Join Us for a Summer in the City

Cinema in the Park 
Grab a blanket and head out for an unforgettable evening of cinema under the stars at Flagstaff Hill (Schenley Park across from the Phipps).  We will be meeting after Jonah’s Call at dusk on the dates listed below:

Sunday July 12th at dusk City of Ember
Summary: For generations, the people of the City of Ember have languished in a world of artificial lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing ... and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, two teenagers in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, and help the citizens escape before the lights go out forever.

Sunday, August, 9th at dusk The Tale Depseraux
Summary: The Tale Depseraux is the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. Adapted into an animated film in 2008, this Newbery Medal winning children's fantasy book written by Kate DiCamillo tells the story of a mouse, named Despereaux, on a quest to rescue a beautiful human princess. 

Bach, Beethoven and Brunch 
(Mellon Park at Fifth and Shady Avenues) 
Satisfy your appetite for classical music by treating yourself to a special Sunday morning composed of Bach, Beethoven and Brunch. This will be a good opportunity to connect with folks and invite others to join you for church at 5:00pm at Jonah’s Call. 

Sunday, July 26th from 

10:30am – 12:00pm
Allegheny Brass Band
The ABB is a British-style brass band — the only one in Western Pennsylvania, in fact, that still adheres strictly to its roots across the Atlantic. 

Sun, August 16th from 10:30am – 12:00pm 

Renaissance City Winds
The Renaissance City Winds has become one of Pennsylvania's foremost chamber ensembles since its founding in 1975.  Touring takes the group throughout the eastern United States, with past appearances at the Kennedy Center, New York's famed Carnegie Recital Hall, and the Pennsylvania Governor's Home.

The Summer of Love Sermon Series

“What’s love got to do, got to do with it? What’s love, but a second hand emotion?”

I once had Tina Turner’s mid 80’s hit, What’s Love Got to Do With It stuck in my head for more that a week. I would wake up every morning humming, “What’s love, but a second hand emotion?” It was terrible. You may have gotten a love song stuck in your head at some time. After all, there are enough songs written about love and the loss of love that we could each have one of our very own stuck in our heads and there would still be more to go around for everyone. Love is the subject of songs, poems, letters, TV drama’s and courtroom sadness. But, what is love? The epistle of First John gives us an incredible treatise on love. During the summer of 2009 (July 12th to September 20th) Jonah’s Call will discover the nature of Love found in God’s Word. Please join us. 

JULY 

July 12th 1 John 1:1-4 Love is Flesh & Bone

July 19th 1 John 1:5-2:2 Love Hates Evil

July 26th 1 John 2:3-11 Love is Obedient 

AUGUST
August 2nd 1 John 2:12-17 What to Love and What Not to Love

August 9th 1 John 2:18-29 Love Tells No Lies

August 16th 1 John 3:1-10 Father Love

August 23rd  1 John 3:11-24 Love is Real

August 30th  1 John 4:1-6 True Love and False Love

SEPTEMBER 

September 6th 1 John 4:7-20 God is Love 

September 13th  1 John 5:1-12 Love is Everlasting

September 20th  1 John 5;13-21 Love is Confident

Joy Ike and Jonah's Call

With Josh Moyer, Director of Music at Jonah's Call, on vacation for a few weeks, we have the priviledge of having Joy Ike with us. 

Check out Joy's Music at HERE

Check out Joy's music from Joanhs Call
Joy Ike- Offering  

Joy Ike- Wonderful Maker

Amber Croce of Orange Sky Designs

It only takes a single visit to Jonah's Call to realize that our community is full of really creative and gifted folks. Amber Croce recently emailed me a design for our Bach Beethoven and Brunch gatherings that are a part of our effort to engage the city as Christians. She has a great aesthetic and I am really looking forward to seeing more of her work in our midst. You can check out Amber's blogsite at orangeskydesigns.blogspot.com

   

WORD FM: The Seven Deadly Sins (101.5)

I had a great time last week talking to John Hall, and Kathy Emmons on WORD FM as a guest for their Seven Deadly Sins Series. 

Lust - Pastor Jay Slocum from Jonah's Call (LISTEN)

HERE AR THE NOTES FROM THE SHOW

Of course, LUST includes sex, but the biblical view of lust is really far more complex and layered. It ends up making all of us culpable. 

Intro: Lust come from the word- Epi-thumia 

Epi- Over intense- turbo-charged Desires- Good things that overcome us or obsess us or enthrall us to the point that we cannot live without them. They become our functional Gods.  

IDOLS- Inordinate Desires for Objects of Love 

1 John 2:16 

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. 

I. The Lust of the Flesh 

1. Sex and Relationships, 2. Work and Play, 3. Food and Drink 

Sex and Relationships 

Can't Stop (Thinking About You) Maroon 5 

All alone in my room, think of you at a rate that is truly alarming/ I keep looping my memories of you in my head, I pretend that you want me/ And I fall asleep and dream of alternate realities/ And I put myself at ease by pretending that she still loves me/ And I can't stop thinking about you And I can't stop thinking about you/ You never call, what do I do? And I can't stop thinking about your love 

“Chastity is the most unpopular of the Christian virtues. There is no getting away from it: the old Christian rule is, "Either marriage, with complete faithfulness to your partner, or else total abstinence.  Now this is so difficult and so contrary to our instincts, that obviously either Christianity is wrong or our sexual instinct, as it now is, has gone wrong. One or the other. If a healthy young man indulged his sexual appetite whenever he felt inclined, and if each act produced a baby, then in ten years he might easily populate a small village. This appetite is in ludicrous and preposterous excess of its function. You can get a large audience together for a strip-tease act—that is, to watch a girl undress on the stage. Now suppose you came to a country where you could fill a theatre by simply bringing a covered plate on to the stage and then slowly lifting the cover so as to let every one see, just before the lights went out, that it contained a mutton chop or a bit of bacon, would you not think that in that country something had gone wrong with the appetite for food?” CS Lewis Mere Christianity 

Work and Play Mike Reno from Loverboy 

Everybody's working for the weekend/
Everybody wants a little romance/
Everybody's goin' off the deep end/
Everybody needs a second chance, oh/
You want a piece of my heart/
You better start from start/
You wanna be in the show/
Come on baby lets go Food and Drink Rehab Amy Winehouse The man said 'why do you think you here' / I said 'I got no idea/ I'm gonna, I'm gonna lose my baby / so I always keep a bottle near'/ He said 'I just think you're depressed, / this me, yeah baby, and the rest'/ They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'/ Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know/ 

II. The Lust of the Eyes

Ezekiel 20:24 

“Because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their fathers' idols.” 

Beauty and Distraction 

"Recently, I was driving through Los Angeles. Suddenly, I had the strange sensation of driving through a huge dictionary. Wherever I looked their were words their were words trying to keep my eyes from the road. They said, "Use me, take me, buy me, drink me, eat me, smell me, touch me, kiss me, sleep with me." Henri Nouwen as quoted in Fit Bodies fat Minds by Os Guiness. P94.

Watching the Gladiators  

“As he saw that blood, he drank in savageness at the same time. He did not turn away, but fixed his sight on it, and drank in madness without knowing it. He took delight in that evil struggle, and he became drunk on blood and pleasure. He was no longer the man who entered there, but only one of the crowd that he had joined, and a true comrade of those who brought him there. What more shall I say? He looked, he shouted, he took fire, he bore away with himself a madness that should arouse him to return, not only with those who had drawn him there, but even before them, and dragging along others as well.” (p. 145). Augustine’s Confession  

III. Desire What You were Designed For

The Longing For The Father’s Love "Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger; well there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim; well there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire; well there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not mean that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.”   Mere Christianity CS Lewis 

Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. The Problem of Pain,  CS Lewis

Anger - Chris Marshall, Pastor, New Life Christian Ministries 

Pride - The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman - Assistant Rector St. Stephens Church

Sloth - Father Tom Soroka St. Nicholas Orthodox Church 

Greed - Dr. Bruce Bickle - President Transformational

Righteousness- The Breastplate

Freedom- The Belt of Truth

Freedom

by Josh Garrels

 

Professional or beginner

doesn’t matter

every sinner is a prisoner

in a body that is subject to time

now my entwined mind

tries to form a straight line

not like twisted scoliosis

of the spinal chord

 

Construct

cross eyed carpenters

are cuttin’ crooked lines

can’t construct

man made shrines

when the winds in the water 

move the sand of time

 

Many minds on the deadline

yet live life

like a live wire

I am not tired

of blood and fire

Spirits movin’ higher

than the green grass ever lifted me

Spirit’s movin’ higher

than anything else ever lifted you

 

We got Spirituality

its livin’ in us like a one and three

injustice is concerning me

in the no-linear eternity

I am speaking paradoxically

but you can nod your head

now when you understand me

 

This is for my free men

whose backs won’t bend

in the lion’s den

now with their eyes

on the ending

this is for my free women

they fight with their love

the devourers of

our children

 

Free men whose backs won’t bend

in the lion’s den

now with their eyes

on the ending

this is for my free women

they fight with their love

the devourers of our children

 

We shine like lights exposing

what lies underneath decomposing

on earth those chains that are rusted

oh sweet Lord is that what I trusted in

that sin

that Tom foolery

eh

what it is mental jewelry

that I adorned myself with

the enemies gifts

the man made myths

the ignorant bliss

of marijuana spliffs

and alcoholic fits

I got so sick and tired of it

 

To live when I am redeemed

by Christ I mean

its time to start livin’

and get a reason for the rhyme

 

I don’t want to be dead wrong on the deadline

standin on the dark side

and all out of time

like a blind pantomime’s fantasize

climb up his own ladder

to the sunshine

 

Nothin mine

that hasn’t been given

no ones alive here

that hasn’t been risen

for nineteen years

I was trapped in a prison

feeding my escape

by means of derision

but every man made attempt

just failed

when trapped in a jail

of my own guilt

shame

and iniquity

 

I was looking for freedom

how’d I find freedom

Oh freedom

from all of this

 

He said believe

he said believe

Who are you telling me to believe

he said I am the Christ

oh

he said I am the Christ

so I believed

Freedom

LEARNING HOW TO DIE- SALVATION

Never Too Late to Turn Around-

The choices you make might be mistakes but it's never too late to turn around.

Jonah's Call Work Day

Love and War: A Sermon Series

Jesus spoke a lot about about the spiritual realm. For instance, over and over again, we see him naming Satan as a real person. Yet, as much as he spoke of a real personal evil, he also spoke just as much about the power and the cost of love. In a secular desert where life is often stripped of the gritty things, the Love and War series will be a refreshing splash of life that will unfold Jesus' teaching about spiritual warfare and the nature of love using both St. John's and St. Paul’s theology of love and spiritual warfare found in the Gospel of John, the First Epistle of John and the book of Ephesians. 

War: A Sermon Series (May and June)

“They eat, they drink, they dress, they work, they amuse themselves, they get money, they spend money, they go through a scanty round of formal religious services once every week. But of the great spiritual warfare—its watchings and strugglings, its agonies and anxieties, its battles and contests—of all this they appear to know nothing at all… The worst chains are those which are neither felt nor seen by the prisoner.” 

The words above were written more than a century ago by the Anglican bishop-theologian, JC Ryle. They describe his encounters with many of the Christians of his day who lived unaware of the spiritual war that we have all been born into. Though a century has passed, we still live in an age where spiritual warfare is either hidden or dismissed by a majority of Christians drinking from the “well” of postmodern spirituality. 

