Author: the Rev. E. Suzanne Wille

Years ago a theologian  from University of Chicago said this: “Christians ought to be celebrating constantly. We ought to be preoccupied with parties, banquets, feasts, and merriment. We ought to give ourselves over to joy because we have been liberated from the fear of life and the fear of death. We ought to attract people […]Read more “Popping Champagne”

I speak to you in the name of the One who created us, joined us, and is with us still. Amen. [Singing] O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant . . .     Wait, hold on: [Singing] O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant . . . There’s something wrong here. It’s […]Read more “Christmas Eve | O Come Emmanuel”

O Come, O Come Emmanuel. I speak to you in the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,Mother to us all. Amen+True Confession:I’m terrible atpreparing for Christmas.For years, our houseremained bare of decorationsbecause the weeksbefore Christmaswere all about preparingfor finals when I was a teacher,and now that I’m a priest,I’m too busywith church to […]Read more “Who Makes the Paths Straight?”

My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. I speak to you in the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother to us all. Amen+ If you were here last week or if you followed the photos on Facebook, you know that we baptized six—SIX!—babies on All Saints’ […]Read more “Commitment Sunday: Putting our whole trust in God’s grace and love”

Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more. I speak to you in the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother to us all. Amen+ There is only one movie worthy of our celebration of All Saints and that is the great Pixar film Coco. If you […]Read more “All Saints Day: No One is Lost”

Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” I speak to you in the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother to us all. Amen+ Today in Mark’s Gospel we meet blind Bartimaeus, someone we might call an accidental saint. […]Read more “Accidental Saints”

Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great. You are clothed with majesty and splendor. I speak to you in the Name of the Living God: Holy Eternal Majesty, Holy Incarnate Word, Holy Abiding Spirit. Amen. Can imagination save you? Can a vision of the awesome stop our questions, […]Read more “Created for Amazement”

I speak to you in the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother to us all. Amen+ The Rich Young Ruler. That’s what we call him, that’s how he’s come to be known over the years. He shows up in the three synoptic gospels. In Matthew he’s young, in Luke he’s a ruler, […]Read more “Who Can Be Saved?”

I speak to you in the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother to us all. Amen. I found myself years ago, in a dark chapel, praying with teenage girls, on the last night of an intense retreat—Kairos—the capstone of their spiritual formation in the Catholic high school where I was teaching English. […]Read more “Thick Love at All Saints’”

We love people who are the greatest,  those who amaze us  with their skills and talents,  Tiger Woods in his heyday multi-talented superstars like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Beyoncé,  or gymnast Simone Biles who is certainly a GOAT— greatest of all time— in gymnastics and  a courageous crusader against the abuse of gymnasts.  We love knowing  […]Read more “Sermon for Sunday, September 19, 2021”

Well, hello, All Saints! I can’t tell you how happy I am to FINALLY be here! As my home church, the church that sponsored me for ordination, the church that has been my gold standard of what a joyful, welcoming church looks like, you’ve often been on my mind. But for the past few months […]Read more “The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille’s First Sermon at All Saints’ Chicago”