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Balm for Exile Souls — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 26  Read: Ezekiel 26 Listen: (3:45)    Read: Ephesians 4 Listen: (3:58)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections about culture and calling.

Jake, AK — This was a good and trustworthy message at the appropriate time. Thank you, Brother, for adeptly applying the truth of scripture to our forgotten condition as exiles. Come, Lord Jesus.

Susan, CA — Such an encouraging message, John! Thanks for reminding us…In fellowship wherever we are and whatever time it is!

This post was originally published on September 4, 2026, based on readings from Jeremiah 29.4-14 and 1 Peter 1.1a, 17; 5.13a.

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 29.4-14

4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord. 10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

1 Peter 1.1a, 17; 5.13a

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces…

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings…

Reflection: Balm for Exile Souls — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

An encouraging letter is balm for the soul.

We don’t get “letters” much anymore. We are more likely to get a text or an instant message over social media. Even our devotional ministry (which we pray is a daily encouragement) comes by somewhat “old-fashioned” e-mail.

Jeremiah wrote a letter to a group of Jerusalem exiles taken to Babylon. They were hungry for encouragement.

The messages of Jerusalem’s false prophets (in this case, Ahab and Zedekiah Jer 29.21-23) didn’t help them. They claimed God would soon bring the exiles home. Jeremiah burst these false hopes of a quick fix and planted deeper and better hopes for the future.

Jeremiah’s letter was a harsher truth but a more hopeful message. Instead of waiting for rescue, they should get busy with redemptive work. Even in Babylon, there was good to be found and cultivated and good to be created and begun. Jeremiah told the exiles to settle down and get productive while praying for the good of their new city. Even in captivity, they were called to contribute to their community.

How is this letter relevant to us? In the same way it was relevant to Peter and the churches he wrote to.

In 1 Peter, the apostle didn’t quote Jeremiah’s letter directly, but adapted Jeremiah’s message. In the first sentence, he called his readers “exiles,”  even though many still lived in the cities and cultures they were born in. In the last paragraph, he described the church as “in Babylon,” even though Babylon fell centuries before, and none of his readers lived in that geographical area. Throughout, he echoed Jeremiah’s advice to retain identity and hope, yet do good work for and in “Babylon.” (1 Peter 1.17; 2.11-17; 3.13-17; 4.12-17)

When we step over the line of faith to follow Jesus, we become citizens of a kingdom that is opposed to whatever kingdom we live in. We become exiles and pilgrims in our own country and culture.

Like Jeremiah’s and Peter’s exiles, scripture’s letters are balm for our exile souls. Ultimate hope means knowing that one day we will be rescued from Babylon-like kingdoms when Christ’s kingdom comes in fullness. Meanwhile, we must not idly await rescue but do the work of redemption. There is good to do now while we wait for the good only Christ can do. There is renewal to bring now while we wait for the ultimate renewal Jesus brings. 

Encourage one another with these words. (1 Thess 4.18)

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of culture and calling:

Christ with me. Christ before me. Christ behind me. Christ in me. Christ beneath me. Christ above me. Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise. Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me. Christ in the mouth of everyone who thinks of me. Christ in every eye that sees me. Christ in every ear that hears me. — St. Patrick (385-461)

Read more: Embodied

Our bodies are not meat robots for our souls. We are integrated beings.

Embodied
Read more: Praying Like an Exile

Daniel prayed with prophetic, disruptive purpose…Pray disruptive, unsatisfied prayers…prophetically, pleading with God for wickedness to fall

Praying Like an Exile
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True and Reasonable Faith — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 23  Read: Ezekiel 23 Listen: (7:48)  Read: Ephesians 1 Listen: (3:10)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Oct 24  Read: Ezekiel 24 Listen: (4:13)  Read: Ephesians 2 Listen: (3:04)
Oct 25  Read: Ezekiel 25 Listen: (2:50)  Read:  Ephesians 3 Listen: (2:41)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections about the Bible.

