The Park Forum

The Park Forum As the Park is to the City, so the Word is to Life.

Founded in 2009, we help individuals and groups read the Bible every day by creating short and smart materials. Cultivating vibrant faith and sharpening cultural insight through curated devotionals and scripture readings. Helping you pursue the vision of making scripture reading, reflection, and prayer part of your daily rhythms.

Reflection: A Terrifying, Absent God — Readers’ ChoiceBy Erin NewtonI have been teaching a study on Job and horror…How c...
10/07/2026

Reflection: A Terrifying, Absent God — Readers’ Choice

By Erin Newton

I have been teaching a study on Job and horror…How can these two things go together? Are we allowed to talk about the places in the Bible that absolutely terrify us?

…the emotions of being afraid or terrified are quite common in the Old Testament…one of the most terrifying realities, or at least perceptions, is the terror of being alone, forsaken by God himself.

When you think about the book of Lamentations, we…see it as a cry from the prophet to God about all that is wrong in the world…I want to highlight…the scary aspect of a world where God does not see you.

…The book closes with this dreadful thought—what if God is done with us? What if we’ve gone too far? What if we have outrun his love? What if we are alone?

If this was our only book in the Bible, we’d all be a miserable lot. Thank God for the testimony of so many others! We know we are not alone. We know we cannot outrun the love of God. We know that Lamentations is voicing the terrifying doubts and worries we all have and we know that it is not the last word.

But the cry is familiar: Why do you forsake us for so long? When we are suffering, when the world continues its merciless series of catastrophes and abuse—it feels like time is at a standstill and that God is silent.

Do we close the book of our faith with these final words of Lamentations? Absolutely not! Immanuel has come. God With Us is here. Despite the dark nights and shrill winds that obscure our ability to hear God, we are not alone.

Follow link to read full post and subscribe to M-F email devotionals.

https://theparkforum.org/843-acres/a-terrifying-absent-god-rc

Readers' Choice is Here!This month, we reshare your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. There’s still room for mor...
10/07/2026

Readers' Choice is Here!
This month, we reshare your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. There’s still room for more. Tell us about one we should include.
What posts helped you pray?
https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

Reflection: Boldly Asked and Answered Prayers — Readers’ ChoiceBy John TillmanPsalm 20 and 21 mirror each other…The requ...
10/06/2026

Reflection: Boldly Asked and Answered Prayers — Readers’ Choice
By John Tillman

Psalm 20 and 21 mirror each other…The requests in Psalm 20 are answered and celebrated in Psalm 21…

These boldly asked and answered requests can inspire our prayers, but there is a difference between boldness and brashness. There are several keys to these bold prayers.

These prayers focus on God’s nature. God is our savior, provider, and the one who fights all the battles that matter. We can boldly appeal to God’s nature.

These prayers recall God’s promises. God’s promises to his children are sure, and we can boldly pursue them in prayer.

These prayers request God’s power for God’s purposes. These are not self-focused trivialities but God-focused priorities. We can boldly ask God to grant his power to accomplish the purposes he calls us to.

These prayers embrace confession and humility. The king does not ride out to war in pride or self-righteousness. He rides out smelling of sacrifices and burnt offerings after confessing his and the nation’s sins and throwing his hopes on God’s mercy. We do not pray boldly based on our merit, but on the merit of Jesus.

Kings and priests were anointed with oil, symbolically pointing forward to Jesus, the ultimate anointed one. The gospel is the announcement of Jesus’ victory, which is for us and all who respond to the gospel. We are Jesus’ “anointed ones,” and he anoints us with the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray boldly, confessing our sins and our nation’s sins, sacrificing self-sufficiency, calling on God’s promises, and raising up a banner to call all people to join us in repentance and victory.

Follow link to read full post and subscribe to M-F email devotionals.


https://theparkforum.org/843-acres/boldly-asked-and-answered-prayers-rc

Readers' Choice is Here!This month, we reshare your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. There’s still room for mor...
10/06/2026

Readers' Choice is Here!
This month, we reshare your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. There’s still room for more. Tell us about one we should include.
What posts challenged you?
https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

Prayer in our Vocation — Readers’ ChoiceBy John TillmanWe have not held tightly to the concept of work as prayer. We see...
10/05/2026

Prayer in our Vocation — Readers’ Choice
By John Tillman

We have not held tightly to the concept of work as prayer. We see work as occupation—something that takes time we would spend elsewhere. Christians have the unique opportunity to see work as vocation—choosing to give to others on behalf of Christ.

To some, it might be a surprise that one of the primary definitions of the word “vocation” is a divine calling..

One prominent example of prayerful, secular work is Fred Rogers. Despite the lack of overt religious expression on his show, Mister Rogers was an ordained minister whose specific assignment was to serve children and families through mass media. And serve them he did.

Paying tribute to Rogers on NBC Nightly News, reporter Bob Faw said, “The real Mister Rogers never preached…he never had to.” Following his spiritual calling in no way interfered with Rogers becoming one of the most successful and respected television professionals of all time.

For every believer, the gospel is our vocation. We learn to express it through our occupations.
Rogers’ spiritual discipline and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit made his show a vehicle for the gospel without explicit language of faith. Many of our readers work in faith-negative environments where faith is unwelcome, but that doesn’t mean each action can’t communicate a gospel-filled love to others.

In our careers, we have a choice between the drudgery of meaningless tasks and the honor of serving others around us in Christ’s name. If we need a picture of what that looks like, it may be helpful to us to turn on an episode of “the neighborhood.”

May we make our work our prayer.

By every action, may we pray for our co-workers, our customers, our city, and our world.

Follow link to read full post and subscribe to M-F email devotionals.

https://theparkforum.org/843-acres/prayer-in-our-vocation-rc

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