Coming to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was a huge adjustment for me. It wasn’t just an issue about being away from home. In all honesty, it was an issue about how I was outside of my comfort zone. I had my own personal circle of friends. We would spend a lot of time together. Togetherness was a part of that plan.

When my wife and I moved to Pittsburgh (in the middle of the second term of my first year), I was losing close-knit relationships with my friends from home. It quickly became apparent to me that no one truly was an island unto themselves. I needed to reach out and make new friends.

Of course there was apprehension at first. After all, I was worried about looking like a fool or saying something stupid. What if I could not find anyone that shared my interests? It was then, at that point, that I decided that I was going about this the wrong way. I was not here just because I wanted to be here. I felt the call of God in my life. I was sure that God had called me to this place at this time. Why, then, was I worried about being happy here?

The good news came when I finally let go and trusted God to fulfill God’s promises. God opened up to me some of the best friends I have ever had the honor of knowing. The idea of community is talked about often here on campus. People worry about this idea and want community to be this important idea. The good news is that it really is! The love of Christ abounds here. God has formed this place to be a community of believers and friends and we can be thankful for that.

Sam, senior MDiv student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

When I was visiting seminaries and discerning where I should begin my theological studies, Pittsburgh didn’t exactly top my list. In fact, it wasn’t even on my radar. There were no dubious reasons for this. I just didn’t have any context for Pittsburgh. Thanks be to God that a faculty member and friend of the family put PTS on the map for me. Upon visiting, I was thoroughly surprised by how much this city has to offer by way of art, culture, history, and recreation. For me, it was imperative that I have opportunities to indulge my penchants for the arts in the midst of seminary life. Needless to say, I was thrilled that Pittsburgh is rampant with museums, theaters, park systems, historical sites, and a legitimate food scene.

Pittsburgh is brimming with affordable ways to experience all that this city has to offer. In fact, as we speak, Pittsburgh’s 10th Annual RADical DAYS is in full swing. Allegheny’s RAD which stands for Regional Asset District “has provided more than $1.2 billion in grants to Pittsburgh’s regional assets to help create a vibrant region that invests in its future.” RADical Days, which began Sept. 24 and run through Oct. 16, offers FREE admissions, performances, and activities! Visit the website to learn more about the organization and their offerings (click on hyperlinks above and below).

Here is a list of remaining events for RADical DAYS:Thurs., Oct. 13, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Free admission at 2:00 p.m. Frid., Oct. 14, National Aviary: World Egg Day, Free admission from10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The Andy Warhol Museum, Free admission from 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, Free admission  from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Sat., Oct. 15, Classical WQED-FM 89.3 (Carolyn M. Byham Studio), Free admission from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Free admission from 11a.m.-12:00 p.m., Pittsburgh Opera and Attack Theatre, Free admission from 12:00-1:00 p.m., Attack Theatre’s Game Day, Free admissionfrom 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Friends, take a break from work and studying. Take full advantage of what Pittsburgh is offering this weekend. Go out and play! It doesn’t get any better than FREE.

Melanie

M.Div Student, Senior

Missional Theology

As seminary students we often hear the importance of prioritizing our spiritual disciplines in the midst of academia. While we work to maintain a semblance of routine, the rigors of our studies, responsibilities to our families and friends, and the demands of work and ministry often leave very little by way of devoted time with our Lord. We relegate our offerings to the Almighty God to mere leftovers. Yet we know that meditating on God’s Word and praying for our neighbors, praying for the nations, even praying for our enemies, allows us to be centered in Christ. Consequently, everything else in our day is an extension of that gracious encounter with the Almighty.

One of the various ways that Pittsburgh Theological Seminary encourages this sustaining practice is through the Company of New Pastors program. A group of seminary students in their senior year of their theological education who are preparing to enter the ordained ministry in the PCUSA, convene monthly with a faculty member and discuss the meaning of each ordination vow. This group which I am grateful to be a part of, covenants to follow the daily lectionary readings of Scripture as well as the Confessional readings from the Reformed tradition, while being committed to pray for the Church and for one another.

This morning, I was struck by the passages from our daily readings which lifted out themes of healing and renewal by faith (2011 Lectionary Schedule). The Confessional reading today comes from the Westminister Confessions of Faith 6.187-.190, Of the Gospel of the Love of God and Missions. “Christ hath commissioned his Church to go into all the world and to make disciples of all nations. All believers are, therefore, under obligation to sustain the ordinances of the Christian religion where they are already established, and to contribute by their prayers, gifts, and personal efforts to the extension of the Kingdom of Christ throughout the whole Earth.”

I am grateful that in response to these readings, we as students at PTS are afforded the opportunities to live this out faithfully WHILE we are here. We have opportunities to learn about the urban context and urban ministry through the Metro-Urban Institute. We are encouraged to participate in global missions through trips offered by the World Mission Initiative located right here on campus. There are even student organizations like the Peace and Justice group that provide ways to engage in our local community and to give rise to the voice of justice in the world.

It is a privilege to participate in the minstry of Christ through these various means on our campus. However, all that we do for the sake of the Kingdom cannot come from us. When we neglect our own spiritual lives we risk the very work that we have been called to be a part of. The work of the Kingdom happens when we orientate our hearts, our minds, and our lives to the One who was, who is ,and is to come. I’m so glad that I am in a community that teaches me how to do this more faithfully at every turn.

Melanie, senior MDiv student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary