Always Made New: Formed and Reformed is a project of First Lutheran Church in partnership with the Downtown Pittsburgh Ministerium to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. This project aims to be a contemporary version of the Reformation conversation, inviting the people of Pittsburgh to share their own stories about life changes.
Always Made New project leaders and volunteers conducted brief interviews at public sites in downtown Pittsburgh, inviting any interested person in Pittsburgh to share a story about a time of meaningful change. The stories are as diverse as the participants: positive and negative, dramatic and commonplace, resolved and not resolved. The interviews have been recorded and each participant professionally photographed by local fine art and events photographer, Sean Carroll.
The collected interviews have been installed in art exhibits titled Stations of Reformation on private properties downtown, mounted on windows and doors as a modern analogue to the church door at Wittenberg where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517. The exhibits will be displayed throughout October 2017.
The conclusion of the project will be marked on Sunday, 29 October 2017 with a 2:00 pm community pilgrimage walk (0.75 mile), which departs from First Lutheran Church (615 Grant Street) and goes to many of the installations downtown. At each station, we will hear an extended quote from the interview and pray for our neighbors who are navigating similar challenges.
The afternoon will culminate in a special prayer service at 4:00 PM at First Lutheran Church. The service will include music by the Pittsburgh Compline Choir and led by Roman Catholic and Lutheran clergy, along with leaders of the Downtown Pittsburgh Ministerium. The Rev. Kurt F. Kusserow, bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will preach.
The Downtown Pittsburgh Ministerium exists to provide a united witness to the gospel in the heart of the City of Pittsburgh, especially remembering Jesus’ care for the homeless, the poor, and the forgotten. Its membership comprises the clergy of the churches, ministries, and non-profit social service organizations which are located in the downtown community and adjacent neighborhoods.
Always Made New 