May 3rd The Spiritual War John 1:1-5,10-14, Ephesians 6:10-19 (Jay Slocum) 

May 10th (Special Sermon) Mother's Day Ephesians 6:10-19 (Jonathan Millard) 

May 17th The War for Your Soul John 10:1-10, Ephesians 6:10-19 (Jack Gabig) 

May 24th Helmet of Salvation: How to be Saved from Death John 3:1-21, Ephesians 6:10-19 (Jay Slocum) 

May 31st Belt of Truth: How to be Set Free John 8:31-47, Ephesians 6:10-19 (Jay Slocum)  

Video Mash-Ups

For the past month, Jonah's Call has been using the word for word video rendition of The Gospel of John as we move through the Easter season. In addition I have been geeking out on imovie, making video mash-ups using songs and film to communicate the Gospel. Here are the past four video mashes. To see the full effect of passages from the Gospel of John with the below videos, go to jonahscall.com/sermons.

Easter Pics 2009

Easter @ Jonah's Call 2009

Easter at Jonah's Call was pretty amazing. We built a service that started in a space called the New Catacombs (that's religious speak for basement). This space is actually very nice with state of the art sound, video, and lighting. We adapted the space making a an eight foot by 6 foot cross into the center of worship. Thanks to a very talented team (Jen Brandenstein, Jill King, and Linda Stewart) the cross was covered in flowers and placed in the center of the room. We then, placed chairs around it. It was simple, but beautiful and really spoke of the resurrection. As a way of taking advantage of the technology available to us, I built a video of Jesus' life in relation to Mary Magdalene using Ben Harper's song, The power of the Gospel. One of the challenges we faced with this service was that there was still no natural light in the space. As a way of working around this, we decided to have communion outside in a courtyard that was accessible from the new catacombs. This space is gorgeous and was actually designed for outside services. After songs, sermons, and an offering, we all left the space, bringing the cross covered in flowers outside. Communion was amazing. We used a sweet bread and wine and celebrated communion while the rising smoke of fire pits swirled around us. What surprised me was how acoustically beautiful the space was. We had a guitar, hand drum, and an accordion without mics and it sounded incredible. After the service, we had a serious feast and watched the kids chase down Easter eggs. A person from our community said, "I came dragging my feet about the idea of worshipping in a basement on Easter Morning. But, this was actually the best Easter service I have EVER had." 

As we all said throughout the day, "Alleluia, Christ has risen." "The Lord has risen indeed, Alleluia."

Connecting With God: A Lenten Teaching

Lent
Middle English lenten, lente, spring, lent,
from Old English lencten.

Lent is a forty-day-long season of fasting and prayer that precedes Easter. Lent represents the time Jesus spent in the desert enduring temptations by Satan. Historically, Christians have used the “season” of Lent to self reflect, abstain from life distractions, and to engage in sacrificial acts of love to the poor.

Easter
Feast of light or spring, in honor of a goddess of whom a festival was celebrated in April however, known to Christians as a Celebration of the Resurrection.

Easter has become an annual church festival commemorating Christ's resurrection. It occurs on Sunday, the second day after Good Friday and corresponds to the Passover of the Jews.

Connecting With God in Lent is a Lenten teaching series designed to help you listen, reflect, and hear the Call of God in your life. We will begin with a shared meal in the Parish Hall (large hall near kitchen) at 6:00 pm followed by worship and teaching for all age levels. Childcare is provided. Please call the church office if you’d like to volunteer to help with meal preparation (412-621-4361, ext. 218).

The Lenten teaching series will allow us to connect more deeply with God in our inner lives as well as in the areas where he desires us to mature and grow in our work, rest and
worship. We will journey together through this Lenten season connecting to God more deeply as we explore his Call in our lives,
understanding the Spiritual Gifts that he has
bestowed upon us, uncovering the passions that come from deep within our hearts, developing in us the abilities that he endowed upon us, and
employing the experiences and circumstances of
suffering that he will use to shape us into the men and women that he calls us to become. We
invite you into this Holy time of self reflection.

