September 4, 2022 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

September 4, 2022

PRE-SERVICE MUSIC

PRELUDE
led by Dana

WELCOME & GREETING, COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 36:5-9
Leader: Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
People: Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains;
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

Leader: How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
People: For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

MAGNIFICENT MARVELOUS MATCHLESS LOVE
Magnificent, marvelous, matchless love
Too vast and astounding to tell
Forever existing in worlds above
Now offered and given to all
Oh fountain of beauty eternal
The Father the Spirit the Son
Sufficient and endlessly generous
Magnificent, marvelous, matchless love

Creation is brimming with thankfulness
The mountains exultant they stand
The seasons rejoice in Your faithfulness
All life is sustained by Your hand
You crown every meadow with color
You paint every shade in the sky
Each day the dawn wakes as an encore of
Magnificent, marvelous, matchless love

chorus
How great, how sure
His love endures forevermore
Magnificent, marvelous, matchless love

What grace that You entered our brokenness
You came in the fullness of time
How far we had fallen from righteousness
But not from the mercies of Christ
Your cross is our door to redemption
Your death is our fullness of life
That day how forgiveness flowed as a flood
Magnificent, marvelous, matchless love

United in Your resurrection
You lift us to infinite heights
Could anything sever or take us from
Magnificent, marvelous, matchless love

GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸for He has looked with favor on the lowly state of His servant.
    Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is His name;
⁵⁰indeed, His mercy is for those who fear Him
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹He has shown strength with His arm;
    He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
    and lifted up the lowly;
⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴He has come to the aid of His child Israel,
    in remembrance of His mercy,
⁵⁵according to the promise He made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to His descendants forever.”

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

GOD OF THE AGES
God of the ages, History’s Maker,
Planning our pathway, holding us fast,
Shaping in mercy all that concerns us:
Father, we praise You, Lord of the past.

God of this morning, gladly Your children
Worship before you, trustingly bow:
Teach us to know You always among us,
Quietly sov’reign– Lord of our now.

God of tomorrow, Strong Overcomer,
Princes of darkness own Your command:
What then can harm us? We are Your people,
Now and forever kept by Your hand.

Lord of past ages, Lord of this morning,
Lord of the future, help us, we pray:
Teach us to trust You, love and obey You,
Crown You each moment, Lord of today.

Covenant Hymnal, #426

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Ruth 4:1-22

No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin of whom Boaz had spoken came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over; sit down here.” And he went over and sat down. ²Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the town and said, “Sit down here,” so they sat down. ³He then said to the next-of-kin, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. ⁴So I thought I would tell you of it and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.” So he said, “I will redeem it.” ⁵Then Boaz said, “The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.” ⁶At this, the next-of-kin said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

⁷Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to confirm a transaction: the one took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. ⁸So when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” he took off his sandal. ⁹Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses.” ¹¹Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; ¹²and, through the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

¹³So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. ¹⁴Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel! ¹⁵He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” ¹⁶Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse. ¹⁷The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, ¹⁹Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, ²⁰Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, ²¹Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, ²²Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.

CHILDREN’S MOMENT

Children 6 and under are dismissed to the playground (Gym is closed today)

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
Don’t lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him
And He will direct your paths.
Al-le-lu-ia, Al-le-lu-ia, and
He will direct your paths.

REFLECTING ON THE WORD
My Cousin Boaz
Gregory Sager

O PROMISED ONE OF ISRAEL
O Promised One of Israel
By prophets long foretold,
We wait in urgency and hope
To see God’s plan unfold.
The dark of night and cold predawn
Arouse our anxious fears.
Help us to see the light ahead
Through trials, doubts, and tears.

In silent suff’ring some await
Your reign of justice here,
while others, dulled by wealth and ease,
Can not explain their fear.
When prophets spoke and Mary sang
Of tables overturned,
Dare we admit, in trembling awe,
Our hearts within us burned?

Creation stands alert and tense
To see Your sov’reign pow’r.
You choose to come a tiny child
Revealed this day and hour.
O grant us patience to receive
Without pretense or pride
The gift of God’s redeeming grace:
A Savior by our side.

Covenant Hymnal, #124

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden, Messian Burgos, Vira Coszach, the family of Joan Erickson, Pedro Gomez, the congregation of Grace Evangelical Covenant Church, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Sarah Hill, Mary McKirchy, Shirley Nicholas, our Pastoral Search Committee, Mary Smith, and Esther Stoel

Ministries & Mission
Patrick & Tip Boonrang, serving in Asia, Barb & Steve Swanson, serving in Sweden

THE LORD’S PRAYER:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

GIVING OF OUR TITHES & OFFERING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle^® to: giving@administrator

OFFERTORY
The Lord’s Prayer
J.S. Bach
led by Cynthia

DOXOLOGY & PRAYER
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

O LET YOUR SOUL NOW BE FILLED WITH GLADNESS
O let your soul now be filled with gladness,
Your heart redeemed, rejoice indeed!
O may the thought banish all your sadness,
That in His blood you have been freed,
That God’s unfailing love is yours,
That you the only Son were given,
That by His death He has opened heaven,
That you are ransomed as you are.

If you seem empty of any feeling,
Rejoice, you are His ransomed bride!
If those you cherish seem not to love you,
And dark assails from every side;
Still yours the promise, come what may,
In loss and triumph, in laughter, crying;
In want and riches, in living dying,
That you are purchased as you are.

It is a good, every good transcending,
That Christ has died for you and me!
It is a gladness that has no ending
Therein God’s wondrous love to see!
Praise be to You, O spotless Lamb,
Who through the desert my soul is leading
To that fair city of joy exceeding,
For which You bought me as I am!

