Going DeeperWith Christ Episcopal Church

Father Mark Meyer retired from Christ Episcopal Church in Canon City, Colorado, on January 25, 2026. In this video, some of the many people who know and love him shared their stories.

Shining Through Us All Matthew 5:14-16 Father Mark reflects with deep gratitude on his 28 years of ministry at Christ Church, recognizing how profoundly the community has shaped his spiritual growth. He names his journey toward greater maturity, humility, compassion, and openness, crediting the people of the parish—past and present—as his teachers. Through shared prayer, study, dialogue, correctio...

God-Shaped Hole John 1:29-42 John the Baptist points his disciples to Jesus as the Lamb of God, and they respond by leaving everything to follow him. When Jesus asks, “What are you looking for?” the sermon frames this as a profound spiritual question. The disciples were not seeking worldly rewards like power or comfort, but something deeper—what could satisfy the longing of their souls and draw th...

Named by God Matthew 3:13-17 Father Mark reflects on Jesus’ baptism, where Jesus is publicly named by God as “my beloved Son,” and connects this moment to a personal story from seminary, when he was mistakenly accused of owing money on a Sears credit card. Though innocent, he was treated as a liar and criminal, an experience that deeply unsettled him and revealed how painful it is to have a false...

What We Truly Worship Matthew 2:1-12 Father Mark reflects on the Gospel of the Magi to proclaim that Christ’s birth is truly good news of great joy for all people—across politics, nations, cultures, religions, and identities. The wise men, likely Zoroastrian priests from Persia, encounter God not through Scripture or angels but through creation itself, reminding us that God continually reveals God...

Christ’s Light is Stronger John 1:1–18 The sermon begins by naming the weariness many people feel toward the constant stream of bad news in the world—violence, division, cruelty, and despair. Drawing on the Prologue of John’s Gospel, Father Mark contrasts this with the Christmas proclamation that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. While darkness is real—within...

A Word Beyond Ourselves Luke 2:1–20 Luke tells the story of Jesus’ birth like a wide-angle lens that slowly zooms in. It begins with the vast power of the Roman Empire and Emperor Augustus—who claimed divine status—and then narrows steadily to a vulnerable young couple, a long journey, and a newborn laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn. This movement from global power to intimate...

Do Not Be Afraid Matthew 1:18-25 The sermon begins by noting that the familiar Advent and Christmas stories can lose their shock value, causing us to miss their radical message. Matthew’s account of Mary’s pregnancy is presented as a scandal—socially, religiously, and legally. What appears to be disgrace and sin is revealed as the work of the Holy Spirit. From the very beginning, Jesus’ life disru...

Path to Our True Selves Matthew 3:1-12 Father Mark reflects on why crowds flocked to hear John the Baptist’s call to repent, despite the discomfort and challenge of his message. He explains that the word repent has been distorted over centuries into a threat, but John’s original call—metanoia—is an invitation to deep transformation: to change how we think, act, and perceive so we can enter more fu...

Strength in Surrender Luke 23:33-43 Father Mark begins by reflecting on Christ the King Sunday, a day when the Church proclaims Jesus as King—yet the Gospel reading presents Jesus not enthroned in glory, but crucified in weakness. While earthly kings rule through domination and triumph, Jesus reveals a radically different kingship. On the cross, mocked and powerless by worldly standards, He embodi...

Bearing the Beams of Love Luke 21:5-19 Jesus stands before the dazzling Temple built by Herod—a monument to power, wealth, and ego—and warns that even this glorious structure will crumble. Father Mark explains that biblical prophecy is not fortune-telling but a call to see the present clearly. Prophets reveal the gap between God’s hopes for humanity and our actual behavior. Destruction only comes...

The Quiet Center Luke 20:27-38 Father Mark begins with the Gospel passage where the Sadducees test Jesus with a question about resurrection, trying to trap him in a logical puzzle about marriage in the afterlife. Jesus, however, redirects them to a deeper understanding—resurrected life is not a continuation of earthly patterns but a transformation into divine life. He teaches that those who are “c...

