petition to ban a purportedly dangerous chemical. This chemical was largely unregulated, had been detected in our water supply along with countless food items, and could cause death within minutes if inhaled in sufficient quantities. The chemical in question was described with the scary-sounding name, “dihydrogen monoxide.” You might know it better by its...2020-10-1811 minVirtues – SSJEJoy to the World – Br. Geoffrey TristramPhilippians 3:4b-14
St Francis of Assisi
The 4th of October is always a special day, because it is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. I first fell in love with St. Francis when I was a student. I was staying with a friend who was studying to be a priest at the English College in Rome. It was January, and the biggest shock for me was how cold it was. The fountains of Rome were all frozen, and the marble floors of the college gave little comfort. So, one weekend, we decided to take ou...2020-10-0415 minTheology – SSJEBroken Images and Living Divinity – Br. Sean GlennLuke 10:17-24
All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’[1]
Scripture reminds us that now, as ever, we human beings continually struggle to know and to bear God to the world in the midst of whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. This was clearly the case for Job before his divine inquisition, but I suspect it is true for almost every human being we...2020-10-0307 minTheology – SSJEGod Gives His Beloved Rest – Br. James KoesterMatthew 12: 1 – 8 [9 – 14]
You may recall that one of my favourite Collects is the one for the Second Sunday after Christmas: O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity….[1]
I return frequently to this prayer, both as a prayer to pray, but also as something to ponder. I find the image of wonderfully creating and more wonderfully restoring our human nature to be a place of rich contemplation, just as my imagination is capture...2020-07-1704 minVirtues – SSJEReap Love – Br. Luke DitewigHosea 10:1-3, 12
There is a new fence going up. So far it is just the posts. They are taller and more robust. The perimeter expands further, and—fittingly—it is beautiful. There is a new fence going up at the Monks’ Garden at Emery House. Everything grown there is given away. The first beets were just harvested; 100 pounds will be distributed this week at the Newbury Food Pantry.[i]
The garden is in partnership with Nourishing the North Shore. We provide the land and water. They grow, harvest, and distribute. We also host land for the Or...2020-07-0804 minVirtues – SSJEShine – Br. Luke Ditewig
Br. Luke Ditewig
Mark 4:21-25
No one covers a lamp with a basket or puts it under a bed, says Jesus. Hiding a lamp makes it ineffective. A lamp is made to share light, to be out in the open so others may see. Matthew adds: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”[i] We are made to shine, to illuminate, to point people to God, not hiding or keeping to ourselves.
Yesterday in the text precedi...2020-01-3003 minTheology – SSJEDivine Restoration – Br. Jim Woodrum
Br. Jim Woodrum
Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43
Today in the calendar of the church we celebrate the solemn feast known as Christ the King. Normally positioned on the last Sunday after Pentecost before the start of the season of Advent, we pray these words: Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule. This prayer seems approp...2019-11-2416 minPrayer – SSJEKeep Coming – Br. Luke Ditewig
Br. Luke Ditewig
Luke 18:1-8
In today’s parable, Jesus paints the picture of two people. A judge, a man with authority who does not fear God nor respect people. He won’t be ashamed. Perhaps accepting a bribe, but otherwise immoveable. A widow comes repeatedly to this judge. As we see often in scripture, widows are most vulnerable and to be cared for. In Middle Eastern culture, men represented women in court. That she is here means she has no male relative to assist her.[i] On one hand, she is weak and vulnerable. Yet she is pr...2019-10-2009 min