In this episode of Reconciliation Lectio, Father Nathaniel and Jim engage in a profound exploration of the lectionary readings for the Third Sunday of Easter. Drawing from the prophetic vision of Micah, the exultant Psalm 98, the intimate epistle of 1 John, and the post-resurrection appearance in the Gospel of Luke, they unpack the central themes of judgment, justice, forgiveness, and the transformative power of Christ's death and resurrection.

Through their insightful dialogue, Nathaniel and Jim grapple with the tension between the Old Covenant call to repentance and the New Covenant assurance of grace. They delve into the nature of true community, where the acknowledgment of our shared brokenness creates the space for authentic fellowship and the proclamation of forgiveness in Christ's name.

Listeners will be challenged to consider how the embodied presence of the risen Lord challenges their assumptions and invites them into a deeper experience of the gospel's liberating truth. The conversation traverses theological depths, pastoral wisdom, and personal testimony, offering a multifaceted perspective on what it means to live as forgiven and forgiving people in the light of Christ's victory over sin and death.

Whether wrestling with the difficulty of vulnerable self-disclosure or marveling at the boundless mercy of God, this episode of Reconciliation Lectio promises to inspire and equip listeners to embrace the joy of forgiveness and the freedom of walking in the light of Christ.

In this episode of Reconciliation Lectio, Fr. Nathaniel and Jim engage in a profound exploration of the Palm Sunday readings, delving into the paradoxical depths of Christ's passion and the mystery of the cross. Through a rich dialogue, they unpack the emotional arc of the liturgy, from the triumphal entry to the dereliction of the cross, and the shocking revelation that God's exaltation is found in utter humiliation. They wrestle with the profound truth that the atonement is not about our ascent to God, but God's descent to us in the depths of our suffering, embracing the worm of our mortality. In this journey, they invite us to follow Christ into the outrage and abandonment of the cross, for it is there that we encounter the true compassion of God and the birth of resurrection faith.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Fr. Nathaniel and Jim dive deep into the dynamics of the old covenant of the law and the new covenant established by Jesus's sacrifice. They challenge the notion that repentance is a means to earn God's favor, and instead, they highlight the assurance of God's unconditional love and mercy found at the throne of grace. Drawing from the readings for Lent 5, including passages from Jeremiah, Psalm 51, Hebrews, and John's Gospel, they grapple with the complexities of embracing the cross, walking in the light of Christ, and resting securely in the embrace of our great high priest, who understands our weaknesses.

This week's lectionary readings confront us with the tensions inherent to the life of faith. In our conversation, Fr. Nathaniel and Jim McNeely discusses how the Old Testament readings reveal God working redemption through unexpected means - using pagan King Cyrus to restore Jerusalem and the exiles. The New Testament passages remind us that though we were dead in trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ by grace through faith.

We explore how true faith is not detached resignation, but a grappling with real desires, suffering, and seemingly impossible situations. Like Abraham, we are called to a scandalous persistence, trusting God even when His path seems offensive or foolish to human wisdom.

The Psalms depict the people of God caught between lament and praise, desolation and hope in God's vindication. John's Gospel shows the disciples struggling between confusion and devotion as Jesus teaches in increasingly paradoxical ways.

Our dialogue keeps circling back to this "strange stuckness" of faith - how we want God to meet our expectations, yet He remains inscrutable, working all things according to His sovereign purposes. As we make our Lenten journey, we are invited to release our demands and cling to Christ, the stumbling block who alone can reconcile us to the Father.

Join us for a rich discussion of what it means to persist in faith through tension, uncertainty, and trials that mock the very reality of God's presence and love. Together we will nurture hope in the God who revives the dead and causes all things, even our sufferings, to work together for good.

Join Fr. Nathaniel and Jim for a rich conversation in this week's Reconciliation Lectio podcast. They offer illuminating perspectives on the classic Lenten readings - the 10 Commandments and Jesus cleansing the temple.

Together they explore how these passages confront our tendency toward moral striving and point to the grace and rest found in Christ alone. Nathaniel shares wisdom from Lenten prayers and disciplines while also examining their limitations when approached legalistically. Jim offers insights into how the Sabbath commandment anticipates the freedom of the gospel. They discuss ways we often miss this good news and get stuck in repetitive cycles of failure and repentance.

Let this thought-provoking discussion enhance your Lenten journey as we walk with Christ to the cross, laying down our striving and learning to receive Him as the only sure foundation for life.

How could a supposedly good, loving God demand the evil, abusive act of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac? In this episode, we go to the darkest depths, wrestling with this disturbing biblical story and the trauma and anger it evokes towards God.

We'll give raw, honest voice to the hatred, distrust and despair we often feel in the face of immense suffering and cruelty in the world and our lives. Why does it so frequently seem like God treats us as rats in a cage to torment and destroy? Our conversation descends into the rawest dimensions of the spiritual struggle.

And yet...even as we rage against God and wish to be free of faith, a deeper love endures in the depths of the soul. A fatalistic, inextricable bond to belief and the Christ story that haunts us, however much we may try to deny it. Paradoxically, the season of Lent calls us precisely into this darkness - to have our false selves shattered, paving the way for resurrection.

By going to these bleak and uncomfortable places together, perhaps we can find the path to deeper transformation and faith emerging from the ashes. Join us for a heavy but highly catalytic dialogue that gets to the heart of the spiritual quest.

The flood imagery in the Scripture readings for the First Sunday of Lent evokes chaos, danger, and destruction. These turbulent waters threaten to overwhelm us, yet also contain the promise of new life.

In this episode we reflect on what it means for baptism to represent a death - the end of our old false selves. Baptism is no surface-level washing away of sins; it is a full immersion into Christ's death so we can share in his resurrection.

The Christian life is lived out in the strange interplay of destruction and redemption. Like Jesus emerging from baptismal waters into the wilderness, we often find ourselves lost in an in-between space, both cared for and abandoned.

Together we explore the darkness and beauty of these chaotic waters. God is present even when - especially when - the floods overwhelm us. There is meaning in the strange fellowship of sharing in Christ's sufferings. Our lives are messy and raw, but the rainbow of God’s promise arches over all.

On the mount of Transfiguration, Jesus' divine glory shone brightly before three disciples. But this dazzling revelation gives way to descent, darkness and the scandal of the cross. What does this pivotal moment reveal about Jesus' mission and identity? How does it invite us into Lenten reflection? Join us as we explore the paradoxes in this passage and what it means to follow Christ from glory to the cross.