March 4th - Parish Hall 6:00 – 8:15 pm
The Call and Your Spiritual Gifts
(Jonathan Millard will teach this session.)

God calls his people. He calls us universally to worship him and to partake in the life of the community. He calls us specifically into marriage, singleness, fatherhood, motherhood, and to specific vocations. Even more, he calls us uniquely to love and serve him and others in ways for which we were specially designed. He also specially equips all those he calls into his Kingdom by bestowing upon us Spiritual Gifts that bring him glory and us life and blessing. This session will explore the way in which we can connect with God through understanding more deeply our Callings and our Spiritual Giftedness.

March 11th - Parish Hall 6:00 – 8:15 pm
Connecting Our Heart and Abilities with the Heart of God
(Jeanne Kohn will teach this session.)

God made us for intimacy with him. One of the ways in which we connect with him is by moving through our lives offering to him both the passions of our hearts and the abilities that he has bestowed upon us. Certainly God calls the equipped and many have offered their passions and abilities to God out of the abundance of their own giftedness. Yet, God also equips the called and asks that we align our hearts with him as we journey through life. This often means doing things for which we feel ill-equipped and changing course when God calls us to a new level of discipleship. This session will explore both the gifts and abilities that God desires us to use to bring him glory so that we can share our hearts with the heart of God.

March 18th - Parish Hall 6:00 – 8:15 pm
Personality and the Call of God
(Jay Slocum will teach this session.)

The story of creation includes these extraordinary words from Genesis 2:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Later, God says that what he has made in his image is very good and then he asks his greatest work of creation to go out and name things. The Genesis story is just oozing with personality (Adam and Eve) and it is through persons and their unique personhood that God enters into covenant with his people whether it’s Moses, Miriam, Malachi, Martin Luther, or you and me. God uses persons and personalities to give shape to his world and to fill out his story. This session will explore the unique ways in which God has shaped each one of us and the ways in which we can use our unique shapes to connect with him and others.

March 25th - Parish Hall 6:00 – 8:15 pm
Experiences, Suffering and the Call of God
(Ann Paton will teach this session.)

Moses was rescued from genocide as a baby and grew up in a foreign household. He killed a follow Egyptian and was driven into exile. He spent 40 years working as a shepherd. This is the same Moses God used to freed 1,000,000 Israelites from slavery. God uses our experiences, including our sufferings, to shape us for great work. This session will explore our life experiences and the way God uses them to help us to connect to him and to be useful in the world in which we live.

The Call On Our Lives: Finding Your Significance in Lent

A March Sermon at Jonah’s Call

It is good to have choices about what we want to do in life and who we wish to become. Having choices is certainly better than being bound to a life of dull labor and unsatisfying toil. Still, even those who have found great careers and lifestyles still often wonder if they have found a “fit” in life. Further, many people, after making choices about their lifestyle and career find themselves asking “Is my life significant?”

As a way of helping everyone at Jonah’s Call see their own significance in work, play, study, and rest, this series will explore the Christian understanding of The Call. From Adam being called to name the animals, Abram’s call to father a nation, the call of Peter to follow Jesus, to the call placed on the lives of all of us here in Pittsburgh, God has been calling his people into a special
relationship with him for generations. You are invited into this series to see more fully your
significance in God’s eyes through his Call on your life. Invite a friend.

March 1st Genesis 11:27-12:9
The Call of God: Purpose
(Jay Slocum)

March 8th Luke 9:18-27,51-62
The Call to Discipleship: Growth
(Jay Slocum)

March 15th 1 Peter 1:13-25
The Call to Holiness: Health
(Josh Miller)

March 22nd Luke 6:12-36
The Call to Community: Life
(Jay Slocum)

March 29th Romans 8:1-17
The Call to Sonship: Intimacy
(Jay Slocum)

Josh, Joy, Paul at Pangea in Shadyside

Looking for a good third place to go to on a Saturday night.

