Links for today’s readings:
Oct 5 Read: Ezekiel 5 Listen: (3:28) Read: Romans 8 Listen: (6:22)
Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:
This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections on prayer and devotion.
Barbara, TN — Thank you, John. We have firsthand stories of Mister Rogers in his very neighborhood as Pittsburghers! We and our children and everybody else in Pittsburgh treasured his consistent Christlike behavior! And he continues to be an excellent example of a follower of Christ in a difficult world.
This post was originally published on April 16, 2026, based on readings from Matthew 20.25-26.
Scripture Focus: Matthew 20.25-26
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
Reflection: Prayer in our Vocation — Readers’ Choice
By John Tillman
In his book, Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer, C.S. Lewis complained that he found it ironically unhelpful to turn into a church for midday prayers.
There always seems to be someone practicing the organ or noisily going about cleaning and mopping. “Of course, blessings on her,” Lewis says. “‘Work is prayer,’ and her enacted oratio is probably worth ten times my spoken one.”
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 does not have to be a staff member of a church or an employee of a Christian ministry (or even a volunteer, noisily cleaning up the sanctuary and disturbing an Oxford don’s prayers) to turn grudging occupation into prayerful vocation.
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.
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 prayer and devotion:
Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly, day by day. Amen. — Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)
Read more: Unprecedented Peace
War is so entrenched…Violence so widely lauded as a solution. Christians can shine in darkness by clinging to our identity as people of peace.
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?
