Josh Moyer- Stitched

Josh Moyer, Director of Music for Jonah’s Call, recently penned a new song that we have been enjoying in
worship.

Stitched (Josh Moyer)

(Chorus)
You repair all things
stitching everything together
with the thread of Calvary
You repair me
You eliminate despair heal the scars
and mend the tears of the world

We’ve been beat down, broken and torn
And we’re searching for something
safe and warm
We’re searching for someone
to sew our souls back together
We’ve poisoned relationship
Fashioned evil on our hands and lips
And we’re searching for someone to
wash the stains away

We’ve been addicted to death on a string
And we’re searching for the real thing
We’re searching for someone
to sew our world back together
We’ve sold ourselves to ourselves and
whatever else we could find that promised us life
But that life was a lie
So forgive us and repair us

(Bridge)
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
He’s mending the tears

Halloween Transformed

I always felt really bad for the Jehovah’s Witness kids in my class when I was in elementary school. No birthdays, no Christmas, no Easter, no Fourth of July, and no Halloween. They seemed to be excluded from every really fun aspect of American culture that I enjoyed. And, as a boy, I really didn’t know why. Yes, they would talk about the “end times” and how they were being true to Jehovah by not being involved in “worldly stuff” like holidays. “But,” I thought, “they still
don’t get any presents.”

Thirty years later, I understand the plight of these Jehovah’s Witness kids because I understand what they believe. The kids I grew up with who were excluded from holidays, were part of a faith that rejects secular culture and embraces a separateness from society that allows them to remain faithful to the tenants of their beliefs. Namely, they see holidays like birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween as rooted in Pagan beliefs.

There are a growing number of Christians who, though they may celebrate Christmas, Easter, and birthdays, also greatly object to Halloween. Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they see Halloween as an explicitly Pagan holiday where evil is celebrated. And, since we are to be “in the world but not of the world,” many of these folks have been known to turn off their lights on Halloween and retreat to the basement until the night has gone.

On the other hand, as I look back over the past 30 years, I can recall plenty of Christian kids with vibrant faiths who celebrated all the popular holidays, including Halloween. These kids are now grown up themselves and are among the many Christians who see no problem with Halloween. They dress up and trick or treat. Sure, they realize that a lot of vandalism and a certain amount of pagan ritual occurs on this day, but overall, they do not see Halloween as a big deal. It’s just a fun day for them and their families.

So, which is it? Should we embrace Halloween, ignoring its Pagan roots and emphasis on evil and focus only on the treats and the costumes? Or, should we, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and those involved in other-worldy faiths, reject it despite its growing popularity.

I would suggest that there is a third option. I believe that though Christmas, Easter, and Halloween have, in fact, many pagan roots, these holidays have been transformed throughout the ages by Christians as a way of sharing the love of God with the people with whom they have shared life.

On Friday October 31st, Jonah’s Call and Church of the Ascension will host an All Saints Festival as a way of sharing the love of God with the City of Pittsburgh. The All Saints Festival will neither fully reject nor fully embrace the present Halloween culture. Instead, we will seek to transform it by offering an amazing life-giving alternative that both we and our neighbors can take part in.

The event will attract children, teens, university students, singles, and families, and will tap into the Church’s century old tradition of celebrating the “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 11) that have gone before us. Some will choose to attend the All Saints Festival as a Halloween alternative while others will attend the festival as a stop off on their rounds of gathering treats or attending Halloween parties.

You do not have to be under the age of 16
to get candy! There will be something for everybody. The All Saints Festival will
come complete with cotton candy and “tons” of treats, a costume parade– we are encouraging folks to wear costumes that celebrate life, games, a “bouncy gym,” and great live music.

Mark Your Calendars:
2008 All Saints Festival
Friday, October 31st
5 to 8 p.m.