On Saturday, Feb 28th, Josh Moyer, Joy Ike and Paul Luc will be live at Pangea in Shadyside (736 Bellefonte Street, Shadyside, Pennsylvania 15232). The show is free and they will be playing from 7-11. That's a possible 4 hours of food, relaxation and music.

FYI: Pangea was voted 3rd in the City Paper for best new restaurant in Pittsburgh this year. The place is beautiful! http://www.pangea-shadyside.com/

Fat Tuesday Festival

Phots by Liz Delgato and Robert Park

On Tuesday, February 24th, Jonah’s Call partnered with Church of the Ascension for a Big Event that the whole community enjoyed. We served pancakes, sausages, and apple
sauce, to 300 plus people and enjoyed the big dixieland sounds of The Band Staff. Faces were painted, kids bounced, adults laughed, ate, and talked around fire pits. It was a very good time.

Thanks to all who invited a friend.

All donations will be going to benefit Shepherd’s Heart, a local ministry to the homeless.

What is Fat Tuesday?
The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday has been known by a variety of names around the world
including, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, Pancake Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Paczki Day, Fauschnaut Day, Carnival Tuesday, and Fat Tuesday. Historically, this day included disposing of rich ingredients such as eggs, milk, and sugar by making and then eating pancakes and doughnuts prior to entering into a season of penance during Lent (the 40 days preceding Easter.)

Connecting With God: A Lenten Journal

Combining a diverse array of passages from the Old and New Testament with a selection of devotions written by members of Jonah’s Call and Church of the Ascension this year’s Lenten Journal will be an important aide to your worship of God in Lent 2009. Pick up your Journal at Jonah’s Call or download the PDF

The Challenge of Diversity in Worship

by Josh Moyer

I must confess that far too often I have walked into church settings seeking to interact with and worship God, but never get there. I arrive, take my seat, sit quietly, shake a hand or two and patiently wait for my worship experience to begin. Then, that dreadful worship leader approaches the microphone, strums an E major 7 chord and begins… “Let everything that, everything that, everything that has breath praise the Lord.” “Are you freaking kidding me?!” - exclaims my brain, as I raise a hand and smile at the pastor. “First of all, that song was written during the Carter Administration. Second, she’s not singing it like Matt Redman! Why can’t I have Matt Redman? Third, she’s a she and that song needs a male vocal… a male vocal on pitch! Girls shouldn’t play guitar and where’s Jimmy Carter when you need him!!!!!!!!! Come to think of it, Matt Redman would have made a better president that Jimmy Carter. Hmmmm… My next door neighbor’s cat is named Carter…” Coincidence?

You get the picture.

We come to church honestly desiring to worship God in and among our community of believers and friends, but can be easily derailed by “our” expectation or belief of what is good or what is truly “worship”. In most cases, these beliefs are fed by our experiences – valuable experiences. Yet, our experiences, with all their potential value, truth and beauty, can devour us if we allow them to become the boundary lines, or worse yet, barb-wired fences, outside of which worship of God cannot take place.

The reality is this. In the above hypothetical, there is nothing wrong with singing songs from the 1970’s or 80’s. There is nothing wrong with a female vocalist singing a song written by a male songwriter. There is nothing wrong with girls playing guitars, Jimmy Carter or cats.

But everything is wrong when my criticism outweighs my love for people and God. Everything is wrong when my criticism prevents me from worshipping my God, who himself could be very critical with me, but instead has extended to me unrelenting love and grace despite my countless failures and undeservedness.

