Lent Devotional March 5, 2026

Scripture

Mark 4:21-34

21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket or under the bed and not on the lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 If you have ears to hear, then hear!” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and it will be added to you. 25 For to those who have, more will be given, and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.”

30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Devotion

The Rev. Dr. Michael W. Galica ’25

One of my spouse’s favorite movies is The Magic of Ordinary Days from 2005. This Hallmark movie tells the story of Livy (played by Keri Russell) after her arranged marriage to a farmer named Ray (Skeet Ulrich). It follows their relationship as they live their rather ordinary lives in rural Colorado during World War II, though they get up to a few adventures to keep the viewer interested and develop their relationship. As the title suggests, through the “magic” of those ordinary days they eventually come to know and understand one another, fall in love, and live happily ever after together.

Today’s Scripture reading from Mark’s gospel describes a different set of ordinary things: a lamp, someone scattering seed, and a mustard seed. A lamp is ordinary. It’s a tool that brightens dark places. Seeds are also ordinary. They turn into plants, even if for non-gardeners like me, the process is a bit confusing. Yet these are the examples Jesus gives when He describes the reign of God to His disciples—an ordinary lamp and ordinary seeds.

Our Lenten adventure invites us to look at things differently, to see with Spirit-filled eyes. We are often tempted to look for the reign of God in extraordinary places. We want to look for God’s reign in places of power, places of strength, places that are extraordinary. Yes, the reign of God is there, but the words of Jesus also point us in a different direction: toward the ordinary. We bear witness to the reign of God in the “everyday” of our Christian life—not just the “big” or “special” moments, but in all the ways we live out our identity as the Body of Christ. Jesus’ words invite us to bear witness to God’s reign in the ordinary, everyday paths our lives take.

Prayer

Holy God, as a lamp reveals what is hidden, open our eyes to see Your reign in this Lenten, and every, season. Empower us by Your Spirit to proclaim Your reign in our ordinary and our everyday and to follow the example of Jesus Christ, in Whose name we pray. Amen.

ABOUT PITTSBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

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

Become a Hybrid Student

PTS Neighborhood Collaborative Resource 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), Center for Adaptive and Innovative Ministry, Continuing Education, Faith Forming Families Network, Kelso Museum, Metro-Urban Institute, Miller Summer Youth Institute, and World Mission Initiative. Alums, there's also one for you!