Come join the fun:
· an abundance of candy for everyone
· multi-colored balloons
representing the saints that have
gone before us
· games for young and old
· a cake walk
· a bouncy gym
· live music
· a costume parade
with best costume prizes

As a way to contribute to this great event, we will be accepting donations of candy throughout October. Please purchase a large bag of candy and drop it off on Sunday when you come to worship. Baskets will be available and will be marked “All Saints Candy Donations.” We are also looking for volunteers, both young and old to help us with this event. If you would like to sign up to volunteer, please contact Dolores Oliver at oliverda1@verizon.netw

Josh Moyer on Being An Environmentalist In Worship

By Josh Moyer

I am an environmentalist. Let’s be clear – I am not looking to co-author Al Gore’s next book or advocating for or against off shore drilling – that is quite a different and more complex issue. What I do mean is that I am almost always aware of and sensitive to my surroundings. My surroundings have the potential to greatly influence both my mood and energy.

The space in which I worship is no exception and thankfully, at Jonah’s Call, we have what could arguably be one of the most conducive spaces for worship in the entire city. Our worship space (known in Church terms as the Nave) is both beautiful and reverent, ancient and modern. However, it is also quite big - perhaps too big at times. While too big is hardly a problem for a church intending to grow, in the initial stages of growth, it can certainly be hindering with respect to a community’s connectivity and energy.

The décor of the storefront church I worshipped at during college consisted of drab fabric on the walls, fake plastic vines as the center of décor, and a lighting scheme that featured fluorescent light bulbs.
Though it lacked beauty and reverence, it never lacked energy. Why? Because we


would squeeze 125 people into a space built
for 50 every Friday night and we would feed off of each other’s desire to worship God as a fellowship of college believers. We were connected. We were together.

The same principal applies when you invite a group of people over to your house for a meal together. There is clearly a difference in the connectivity of the group when you all sit down to feast at the same table, as opposed to each person eating in their own separate corner of the house.

At Jonah’s Call we have purposefully invited everyone to sit where they please, especially those who would prefer to observe our service before participating in it. We believe that this freedom is important and we also couldn’t stand the thought of using ropes to restrict seating. However, many have felt that this decision has actually hindered our ability to feel connected and unified in our worship and has displaced the energy and celebration that is present when a body of Christian believers come together to worship God. Thus, this past Sunday we created an inviting entryway which concentrates our energy while allowing people to either enter into worship or observe from “behind the torches.” The results of our sensitivity to environment has been amazing and is fostering an even greater degree of connectivity and energy in our worship unto God. If you have not yet experienced Jonah’s Call, come check it out and bring a friend.w

Jonah’s Call: Called to be Transformers!

At Jonah’s Call, we are pursuing the mission of loving God, loving others, and reaching the world through a unique vision. That vision is to worship creatively, connect neighbors, transform life, and reach the city.

Lots of folks talk about transformation: “Vacationing in Italy transformed my outlook on Europe” or “The South Beach Diet transformed my understanding of the way sugar was controlling my eating habits.” So, what do we mean when we talk about transformation at Jonah’s Call?

Our Whole Life Needs to Be Transformed
Well, we believe that our hearts, habits, relationships, families, neighborhoods, city, nation, and culture need to be transformed because every area of life has been damaged by the sin and rebellion that all of mankind has inherited from our spiritual mother and father, Adam and Eve. You see, as Christians, we believe that our spiritual DNA is damaged and, as a result, so is the rest of life. Sound hopeless? Well, to be realistic, in many ways Christianity has a very negative view of life. It sees life as deeply flawed and in desperate need of redemption and healing. We need to be transformed.

Our Whole Life Can be Transformed
However, Christianity is also very positive. Along with seeing us as deeply flawed, Christianity emphasizes strongly that we were created by a loving God who made us very much like Him. We were made to live forever, to be in intimate relationship with God and our neighbors, to be creative and productive, to make culture (and babies), to care for the created world, and to pursue various “callings” in life as family members, mothers and fathers, workers, and citizens. We were made for a purpose and according to the Christian worldview, God so loves us He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to call us back into relationship with Him by offering His own life in our place. Yes, we believe that we are all broken and in need of transformation. And yet, we also believe that transformation is possible when we except the good news (We call it the Gospel) that God is willing to and capable of transforming us by bringing us back to him and allowing us to become his people.

At Jonah’s Call, we believe that God can and will transform life when we are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. And, he will not just transform our hearts and minds but our relationships, families, neighborhoods, city, and culture, as well. This issue of the Calling focuses on transformation, one of Jonah’s Call’s core values.w