Welcome to SSJE
We are a community of men giving our whole selves over to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rooted in the ancient monastic traditions of prayer and community life, and critically engaged with contemporary culture, we seek to know and share an authentic experience of God’s love and mercy. We live a common life shaped by worship, prayer, and our Rule of Life.
We invite you to explore these pages to learn more about how we live and pray, the tradition that grounds us, and the call that draws us onward day by day.
Worship Schedule | Rule of Life | Meeting Jesus | Catch the Life
There is no denying that in today’s world the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. We should listen carefully when Jesus speaks about wealth and possessions in the gospels. It is a subject he returns to often; in the gospels Jesus has more to say about money than about any other topic, including prayer.
-Br. David Vryhof, SSJE
Monastery Chapel
Silence. Flickering candlelight. Sunlight streaming through stained glass. Soak in the beauty of our sanctuary, open morning to night. Pray, ponder, or participate in the Brothers’ daily office. Service Schedule >
Guesthouse
Sleep in. Pray. Savor wholesome food. Nap. Read. How might a stay in our Monastery Guesthouse recharge you and open you to God’s call? Workshops & Retreats >
Emery House
Birdsong. Meadow grasses waving in the breeze. Stars overhead. At our rural retreat house, we invite you to pray as you hike, light a fire, weed the garden, and bask in the beauty of Creation. Retreat information>
Recent Sermons from the Chapel
Unity in Diversity – Br. Nicholas Bartoli
“Humans are just so good at judging each other for all sorts of things. Maybe that’s how we feel a little safer in the world, judging who’s right and wrong, who’s in and out, and making sure our group is the right one.”
Br. Nicholas Bartoli studies Paul’s writings to the disparate early church communities, and finds a common truth to today: the differences that separate us as Christians – and humans – are far less important than the love that unites us.
Friends of Christ – Br. Lucas Hall
“Bring your pains, your bumps and your bruises, to the one who has caused you these pains”.
Br. Lucas Hall looks into an unexpected moment of anger from Jesus to uncover a deep truth about human friendship: when we bring our pains, our bumps and our bruises, to the one who has caused us these pains, we invite them to reconciliation.
The Cross is Everywhere – Br. Keith Nelson
“By Christ’s saving death upon it, the cross is now a cosmic tree, a ship’s mast, a ladder to climb up and out of hell, and much more.”
The cross is everywhere around us, and on Holy Cross Day, Br. Keith Nelson invites us to refresh, renew, or rediscover our relationship with this inexhaustible symbol.
Called Together – Br. Luke Ditewig
“We are drawn out of need. To be fed. To be healed. We need Jesus. We still need Jesus.”
As challenging as living in community can be, we all belong in one large, messy family of God. Our need unites us to one another and to Jesus, who sets for us an example of how – and who – we are to love.
Putting on Christ – Br. James Koester
“Our T shirts may say Harvard, but our hearts should say Jesus. Our jeans may say Levis, but our hearts should say Jesus.”
What does it mean to put on a habit – or a pair of Levis? Br. James Koester uncovers a meaning deeper than the clothes we wear in Paul’s exhortation to “put on the Lord, Jesus Christ.”
...we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them...