Barbara, TN — Your questions are so good and perfectly reasonable to ask followers of Christ!  Stories of suffering, “vulnerability,“ our stories testifying about what I was like when I abandoned faith and how I have been changed by the living Christ regarding my thoughts, words, and deeds, “stories.”  Stories of my betrayal of faith and the change when I was broken decades ago… and today. The song I sing and whistle most recently is He Will Hold Me Fast!

This post was originally published on July 9, 2026, based on readings from Acts 25.18-19 and Acts 26.24-27.

Scripture Focus: Acts 25.18-19

18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

Acts 26.24-27

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” 

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

Reflection: True and Reasonable Faith — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

Festus was confused by the false charges against Paul. He didn’t even know how to describe the case when sending it to Caesar. Paul’s claims seemed like madness to him.

Many within Greek-influenced Roman culture thought the spirit was a superior form of reality and the body was an inferior shell. The resurrection of the dead was nonsense—more like a curse than a miracle. Later, as Paul spoke of resurrection during his defense, Festus would interrupt, saying, “You are out of your mind!” (Acts 26.24-27)

Paul’s defense included telling the facts of his own life, his previous persecution of “The Way,” and his meeting with the risen Jesus. Paul presented his claims as verifiable facts that “did not happen in a corner” (Acts 26.26) and invited scrutiny of everything, including the resurrection. Even in Paul’s day, all the authority and power of Rome couldn’t disprove Paul’s testimony about Jesus.

Paul’s defense also claimed that his testimony about resurrection was “reasonable” from the Jewish perspective and in light of what was written in the prophets. To Agrippa, a man well-studied in Jewish anthropology and the scriptures, the resurrection of the dead was not madness and Paul’s story apparently seemed quite compelling. (Acts 26.28)

Paul demonstrated that he was innocent of the charges against him. But what is more important is that he demonstrated that Christian claims sprang logically from promises in the Jewish scriptures and that the facts of his life merited serious consideration of his religious claims.

The TV series, The Chosen, imagines a conversation between Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene. In that scene, she says, “I was one way… and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between… was Him.” Even as far removed from the events of the Gospels as we are, we still can bear witness, like Paul and others did, using our own stories.

You may think, “I don’t have a dramatic story. I wasn’t arresting Christians like Paul or possessed by demons like Mary.” But surely Jesus has made a dramatic change in you? Hasn’t he changed the way you think about yourself? Hasn’t he changed the way you think about others? Hasn’t he rooted out of your heart stones and weeds and planted new growth?

Keep testifying to the truth of the resurrection and living out its implications. It is our lives, paired with our words, that make our faith “true and reasonable” to the watching world.

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of the Bible:

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. — Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556)

Read more: Prayer Beyond Petitions

When we envision prayer solely as something we do, as a work of human agency, it is almost impossible not to see it as a ritual designed for our benefit.

Prayer Beyond Petitions—Readers’ Choice
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Unsung Holy Spirit-Inspired Heroes — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 22  Read: Ezekiel 22 Listen: (4:58)   Read: Philemon Listen: (2:52)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections about the Bible.

Russell, Japan — This is a very good reminder. Thanks.
Barbara, TN — We are thankful for the Word! And for your ministry through the Word!

This post was originally published on March 6, 2026, based on readings from Proverbs 25.1.

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 25.1

1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

Reflection: Unsung Holy Spirit-Inspired Heroes — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

The Greeks thought all great works were inspired by “the muses,” who were daughters of Zeus.

Our culture’s inaccurate pictures of “inspiration” are watered down versions of this belief in “muses.” We picture artists languishing, unable to work until inspiration strikes like lightning, spurring frenetic activity and productivity. In reality, that sounds more like mental illness than inspiration. Maybe Plato was partially right when he called inspiration from the muses, “divine madness.”