Covenant Hymnal, #494

BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God

POSTLUDE
Grave in G
J.S. Bach
led by Cynthia

INVITATION
We’ll be back here next Sunday. We hope you can join us. Information on ravenscov.org.

music as we go, by axiom.brass

Worship update
Due to an uptick in Covid-19 cases in Chicago, the Leadership Team of Ravenswood Covenant Church recommends mask use during services, but this is not mandatory.

Ravenswood Covenant will continue to livestream worship each week on YouTube and Facebook; this is now a permanent feature of our ministry, so Sunday morning worship will remain accessible to anyone who has Internet access.

Labor Day weekend Sunday worship
We hope that you enjoy this final extended weekend of the summer, whether you are traveling or staying home. Due to the sparse attendance that Ravenswood Covenant traditionally has on the Sunday morning of Labor Day weekend, please note that there will be no Communion and no retiring benevolence offering today. Communion and the retiring benevolence offering will take place next Sunday, September 11.

Sunday School 2022-23
We are starting to plan for the fall schedule. Next Sunday, September 11 we will have our kick-off to the fall Sunday School season, and the worship service will move to the school-year 10:45 am hour. We will have our kick-off breakfast at 9:30 am before worship at 10:45 that Sunday. The first Sunday of Sunday School classes is Sunday,
September 18.

Lorri and Eli will teach the early elementary kids and Bekah will teach the older elementary age. If you are interested in helping with preschool age kids either before worship in the gym or during Children’s Church please contact Pastor Denise.

Faith Forum
Faith Forum, our adult Sunday school class, will begin its fall schedule on Sunday, September 18 at 9:30 am. All teenagers and adults are welcome to join us each week in the upstairs lounge for great lectures, interactive study, and discussion. Our first guest speaker will be Paul Shaheen, who will be starting a six-week series on the sin of idolatry. Faith Forum is an important aspect of Ravenswood Covenant’s ministry of Christian formation, and we warmly encourage you to take part in it.

Lake County Symphony Orchestra concert
Cynthia Arden invites you to attend a Lake County Symphony Orchestra concert entitled, “Broadway and Hollywood Blockbusters” on Sunday, September 11 at 7 pm at Buffalo Creek Brewing, 360 Historical Lane, Long Grove, IL 60047. Tickets are $20 presale, $25 at the door, and children 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased at www.lakecountysymphonyorchestra.com.

Women’s luncheon
Women, please save this date: Saturday, September 24, for a special luncheon and fun in the fellowship hall. From 11 am to 1 pm there will be a time for food and fun! There will be gifts, food demonstrations, plenty of opportunities for fellowship and laughter, and a visiting dietician will be speaking. The cost is $5, which can be paid to Colleen Carlson or to Gregory Sager in the church office. Plan to attend and to bring a friend!

Farmers market
Our farmers market continues to be a success, as we’ve settled into a post-Covid average of about 400-500 adults per market, with a large and enthusiastic contingent of children for whom the market is a high point of every week.

The farmers market season will run until our annual fall festival on Wednesday, October 12. This year’s markets will run from 4 pm to 7 pm, and as always they will be held in the church parking lot.

We are still looking for market volunteers to help out with set-up, assisting with kids activities, and take-down on Wednesdays. If you can assist, even if it’s only for one Wednesday, please contact Bekah Carlson, Pastor Denise, or the church office.

Aid for Ukrainian refugees
Jeremy and Amanda Foster, who attend our church, have a direct connection to a mission that is serving refugees who have fled Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Jeremy’s parents Don and Beatrice Foster are in Hazebrouck, France as tentmaker missionaries and have prepared rooms in their home for refugees coming from Ukraine.

If you would like to donate to help the Fosters pay for extra food and supplies, please give a donation to Ravenswood Covenant that is specially designated for Ukrainian refugees. If you would like to give directly online, the website for the Fosters is https://ukraine.la-ferme-de-la-papote.com/ .

The Covenant denomination is also raising funds for Ukraine through Covenant World Relief. Here is the link if you would like to donate through the Covenant’s program. https://giving.covchurch.org/priorities-detail/ukraine-response

Thursday evening adult Bible study
The weekly Bible study will not meet next Thursday. It will resume on Thursday, September 15.

Join Us in Sponsoring a Student in the NPTS SRA Program
North Park’s School of Restorative Arts offers a MA in Christian Ministry and Restorative Arts, allowing free and incarcerated students to study together. This unique degree program is designed to prepare individuals for ministries of restoration in contexts susceptible to violence and includes courses in trauma, race relations, nonviolent communication, conflict transformation, restorative practices, and transformative justice, in addition to Bible, theology, and history. In partnership with the Illinois Department of Corrections, this four-year degree is currently offered at Stateville Correctional Center with 80 incarcerated men and a first cohort of 20 women at Logan Correctional Center.

We, Ravenswood Covenant Church, have partnered with North Park Theological Seminary by committing to sponsor a student in this program. To help us support an SRA student please send a check to church or give online and in the memo line write: “SRA Sponsorship.”

RECC preaching schedule for September
September 4: Gregory Sager
September 11: Pastor Denise
September 18: Mark Safstrom
September 25: Pastor Mark

Scripture for next Sunday
Matthew 8:24-27
Genesis 6:5-22; 8:6-12; 9:8-17

Our church exists to love and worship God, and love and care for others. By God’s grace, we commit to help people find and follow Jesus Christ through the guidance of His Spirit and His word.