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
If we desire to come to know the God who chooses a resting place for ever, we also need to find our resting place, to identify that profound stillness at the very heart of our being. That is very difficult in our world where rest and stillness are hard to find and little valued – in our world where activity and doing are prized and rewarded.
-Br. Geoffrey Tristram, SSJE
Sabbath-keeping is crucial to our life as Christians. In September, our offering “Brother, Give Us a Word” will begin taking a Sabbath on Sundays. We hope that this weekly pause in our messages will offer a gentle reminder to pause in your own life.
Read more about the importance and practice of keeping the Sabbath >
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
Gentleness – Br. Keith Nelson
“Gentleness is not a popular virtue. I for one have long carried the illusion that effort, striving, and struggle are simply the qualities necessary for the human journey – the spiritual journey included. These values came to supplant much of my innate, childhood gentleness, especially my gentleness with myself.”
Br. Keith Nelson explores the grace of burdens like the yoke – like the cross – which teach us to surrender into the effortless gentleness of God.
Joy – Br. Geoffrey Tristram
“When you wake in the morning, don’t open your internet, or read the papers, until you have first said good morning to God. Have a prayer, or a psalm that you say first thing, to greet God, to reaffirm who you are, and why you are. Rediscover joy first thing in the morning before you face the world – and Facebook.”
Br. Geoffrey Tristram offers essential and practical advice for how to rediscover joy, even in the most troubling times.
Hope – Br. David Vryhof
“Perhaps you are among those who have experienced or are experiencing a deep sense of despair about our country and our world. The causes of our despair may vary, but many of us find ourselves just now in need of a word of hope.”
At a time when hopelessness looms for many of us, Br. David Vryhof shares a stirring word of hope, encouraging us to keep the dream alive – of what can be, of what ought to be, of what will be – in God’s good time.
Healing – Br. Luke Ditewig
“Let yourself feel the shock, loss, grief, anger about the disasters, the violence, whatever breaks your heart and overwhelms you. Share your pain honestly. Let another to listen. When we are listened to, our body chemistry shifts. Our bodies instinctively heal.”
Br. Luke Ditewig draws on the wisdom of trauma experts to suggest how community and communication can help us to heal in troubling times.
Peace – Br. Curtis Almquist
“I’m not talking about making peace. There is plenty of peace that needs to be made all around our world and on our streets and campuses and over the airwaves. That is undeniable. But ‘peace receiving’ precedes ‘peace making.’ Receive the peace of Jesus.”
Br. Curtis Almquist offers practical, inspirational wisdom on how we can receive peace in such troubling times.