Br. Keith Nelson, SSJE
Keith Nelson, SSJE grew up first in New Jersey, then in Alabama. He studied at Kenyon College and Harvard Divinity School. Prior to his arrival at SSJE in 2014, he worked in secondary and adult education, as well as in church administration. He was life professed in 2019, and has served the community as Assistant Superior, Novice Guardian, and director of the Monastic Internship Program. He enjoys drawing and painting, journaling, hiking, spending time with trees, and foraging (a new hobby!).
Learn more about Br. Keith's Catch the Life journey to monastic life >
Selection of Br. Keith's teachings from "Brother, Give Us a Word"
Companion
The Holy Spirit encourages us in sudden epiphanies and cherished dreams, in providential encounters with loved ones and wise guides, and in times of waiting, when the strength of our courage or faith may be put to the test. For the one who is ready, the Holy Spirit stands ready as an intimate, personal companion,…
Read MoreBread of Life
However wide the chasm of perception between Jesus and his nearest followers, I do not hear Jesus marshalling shame or blame. Instead, I see a group of men trapped in their own hapless, helpless ignorance and Jesus straining to find a way in – to become himself the yeast that will leaven the dough of…
Read MoreSelection of Br. Keith's writing
“It is quite easy to heap up empty phrases. In such moments, what hope do we have? For me, it is the Lord’s Prayer.”
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“It is humbling to know and feel that we belong: that the threads of our being are woven into a fabric so much bigger than we can comprehend, and all for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.”
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“What if the awakening of our conscience to profound new layers of the world’s pain is a sign – not of God’s absence, but of the Spirit of God excavating strata of our personhood and our collective attention that we are now called to engage? And what if the path of grief thus sensed could become a sober and conscious choice – claimed and lived, come what may, as the cost of our full becoming?”
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