At Jonah’s Call, the band has been very intentional at trying to be diverse. By diverse I mean that we have attempted not to fall into any single musical genre, style, form or experience. Rather, we have purposefully attempted to include as wide a variety of songwriters, themes, arrangements, tempos, time periods, cultures and instruments as possible. And why? Because in our view, it’s all good, valuable and beautiful. Yet, diversity is challenging and can bring with it a great deal of problems and discomfort. Furthermore, it requires us to examine and identify our tendencies and in many cases, to purposefully set them aside. In some cases, we have made headway. In others, we have a long way to go. However, it is my continued desire for Jonah’s Call to see and experience the value, beauty and creativity in a diversity of musical styles, songs, lyrics and instruments. And despite our natural tendency to stick with what is comfortable, stay in the box and settle in our past experiences, I want us to be willing to engage the diversity and challenge ourselves. I am mindful that this road brings with it discomfort, but I am confident in the people of Jonah’s Call and I am confident that in doing so our worship of God and knowledge of him will be all the more enriched.

Jonah’s Call Pot Luck Sunday

by Linda Stewart

Pot Luck Dinner is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as a communal meal to which people bring food to share. At Jonah’s Call we have started a tradition on the last Sunday of every month, where the grazing dinners become a communal feast with everyone bringing their favorite dish to share. Every time we have a Jonah’s Call Pot Luck Dinner I am just blown away by all the
different and delicious dishes. The beauty of all that awesome food presented after the service is a treat for the eyes and a feast for our hungry stomachs.

For anyone new to pot luck dinners, the following are some suggestions which will make it easy and simple for you to participate.

· All dishes should be prepared in advance.
· Nobody should do more in the kitchen than pop something in the oven for reheating when you arrive.
· The dishes should be easy to transport.
· The serving size of each dish does not need to equal the number of guests. Everybody will take only a small portion of each dish when there are many from which to choose.
· Usually prepare a dish to serve 6- 8.
· Traditional potluck dishes include casseroles, chili, Crockpot meals, salads, breads, and any kind of desserts.
· Recipes don't need to be fancy. Dishes that are simple and easy are often the most popular.

If you are looking for a way to really get to know more people, build your own Jonah’s Call family, and have a lot of fun in the process, come join our Hospitality Team which prepares food for our weekly grazing meals.

If you have children the food is simple enough for them to help so they are welcome to participate. It gives singles a great way to build new friendships, have a lot of fun and experience the joy of giving back. For those who may think cooking is not your thing, come do something different. There is a new and wonderful culinary world for you to discover, be a wonderful blessing to others, and be blessed in the doing. We are expanding our teams, and invite you to come and join the fun and spread the love. lstewart1949@yahoo.com.

The Mosaic of Who We Are

by Dolores Oliver

When I was a young girl I saw a house that I wanted to just stand and look at over and over. The house was covered in small tiles of various sizes and smooth glass that made a picture of spirals and waves that reminded me of the ups and down patterns of an ocean. It was my favorite place. The various hues of blue, green, purple, and yellow were mesmerizing to me.

My mom told me that it was called a mosaic and ever since I’ve been amazed at the patience and care needed to create such a work of art. A mosaic. Every time I hear that word I remember back years before.

Jonah’s Call is a lot like a mosaic. However, instead of smooth glass, rough stones, blue, red, brown, and pink we are made up of men, women, children, blacks and whites, singles, married, visitors, committed members, and everything in between.

Because of our diversity, we realize those who identify themselves as being a part of Jonah’s Call experience differing degrees of belonging. One of the ways in which we help people move into a greater place of belonging is to identify ourselves as moving into five concentric circles. These circles are the City, the Crowd, the Congregation, the Committed, and the Core:

Presently, a part of the Mosaic of Jonah’s Call can be seen in the following way:

City: Those who live throughout our city who either never or occasionally take part in the life of Jonah's Call.

Crowd: Those who do not identify themselves as belonging to Jonah's Call but occasionally attend worship, home groups, third places,* events, or service projects. About 16-20 of us (11 adults and 5 kids) are part of the Jonah’s Call Crowd.

