Lenten Devotional

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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.

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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 22, 2018

Scripture

Exodus 7:25-8:19

25 Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile. 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 3 The river shall swarm with frogs; they shall come up into your palace, into your bedchamber and your bed, and into the houses of your officials and of your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials.’” 5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the canals, and the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought frogs up on the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, “Pray to the LORD to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Kindly tell me when I am to pray for you and for your officials and for your people, that the frogs may be removed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” 10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “As you say! So that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God, 11 the frogs shall leave you and your houses and your officials and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile.” 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs that he had brought upon Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did as Moses requested: the frogs died in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.’” 17 And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came on humans and animals alike; all the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals. 19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Devotional

Written by Dr. Helen Blier, PTS Director of Continuing Education

“Won’t they ever learn?” I think each year when the lectionary revisits the ten plagues. It’s one of those cinematic or literary devices that just packs on the anxiety—we know the pattern, we anticipate the outcome, and despite all our frets and protests . . . it happens. Again. And again. And again. And I admit to feeling a bit smug when I see how stubborn and clueless Pharaoh and his minions are.

Today’s exercise in frustration brings us strikes two and three in the “Pharaoh-just-won’t-get-the-memo” storyline. And strike three is followed by seven more; I mean seriously. How many of us would like to think we’d have cried “Uncle!” at cleaning up piles of dead frogs? Enough, already! No one should need the gnats, boils, darkness, and the rest!

But it goes on. And because they just won’t see, children die. And I think, “Lord, have mercy.”

This year, I am struck by the ways in which we are more Pharoah than Hebrew. I bet that, given a pen and a few minutes, anyone reading this devotional could come up with a list of plagues that bring suffering to our fellow human beings—and the creative ways we harden our hearts by resigning ourselves to the suffering because “it is what it is” or—forgive us—we blame the victims. Whether it’s opiate-related deaths in Allegheny county (over 700 in 2017), children dying from gunshots in the U.S. (1300 a year), people dying from hunger worldwide (an estimated 9 million each year), or the persistence of racism, human trafficking, the elevation of profits over persons in economic systems . . . Lord, have mercy.

Prayer

God of redemption, Lent marches inexorably to the death of another firstborn. As we turn toward Holy Week, may you finally peel away the parts of our hearts that have become like Pharaoh’s and commit ourselves to seeing and responding to the suffering of our neighbors near and far. We make this petition in the name of your own Son, whom you saw suffer and die as well.

Lent Devotional March 22, 2018

Scripture

Exodus 7:25-8:19

25 Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile. 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 3 The river shall swarm with frogs; they shall come up into your palace, into your bedchamber and your bed, and into the houses of your officials and of your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials.’” 5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the canals, and the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought frogs up on the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, “Pray to the LORD to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Kindly tell me when I am to pray for you and for your officials and for your people, that the frogs may be removed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” 10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “As you say! So that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God, 11 the frogs shall leave you and your houses and your officials and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile.” 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs that he had brought upon Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did as Moses requested: the frogs died in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.’” 17 And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came on humans and animals alike; all the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals. 19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Devotional

Written by Dr. Helen Blier, PTS Director of Continuing Education

“Won’t they ever learn?” I think each year when the lectionary revisits the ten plagues. It’s one of those cinematic or literary devices that just packs on the anxiety—we know the pattern, we anticipate the outcome, and despite all our frets and protests . . . it happens. Again. And again. And again. And I admit to feeling a bit smug when I see how stubborn and clueless Pharaoh and his minions are.

Today’s exercise in frustration brings us strikes two and three in the “Pharaoh-just-won’t-get-the-memo” storyline. And strike three is followed by seven more; I mean seriously. How many of us would like to think we’d have cried “Uncle!” at cleaning up piles of dead frogs? Enough, already! No one should need the gnats, boils, darkness, and the rest!

But it goes on. And because they just won’t see, children die. And I think, “Lord, have mercy.”

This year, I am struck by the ways in which we are more Pharoah than Hebrew. I bet that, given a pen and a few minutes, anyone reading this devotional could come up with a list of plagues that bring suffering to our fellow human beings—and the creative ways we harden our hearts by resigning ourselves to the suffering because “it is what it is” or—forgive us—we blame the victims. Whether it’s opiate-related deaths in Allegheny county (over 700 in 2017), children dying from gunshots in the U.S. (1300 a year), people dying from hunger worldwide (an estimated 9 million each year), or the persistence of racism, human trafficking, the elevation of profits over persons in economic systems . . . Lord, have mercy.

Prayer

God of redemption, Lent marches inexorably to the death of another firstborn. As we turn toward Holy Week, may you finally peel away the parts of our hearts that have become like Pharaoh’s and commit ourselves to seeing and responding to the suffering of our neighbors near and far. We make this petition in the name of your own Son, whom you saw suffer and die as well.

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!