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 APRIL 1, 2019

Scripture

Psalm 145

1  I will extol you, my God and King,
         and bless your name forever and ever.
2  Every day I will bless you,
         and praise your name forever and ever.
3  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
         his greatness is unsearchable.

4  One generation shall laud your works to another,
         and shall declare your mighty acts.
5  On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
         and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6  The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
         and I will declare your greatness.
7  They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
         and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8  The Lord is gracious and merciful,
         slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9  The Lord is good to all,
         and his compassion is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
         and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
         and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
         and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
         and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

   The Lord is faithful in all his words,
        and gracious in all his deeds.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling,
         and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
         and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand,
         satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways,
         and kind in all his doings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
         to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
         he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,
         but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
         and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

Devotional

Roderick (Rick) Mason, Church Planting and Revitalization / Ruling Elder, Mosaic Community Church, and Assistant Director of Service & Leadership, The Pittsburgh Project, Pittsburgh, Pa.

As the Psalmist speaks of the unsearchable greatness of the God we serve and how He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, I am reminded of how often this world that we live in falls short of the greatness of our God.

As I look at my wife, pregnant with our second child, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for holding our little one in our arms. I am equally filled with fear and concern as we bring this innocent child into a dark world, where hate seems to be the norm. At times, when I am walking down the street as a black man in America, I am abundantly aware of my race and how others may perceive me. They make assumptions about me without knowing me, and I in turn make assumptions about them. I am thankful that, though we live in a flawed world where, as a black man, I am not always seen as a person worthy of love and compassion, I can feel confident in the word of God, which declares, “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made” (v. 9). The same God who created me also created that fearful person walking down the street and created the child growing in my wife’s womb.

In this dark world we live in, it is sometimes hard to see the light. But we as children of God are called not only to see the light but also to be the light. Part of being that light is using my mouth to speak about the greatness of the Lord and to sing His praises. Just when I am almost overcome with fear, I recall the words of the psalmist, “One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate” (vv. 4-5). I will surely meditate on your wondrous works, Lord! I will rejoice in my opportunity to laud your works and declare your mighty acts to my children—another generation! Thanks, be to God!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, my God, and King! I come before you in awe of your greatness. I pray that in those times of frustration that I will be gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love as you are so often with us, your children. I thank you, Lord, for upholding me when I am falling and raising me up when I am bowed down. I thank you and praise you for filling all my desires, hearing my cry, and saving me! Amen.

Lent Devotional APRIL 1, 2019

Scripture

Psalm 145

1  I will extol you, my God and King,
         and bless your name forever and ever.
2  Every day I will bless you,
         and praise your name forever and ever.
3  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
         his greatness is unsearchable.

4  One generation shall laud your works to another,
         and shall declare your mighty acts.
5  On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
         and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6  The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
         and I will declare your greatness.
7  They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
         and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8  The Lord is gracious and merciful,
         slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9  The Lord is good to all,
         and his compassion is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
         and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
         and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
         and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
         and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

   The Lord is faithful in all his words,
        and gracious in all his deeds.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling,
         and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
         and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand,
         satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways,
         and kind in all his doings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
         to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
         he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,
         but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
         and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

Devotional

Roderick (Rick) Mason, Church Planting and Revitalization / Ruling Elder, Mosaic Community Church, and Assistant Director of Service & Leadership, The Pittsburgh Project, Pittsburgh, Pa.

As the Psalmist speaks of the unsearchable greatness of the God we serve and how He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, I am reminded of how often this world that we live in falls short of the greatness of our God.

As I look at my wife, pregnant with our second child, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for holding our little one in our arms. I am equally filled with fear and concern as we bring this innocent child into a dark world, where hate seems to be the norm. At times, when I am walking down the street as a black man in America, I am abundantly aware of my race and how others may perceive me. They make assumptions about me without knowing me, and I in turn make assumptions about them. I am thankful that, though we live in a flawed world where, as a black man, I am not always seen as a person worthy of love and compassion, I can feel confident in the word of God, which declares, “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made” (v. 9). The same God who created me also created that fearful person walking down the street and created the child growing in my wife’s womb.

In this dark world we live in, it is sometimes hard to see the light. But we as children of God are called not only to see the light but also to be the light. Part of being that light is using my mouth to speak about the greatness of the Lord and to sing His praises. Just when I am almost overcome with fear, I recall the words of the psalmist, “One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate” (vv. 4-5). I will surely meditate on your wondrous works, Lord! I will rejoice in my opportunity to laud your works and declare your mighty acts to my children—another generation! Thanks, be to God!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, my God, and King! I come before you in awe of your greatness. I pray that in those times of frustration that I will be gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love as you are so often with us, your children. I thank you, Lord, for upholding me when I am falling and raising me up when I am bowed down. I thank you and praise you for filling all my desires, hearing my cry, and saving me! Amen.

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!