Our belief that inspiration always comes suddenly is based on stories that are memorable because they are unusual. One day in 1972, Dolly Parton wrote two of her biggest hits, “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” but like most artists, she’d agree that’s the exception, not the rule.

Sudden bursts of inspiration aren’t actually sudden. Creative breakthroughs come from sustained efforts over a long period of time. The sudden flower of inspiration comes from diligently planting, watering, fertilizing, and pruning.

When we describe the Bible as “inspired” by God, take care not to let false, cultural ideas about inspiration creep into our theology. The Holy Spirit is not a muse and might not be amused at being thought of as one.

Biblical authors did not go into trances, losing control of their faculties. When the Holy Spirit caused reactions of this kind with King Saul, it was to humble him and produced nothing worth remembering. (1 Samuel 10.10-13; 1 Samuel 18.10-11; 1 Samuel 19.19-24) Authors like David, Asaph, and Solomon made sustained efforts to pursue God’s wisdom. This led to prodigious output of texts considered as God’s own words.

The inspiration of the Spirit didn’t stop with writing. It included editing, curating, and arranging of texts. Today’s passage notes the “men of Hezekiah” who researched, compiled, and arranged additional proverbs of Solomon, but there are many editors, researchers, and curators to thank for our scriptures. For example, the gospel authors worked hard to investigate and make orderly accounts of events so we can be certain of what we have been taught. (Luke 1.1-4; John 20.30-31; 21.24-25)

Be thankful today for the editors and compilers of scripture as the unsung, Holy Spirit-inspired heroes that they are.

The canon of scripture is closed, but the Holy Spirit is still active and wants to speak through your words and actions. Be a diligent worker (2 Timothy 2.15), making sustained efforts in prayer and the scriptures, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will break out into your life in surprising and sudden ways.

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of the Bible:

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. — Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556)

Read more: Untwisting Scripture

Some Christians spend a lot of time finger-pointing…Some are accused of accommodating today’s culture and others of accommodating past cultures.

Untwisting Scripture
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Worshipping Through Horror — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 21  Read: Ezekiel 21 Listen: (5:29)   Read: Colossians 4 Listen: (2:21)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections about the Bible.

Barbara, TN — Yes, and wow, Erin! Thank you!

This post was originally published on May 13, 2026 based on readings from Habakkuk 3:5-6, 16.

Scripture Focus: Habakkuk 3:5-6, 16

5 Plague went before him;
    pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
    he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
    and the age-old hills collapsed—
    but he marches on forever.

16 I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.

Reflection: Worshipping Through Horror — Readers’ Choice

By Erin Newton

For my doctoral studies, I’ve been researching terrifying imagery in the Old Testament. This means when I’m reading books with titles like Reading the Bible with Horror in public, people are looking at me funny.

The question I get often is, “Why horror?” Most of us feel more comfortable focusing on the pleasant places in the Bible: the psalm about being a sheep snoozing in a gentle green pasture or the story of Jesus feeding the multitude. Like it or not, however, the Bible has lots of scenes that terrify us. And it appears the prophets were a little shaken too.

Habakkuk has been given a vision from God of the impending doom on the wicked nations. Despite the terrifying revelation, he responds with a hymnic prayer. How many hymns have you sung that speak of God heading out to smite the enemy while being flanked by Plague and Pestilence? This type of imagery is good for our modern cinemas, not really for the church choir.

Habakkuk takes the terrifying image of God’s power and wrath and doesn’t flee from it. He encapsulates it in song. He carves it into history through prayer. But at the same time, he’s scared. This isn’t some machismo war-song. His heart is pounding. His lips are quivering. His knees are shaking. He can feel his own fear. Why? Because the image of God’s power has overtaken him.

Brandon Grafius, in Reading the Bible with Horror, highlights the effect of horror movies and literature in our Christian lives. We are sometimes drawn to such artistic expressions because the images typically encapsulate our fears. We fear dying, so there’s a blood-sucking monster. We fear ravaging illness (or global pandemics or virus-laden cruises), so horror would make Plague a monster.