Congregation: Those of us who identify ourselves as belonging to Jonah's Call and
regularly attend worship, home groups, third places,* events, and service projects. About 31
of us (25 adults and 6 kids) are part of the Congregation.

Committed: Those of us, who identify ourselves as belonging to Jonah's Call, and are
intentionally growing in our faith through consistent participation in the life of the Jonah's Call Community. About 22 of us (14 adults and 8 kids) are part of the Committed.

Core: Those of us who identify ourselves as belonging to Jonah's Call and intentionally offer service and leadership to fulfill the vision. About 32 of us (20 adults and 12 kids) are part of the Core.

*Third places are the places other than our family (1st) or our work (2nd) where we regularly participate in the life of our community: book clubs, gym memberships, sports activities, coffee house hang outs. These are vital to our outreach for Jesus.

What We Will Do For Love; Go Steelers!

I walked in on my rather bohemian Father-in-law in the mid nineties to find him polishing his shoes- expensive shoes. I married a pastor's kid and The Rev. Martyn Minns, my wife's dad, was known to me at the time as a Pete Townsend knock-off who had done really cool stuff in NYC with the homeless and artists on the upper west side of Manhattan. He was not one of the DC elite. And, yet, God called him to the Washington DC area (Fairfax City to be exact) to be the senior pastor (rector) of Truro Church. Jokingly, I said, "Hey, what's with the shoe polish?" he looked up and said, sometimes you have to do things you might not normally do in order to love the people you are serving." Seems one the the generals (remember Clarance Thomas went to this church before converting to Roman Catholicism) pulled him aside and told him to ditch the Down jacket and the ruddy penny loafers. Before long Martyn was wearing nice suites, got one of those long black formal jackets, and started visiting Brooks Brothers regularly. He did it for love.

In the past year, I have been challenged by several "generals" regarding my lack of enthusiasm for The Steelers. It is not that I do not like football, it is that I do not love it. Yet, The Steelers are to Pittsburgh what black blazers are to DC and flip flops to Hilton Head Island. So, tomorrow, I will wear my new Steelers Belt Buckle. After the service, we will throw a Superbowl Party and live stream the game on the big screen. and, I have traded my "down jacket" for a Harrison Jersey- Go Steelers! I am doing it for love the love of Pittsburgh.

Deep: The Parables of Jesus

A Sermon Series

We all know that there are shallow forms of communication and deep forms. Slogans and Stereotypes are the bottom feeders of language. “Just Do It,” “You Deserve a Break Today,” “You Get What You Deserve” and “White Men Can’t Jump” never amount to deep insights into life. These forms of communicating are shallow. Higher forms of communication include: stories, songs, poetry, riddle and parable. These ways of communicating have the power to take us deep into the world of understanding what it means to be human, to love, forgive and suffer. Jesus was no stranger to the need and desire to bring people into a deeper understanding of who they were, what they were meant for, and how the world truly works. Whether he was instructing his friends about servanthood or confronting his enemies about false pride, Jesus was able to go DEEP. Deeper than anyone had ever gone before. This series will explore the DEEP teachings of Jesus and will unravel some of the mysteries found in his parables. Whether you are a new Christian, a skeptical old timer or a person just thirsty for more of God, this series will offer deep insights into the ways and wonders of the Christian faith.

January 18th

Luke 13:1-9 Repentance: The Parable of the Tree (Jay Slocum)

January 25th Luke 11:5-13, 8:1-8

Prayer: The Parable of the Friend at Midnight (Josh Miller)

February 1st

Luke 16:19-31 Hell: The Parable of the Beggar (Jay Slocum)

February 8th

Luke 17:1-13 Servant hood: The Parable of the Farmer (Jay Slocum)

February 15th

Luke 13:18-21 Power: The Parable of the Seed (Jay Slocum)

February 22nd

Luke 20:9-19 Sin: The Parable of the Last Messenger (Josh Miller)

The Calling January 2009

Download the new edition of The Calling (January 2009)