Lent Devotional 2019

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About Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Rooted in the Reformed tradition, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is committed to the formation of women and men for theologically reflective ministry and to scholarship in service to the global Church of Jesus Christ.

Become a Student

Certificate Programs

Special Programs

Faculty

In addition to their on-campus duties, our faculty are experts in their fields and are available to preach and teach. Learn more about their topics of research and writing and invite them to present at your congregation or gathering.

Events

The Seminary hosts a wide range of events—many of them free!—on topics of faith including church planting, mission, vocation, spiritual formation, pastoral care and counseling, archaeology, and many more. Visit our calendar often for a listing of upcoming events.

Visit PTS

Interested in the Seminary? Come visit us!

Stay in Touch with PTS

Sign-up to receive the Seminary's newsletters: Seminary News (monthly), Church Planting Initiative (monthly), Continuing Education (monthly), World Mission Initiative (monthly), Metro-Urban Institute (quarterly), and Kelso Museum. Alums, there's also one for you!

Lent Devotional MARCH 26, 2019

Scripture

Psalm 91

1  You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
         who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2  will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress;
         my God, in whom I trust.”
3  For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
         and from the deadly pestilence;
4  he will cover you with his pinions,
         and under his wings you will find refuge;
         his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5  You will not fear the terror of the night,
         or the arrow that flies by day,
6  or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
         or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7  A thousand may fall at your side,
         ten thousand at your right hand,
         but it will not come near you.
8  You will only look with your eyes
         and see the punishment of the wicked.

9  Because you have made the LORD your refuge,
         the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you,
         no scourge come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
         to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
         so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder,
         the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

14 Those who love me, I will deliver;
         I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them;
         I will be with them in trouble,
         I will rescue them and honor them.

16 With long life I will satisfy them,
         and show them my salvation.

Devotional

M. Courtenay Willcox, Church Planting and Revitalization Certificate / Graduate Student, United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg, Pa.

The Psalms address the span of human emotions, from praise to lament, from gratitude to grief. Especially during Lent, as I seek to find my wilderness footing, Psalm 91 grounds and convicts me of God’s profound care, love, and presence. This Psalm offers hope of God’s protection. We live in a world where that need of protection is a daily reality. We face natural disasters, but daily we witness or read about disasters made from human hands. Those human misunderstandings and misinterpretations play out through hateful words, acts of violence, and not recognizing or caring for our neighbor. But consider the whole of humankind huddled under the shelter of the Most High—what might it be like? What a wonderful place to gather. The promise that God is our refuge and fortress and the realization that we rest in the shadow of the Almighty makes for powerful and heady stuff. But they do not occur by default. They require our trust in God. That trust comes from a relationship, not with a God who is “over us” or “for us,” but rather a God who is “with us.” The triune God walks with us, knows us, and loves us; and so, in return, we trust in God.

Prayer

Hearer of our hearts, show up in our lives in unmistakable ways; startle us to notice your presence and call. Challenge us to walk with you in all that we are and all that we do; challenge us to walk with our neighbor. Let us discern the path you have put before us. As we trust in you, let us seek refuge in the shadow of the Almighty and live in the shelter of the Most High.

Lent Devotional MARCH 26, 2019

Scripture

Psalm 91

1  You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
         who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2  will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress;
         my God, in whom I trust.”
3  For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
         and from the deadly pestilence;
4  he will cover you with his pinions,
         and under his wings you will find refuge;
         his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5  You will not fear the terror of the night,
         or the arrow that flies by day,
6  or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
         or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7  A thousand may fall at your side,
         ten thousand at your right hand,
         but it will not come near you.
8  You will only look with your eyes
         and see the punishment of the wicked.

9  Because you have made the LORD your refuge,
         the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you,
         no scourge come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
         to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
         so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder,
         the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

14 Those who love me, I will deliver;
         I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them;
         I will be with them in trouble,
         I will rescue them and honor them.

16 With long life I will satisfy them,
         and show them my salvation.

Devotional

M. Courtenay Willcox, Church Planting and Revitalization Certificate / Graduate Student, United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg, Pa.

The Psalms address the span of human emotions, from praise to lament, from gratitude to grief. Especially during Lent, as I seek to find my wilderness footing, Psalm 91 grounds and convicts me of God’s profound care, love, and presence. This Psalm offers hope of God’s protection. We live in a world where that need of protection is a daily reality. We face natural disasters, but daily we witness or read about disasters made from human hands. Those human misunderstandings and misinterpretations play out through hateful words, acts of violence, and not recognizing or caring for our neighbor. But consider the whole of humankind huddled under the shelter of the Most High—what might it be like? What a wonderful place to gather. The promise that God is our refuge and fortress and the realization that we rest in the shadow of the Almighty makes for powerful and heady stuff. But they do not occur by default. They require our trust in God. That trust comes from a relationship, not with a God who is “over us” or “for us,” but rather a God who is “with us.” The triune God walks with us, knows us, and loves us; and so, in return, we trust in God.

Prayer

Hearer of our hearts, show up in our lives in unmistakable ways; startle us to notice your presence and call. Challenge us to walk with you in all that we are and all that we do; challenge us to walk with our neighbor. Let us discern the path you have put before us. As we trust in you, let us seek refuge in the shadow of the Almighty and live in the shelter of the Most High.

About Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Rooted in the Reformed tradition, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is committed to the formation of women and men for theologically reflective ministry and to scholarship in service to the global Church of Jesus Christ.

Become a Student

Certificate Programs

Special Programs

Faculty

In addition to their on-campus duties, our faculty are experts in their fields and are available to preach and teach. Learn more about their topics of research and writing and invite them to present at your congregation or gathering.

Events

The Seminary hosts a wide range of events—many of them free!—on topics of faith including church planting, mission, vocation, spiritual formation, pastoral care and counseling, archaeology, and many more. Visit our calendar often for a listing of upcoming events.

Visit PTS

Interested in the Seminary? Come visit us!

Stay in Touch with PTS

Sign-up to receive the Seminary's newsletters: Seminary News (monthly), Church Planting Initiative (monthly), Continuing Education (monthly), World Mission Initiative (monthly), Metro-Urban Institute (quarterly), and Kelso Museum. Alums, there's also one for you!