Going DeeperWith Christ Episcopal Church

Never Give Up Praying The Gospel reading is Luke 18:1-8 Don’t lose heart, turn up the volume. God “caves in” with persistent praying. What does praying without ceasing mean? Prayer is not primary words, but an attitude. We can stay at all times within the attitude and mindset of Christ, keeping the channel open between God and the human person. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Ve...

Seeing With the Eyes of the Heart The Gospel reading is Luke 17:11-19 Seeing with the eye of the heart we gradually realize that the mystery is love, and we gradually realize the necessity of saying yes to it. We have the choice to say yes to this, and to enter into the energies that always are flowing from this mystery. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright ©...

Be Reminded of What Faith Is The Gospel reading is Luke 17:5-10 Is faith like a finite bank account, that can be depleted? Jesus commands us to draw deep from the water He gives, and never be thirsty. If we have even the smallest mustard seed of faith, the floodgates within will open up. We have what we need to live within the Kingdom of God. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Vers...

Don’t Hit Snooze The Gospel reading is Luke 16:19-31 Who would hit the snooze button on God, saying “Later, Lord”? Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Strengthening Our Spiritual Sight The Gospel reading is Luke 16:1-13 Father Mark discusses the parable of the dishonest manager. We are both children of this age and children of light, and our default mode is to live as children of this age. Can we see through the lens of worldliness and the lens of Spirit? Can we, as children of light, be as adept at maintaining and navigating our Gospel-based, s...

Journey Forth in Faith and Trust Father Mark addresses uncertainty, and the need for us to have faith and trust, and to let the life of the in-between time come into its own. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Cost of Discipleship The Gospel reading is Luke 14:25-33 Reverend Wendy explains the Gospel in which Jesus speaks of the need to “hate” one’s family and even life itself, to be His disciple. What is needed, she explains, is to attain detachment from obstacles to our relationship with God, even if those obstacles are near and dear to us. Reverend Wendy says that this Gospel challenges us to ask...

New Light is Streaming The Gospel reading is Luke 14:1, 7-14 Today Christ Church enjoyed a shared service with Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. Father Mark spoke of the way in which the human ego, the need for opposition, influences our politics and even our religion. He explained how today, in this place today, all are included, and how siloed Christianity must be over in the living Church...

Release From Bondage The Gospel reading is Luke 13:10-17 Father Mark discusses the inner and outer aspects of the Sabbath, and the fact that God does not want us to live a life of unrelieved burden. God wants us to be released from whatever bondage we are suffering. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the...

Peace Lovers and Peace Makers The Gospel reading is Luke 12:49-56 Father Mark discusses the parable of the prodigal son, and the distinction between Jesus coming to bring peace and today’s Gospel reading in which Jesus says he came to bring fire and division. Father Mark explains the “fire and division” as Jesus speaking of the response his teachings will bring from those who are “peace lovers” wh...

Open-Handed Waiting The Gospel reading is Luke 12:32-40 In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells the disciples how to wait, how to be ready for the Son of Man. Father Mark discusses “close-fisted waiting” and “open-handed waiting.” The former can lead to impatience throughout life, such as while waiting in a checkout line. We may tend to regard people and situations as impediments to our agenda and impl...

Participate in the Abundant Divine Life The Gospel reading is Luke 11:13-21 We easily forget that the abundance in our lives is not our own. We are not our own. We have the opportunity to participate in the abundant Divine life. A spiritual exercise to help us to experience this is to imagine ourselves lying on the ground in a field of wheat, with the wheat growing up and through us, not even thin...

Teach Us to Pray The Gospel reading is Luke 11:1-13 Father Mark explains that prayer is not always answered, citing Jesus himself asking thrice that the cup of crucifixion be taken from him. Father Mark further explains that the Lord’s Prayer invites us into alignment with God in terms of being, and the world in which we live. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyr...

The One Thing Necessary The Gospel reading is Luke 10:38-42 After the Gospel reading of the story of Martha and Mary, Father Mark explains the difference between ego-driven action, and action arising from our the indwelling Christ, divine love, deep within. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United St...

The Gospel reading is Luke 10:25-37 After the Gospel reading of the well-known story of the Good Samaritan, Father Mark explores the difference being “head knowledge” and “heart knowledge” and explains his evolving perspective on gay marriage and abortion in this light. He emphasizes our opportunity not to be like the lawyer in the story, but rather for our actions to flow from and with divine lov...

God is Vulnerable Love The Scripture reading is Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 Jesus sent the 70 out into the world not even permitting them sandals for the road, bidding them to eat what was set before them. Father Mark suggests that this was to help them to be vulnerable and humble, and to further recognize their utter dependence on God. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, cop...

The Love of God in a Hostile World The Scripture reading is Luke 9:51-62 Father Mark explains that as our true selves in God we are little Christs who spread by word and action the love of God in a hostile world. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All righ...

Our True Identity in God The Scripture reading is Luke 8:26-39 Jesus healed a man possessed. Father Mark discusses what it means to be possessed, how his anorexia as a young man became part of his identity and in a way possessed us, and how this takes us away from our true identity in God. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Ch...

Dance of the Trinity The Scripture reading is John 16:12-15 On this Trinitarian Sunday, Father Mark discusses unity and diversity in daily life and in the Holy Trinity, which often is represented as a flowing dance among the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are invited to participate in the never-ending flow of Divine Love that is the Dance of the Trinity. Scripture quotations are from New Revised...

Where Do We Find God? The Scripture reading is Acts 2:1-12, John 14:8-17 (25-27) On this Pentecost Sunday, Father Mark discusses the appearance of the Holy Spirit and its strange and powerful impact on the disciples, as well as where we look for and find God. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United...

Our hearts go out to all affected by the war in Ukraine. In this short episode, Father Mark leads the congregation in prayer for Ukraine.

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Are We the Answer to Jesus’ Final Prayer? The Scripture reading is John 17:20-26 Jesus’ last desire in prayer was that we be one in God, in the one body of Christ. We are, or can be, the answer to His prayer. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights r...

Continuing Presence of Christ The Scripture reading is John 14:23-29. Father Mark explains God’s will for us, that we are to embody Christ each in our own unique way. We are expressions of the continuing presence of Christ in our world. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used...

Fifth Sunday of Easter 2022: Your Divine DNA The Scripture reading is John 13:31-35 On this fifth Sunday of Easter, Father Mark discusses the last supper, and Jesus’ fond admonition to “love one another as I have loved you.” He points out that the context is important: he knows he will be betrayed and crucified, yet offers his vulnerable love so that we may love as He does. We human beings have an...