Our Nearest Neighbors Luke 6:20-31 Father Mark’s sermon reflects on Jesus’ teachings in Luke 6:20–31, where Christ presents the upside-down values of the Kingdom of God. The world often prizes wealth, power, and success, yet Jesus blesses the poor, the hungry, and those who weep. He calls his followers to love their enemies, to bless those who curse them, and to live by the Golden Rule. Father Mar...

Humbled and Justified Luke 18:9-14 In this sermon, Father Mark reflects on Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, found in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus tells this story to those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.” The Pharisee stands proudly in the temple, thanking God that he is better than others, while the tax collector, aware of his si...

Pray and Not Lose Heart Luke 18:1-8 In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge, urging his disciples to “pray always and not lose heart.” Father Mark reflects on how the widow—vulnerable and without worldly power—embodies both tenacity and faith. Despite her weakness, her persistence triumphs over an unjust authority. This is not simply human dete...

You Are My Child Mark 1:9-11 Father Mark begins by reflecting on the baptism of Jesus, when the heavens opened and God declared, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” He connects this moment to the Disney film The Lion King, using it as a modern parable about baptism and identity. Just as Simba forgets who he is—the son of the king—until he looks into the water and remembers h...

Increase Our Faith Luke 17:5-10 Father Mark’s sermon begins with the apostles’ plea, “Increase our faith,” a request born from their fear that Jesus’s call to endless forgiveness and compassion was too difficult to live out. In a world that prizes revenge and retaliation, Jesus’s teaching seems foolish — even weak — but He challenges that instinct by reminding His followers that they already posse...

A Different Lens Luke 16:1-13 Father Mark begins with Jesus’ parable of the dishonest manager, which at first glance seems puzzling. Looking through a purely worldly lens, the parable appears to commend dishonesty and cunning, suggesting that worldly people are more shrewd than spiritual people. But this interpretation contradicts the broader message of the Gospel. Instead, Father Mark invites us...

Seeking the Lost Luke 15:1-10 The sermon contrasts the Pharisees’ fixation on righteousness with Jesus’ mission to seek and restore the lost. The Pharisees equated righteousness with strict obedience to the law, which excluded tax collectors and sinners from fellowship. Jesus, however, welcomed these outcasts, showing that God’s concern is not with labels of righteous or sinner, but with finding w...

Above All Else Luke 14:25-33 Jesus’ words in Luke’s Gospel confront the crowd with the hard truth of discipleship. He warns that following him requires radical reordering of allegiances, even above family ties and personal identity. In the first-century world, family defined one’s very being, and loyalty to Caesar was expected. Jesus’ demand for absolute allegiance to him was shocking, because it...

Deep Within the Heart Luke 13:10-17 Jesus heals a woman bent over for eighteen years on the Sabbath. The synagogue leader objects, citing the commandment. Jesus exposes the gap between the law’s outer form and its inner purpose, saying the Sabbath serves human need and liberation. Scripture gives two grounds for Sabbath: God’s rest in creation and Israel’s release from slavery. Healing on the Sabb...

Peacekeeping? Luke 12:49-56 Father Mark’s sermon explores the challenging words of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, where He declares He has come not to bring peace, but division. Father Mark emphasizes that this division is not the purpose of Jesus’ message, but a predictable reaction to the radical nature of the Gospel. Just as the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son resents the fathe...

Open-Handed Waiting Luke 12:32-40 Jesus’ words in Luke 12 call us to fearless trust and ready hearts: “Do not be afraid… it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” We’re told to place our treasure in heaven, keep our lamps lit, and stay alert for the Master who may arrive at an unexpected hour. Father Mark reflects on everyday impatience—like waiting in traffic or a grocery line—a...

Rich Toward God Luke 12:13-21 Father Mark’s sermon reflects on Jesus’ parable of the rich fool, reminding us that true life is not found in possessions but in the abundance of God’s grace and generosity. He begins by highlighting how nature, with its volunteer plants springing up unbidden, mirrors the overflowing generosity of God’s creation. The earth produces abundantly not because of human effo...

Prayer, Relationship and Transformation Luke 11:1-13 Father Mark reflects on Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, emphasizing that Jesus teaches his disciples not just how to ask for things, but how to enter into deeper relationship with God. Unlike the transactional model of prayer many assume—asking and hoping to receive—Jesus starts with the holiness of God and a desire for God’s kingdom, not h...