Horror (well-crafted horror) and the Bible (especially the Old Testament) have something in common: “They both experience the realities of life too deeply to tell us that everything is okay when it’s not,” says Grafius. Habakkuk gets that. He’s scared. It’s terrifying. But his prayer admits to the reality of the darker parts of life. He knows God is working, but that doesn’t make everything sunshine and daisies.

Reading the Bible with horror means not avoiding these texts or rushing to make them more pleasant. Sometimes we need to pray about the terrifying realities of our world, knowing God is in our midst.

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of the Bible:

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. — Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556)

Read more: No, Not Like That

We must trust God when he chooses to address evil, whether it is in our hearts, in our institutions, or in our countries.

No, Not Like That
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What Scripture Reveals — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 20  Read: Ezekiel 20 Listen: (9:25)  Read: Colossians 3 Listen: (3:09)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections about the Bible.

Barbara, TN — Thank you, John! Beautifully taught and written! …truly grateful for your consistent life giving daily ministry! Happy new year!
Susan, CA — Thank you so much, John! I am evermore grateful for your thoughtful, Spirit-led ruminations on what God is revealing to you through the Bible…May the reach of Park Forum widen and deepen in 2026.

This post was originally published on December 29, 2025, based on readings from 2 Chronicles 34.14-21.

Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 34.14-21

14 While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses. 15 Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan. 16 Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: “Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. 17 They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers.” 18 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. 19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. 20 He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: 21 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”

Reflection: What Scripture Reveals — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

Truth neglected is often forgotten. Truth forgotten remains true.

Do you remember your times tables? How many digits of pi (𝜋) do you have memorized? How many United States presidents can you name? Can you recite a Shakespearean speech, or a Walt Whitman poem? How many phone numbers do you remember?

From the 1960s through the 1990s, “rote memorization” fell out of favor. Educators emphasized critical thinking and problem solving over retaining facts. Memorization was not abandoned. Facts are the building blocks of critical thinking and problem solving but memorization was de-emphasized. However, the pendulum may swing back. Memorization is making a comeback in some educational areas. 

Memorization is an Ai-proof assignment. You can’t have an Ai assistant recite the Gettysburg Address for you. And when great speeches, poems, or sections of the Constitution are memorized, more than rote words are learned. The thinking and logic sinks in.

Memorization fades without reinforcement. However, truths forgotten remain true. Six times seven remains forty-two even if we forget and Hamlet’s speech beginning, “To be or not to be,” in Act 3, Scene 1 remains a profound reflection on death, suffering, and injustice regardless of our inability to recite it from memory. (Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1)

The generations before Josiah neglected, then forgot the scripture. That didn’t stop scripture from being true or his covenant with the people from being binding. God showed mercy based on the people’s response to discovering what was forgotten. Are you discovering things in scripture? How are you responding?

Scripture doesn’t have to be lost for generations for us to discover new things every day. Like Josiah, let discoveries in scripture spur you to action. Discoveries will be sometimes joyous and sometimes convicting. Respond appropriately and experience the mercy of God.

There’s no Ai tool that can hide God’s word in your heart for you. Memorization alone cannot do it either. Scripture requires meditation, reflection, and response. When the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, it isn’t just facts or laws. (John 16.13) Truth is embodied with wisdom, application, and action. (1 John 2.3-6) This is what it means to hide God’s word in your heart.

Scripture contains commands and claims but is not primarily facts to be known or rules to enforce. Scripture’s purpose is revealing the nature of God in Jesus and conforming us to that image through the Holy Spirit.

Read, reflect, and respond to scripture to embody Jesus to those around you.

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of the Bible:

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. — Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556)

Read more: Listen and Change

When was the last time you listened to a brother or sister in Christ…and you changed? …repented? …admitted you were wrong?

Listen and Change
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