Going DeeperWith Christ Episcopal Church

The Scripture reading is Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Father Mark explores the meaning of John the Baptist’s statement that the Messiah will burn the chaff in unquenchable fire, and explains that this does not suggest that a vengeful and angry God will torment souls for eternity, but rather that Jesus will burn away the chaff, our sins and the shortcomings of our false selves, to refine the gold of our sou...

The Scripture reading is Matthew 2: 1-12. Father Mark compares the two year journey of the three Magi (“wise men”) to our journey with COVID. We’ve journeyed through COVID, and we journey to Bethlehem with Christmas. How were they changed by their journey, and how are we changed by ours? Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Chur...

This episode, about 13 minutes, is from the Christmas Day 2021 service. The Scripture reading is the first chapter of the book of John. Father Mark explains the meaning of Christmas: God found a new way to communicate His love for us. Jesus’ birth as a baby who needs us helps us to feel how much God loves us. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 Nation...

This is from the Christmas Eve service 2021. The Scripture reading is Luke 2:2-20.

The Scripture is Luke 3:7-18. We’re all tired of COVID and its impact on our plans and expectations for Christmas celebration.  We tend to reject God’s good because we expected something else. Mary couldn’t have expected what lay before her if she were to say yes. And yet, she said to the angel, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord, let him be with me according to your word.” She let go of the...

On this first Sunday of Advent, 2021, the Gospel reading is Luke 21:25-36: Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming...

In this brief excerpt from a sermon, Father Mark explains the crucial role of the Church in society, and how at Christ Episcopal Church we know that the teaching and example of Jesus puts first and foremost the values of compassion and love and hospitality and welcoming the stranger, and is a place where Christ’s vulnerable love reigns.

The episode was recorded on Christ the King Sunday, which is the last day of the year in the Church's calendar. The Scripture reading is John 18:33-37. This service was provided online due to COVID restrictions. In this sermon, Father Mark contrasts the authority of the world with the authority of the vulnerable kingdom of the one true God of the universe. He describes Jesus as a witness to the tr...

In this episode, we're applying the Prayer of St. Francis to a common situation: someone has a sign asking for money. What are the reasons we often don't give to them? What do they need? What do we need? What guidance do the Prayer of St. Francis and Scripture provide? #prayerofstfrancis #prayerstfrancis #livingtheprayerofstfrancis

Father Mark explains how our foundations inevitably are shaken, both at a personal and cultural level. Transitions, sometimes traumatic, happen to individuals and even to our largest and apparently most robust institutions. There is important opportunity in the instability to stand on the new ground God provides us during the tumult. The Scripture reading is Mark 13:1-8: As Jesus came out of the t...

Father Mark explores the profound meaning of Holy Communion, and the literal meaning of "Behold who you are, become what you receive." The Scripture reading is John 6: 51-58.

The Prayer of St. Francis states universal laws ("it is in giving that we receive" for instance), and offers a practice that harnesses these laws to bring us what we want, to erode our ego or false self, and to open us to eternal life while we still are living. #prayerofstfrancis #prayerstfrancis #livingtheprayerofstfrancis

"Be opened," said Jesus when healing the deaf man. When we are in any of the negative states mentioned in the Prayer of St. Francis--hatred, injury, doubt, and so on--we are not opened. We are closed off from God. This podcast discusses how we can "be opened."   #prayerofstfrancis #prayerstfrancis #livingtheprayerofstfrancis

As we practice living the Prayer of St. Francis, we may be inclined to apply it to other people and situations. The statement attributed to Gandhi. "Be the change you want to see in the world," suggests that we start with ourselves.

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace..." Who is the "Lord?" in the Prayer of St. Francis? The author clearly was referring to Jesus, yet those who are not Christians can pray to any form of Divinity with whom or with which they might feel connection.  #prayerofstfrancis #prayerstfrancis #livingtheprayerofstfrancis

The Gospel reading is Mark 12 28:34: One of the scribes came near and heard the Sadducees disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,...

Who wrote the Prayer of St. Francis? Does it matter?

October 24, 2021 Father Mark Meyer reads Mark 10:46-52.  The sermon explores the nature of being blind, and what it means to see. Although there is a literal interpretation of the words, there is a deeper meaning. “I came into this world,” Jesus says in John’s Gospel, “...so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” (Jn 9:39 NRSV) Blind to the worldly visions...

Welcome to Living the Prayer of St. Francis. In this podcast, we'll explore how to internalize the prayer, and live it by applying it internally and with others.

Father Mark Meyer explains how God's grace is sufficient, how God's grace is enough.