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
The truth of baptism is revealed in what it does and who it shows us to be, cleansing us, not from dirt but from separation: separation from God, separation from ourselves, separation from one another.
-Br. James Koester, 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
Words Matter – Br. Jim Woodrum
“In our modern culture, powerful language now reaches farther faster. In as little as a ‘tweet,’ we see how speech can be used to create either thoughtful uplifting speech, or used to attack and denigrate those who would think differently than ourselves. How can we as Christians, who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ change this trend?”
Br. Jim Woodrum urges us to harness the power of language for good, by using words that bless and heal, rather than injure and maim. He offers practical suggestions for how we can choose to put right words into right action.
Night Life – Br. Keith Nelson
“Jesus is not ‘charging his batteries’ so that he can be a more efficient pastor. He is not engaging in mindfulness meditation in order to generate more brilliant ideas or wow his board of trustees. And Jesus is not pulling an all-nighter so that he can ace the final exam. He is doing something for eight to ten hours straight with no obvious utility, in the dark, on a mountaintop. And this is where the imprudence, the counter-intuition, and the extravagance come in. Jesus is not saving up fuel or conserving energy for his big day. He is spending it with wreckless abandon.”
Br. Keith Nelson paints a portrait of Jesus as a man who loses sleep for love of God; he invites us, too, to spend ourselves with reckless abandon, certain that God imprudently, extravagantly, counterintuitively, graciously fills vessels that are emptied of their own light, their own fuel, their own energy, and their own will.
Whose Property is Always to Have Mercy – Br. James Koester
“We live in a world, and in an age, and in a culture, that tells us lies. One of those lies is that there are people who are beyond Jesus’ love. And this story smashes that lie. And I love it.”
Br. James Koester revels in a breathless seven-line story in Mark’s Gospel, which powerfully smashes the lies we have been told about ourselves, our neighbors, and our God, whose loving and healing touch extends to everything and everyone.
The Life You Share with the Blessed Virgin Mary – Br. Curtis Almquist
“If Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love, Mary is the foreshadowing of that love. If Jesus has brought the fullness of God’s salvation for the world, Mary is its dawning.”
On the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Br. Curtis Almquist invites us to celebrate not just how unique Mary is, but also how much we have in common with her.
Potential for Ministry – Br. David Allen
“Jesus recognized a potential within Peter that would be useful for the ministry that he was about to develop.”
Br. David Allen considers how reading the Gospel stories of Jesus calling his disciples can help us to understand Jesus’ call to follow him.
Faith Formation to save the (every) day!
Deepen your relationship with God, through prayer and reflection on The Gospel According to John.
We share in the Divine Life from our Baptism. Learn how this Life expresses itself in and through us.
Explore a monastic framework to cultivate your relationships with God, Self, Others, and Creation.
Recapture time as a gift. Discover how to experience the joy of the present moment.