PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
led by Cynthia
KIDS TIME
music & a visit from some friends
PRELUDE
led by Dana
WELCOME & GREETING
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: O Lord, open our eyes,
People: that we may see the beauty of goodness.
L: O Lord, open our ears,
P: that we may hear the truth.
L: O Lord, open our lips,
P: that we may show forth Your praise.
L: Christ is risen!
P: He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
THE DAY OF RESURRECTION!
The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad;
The Passover of gladness,
The Passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
From earth to heav’n on high,
Our Christ has brought us over
With hymns of victory.
Our hearts be pure from evil,
That we may see aright
The Lord in rays eternal
Of resurrection light;
And, listening to his accents,
May hear so calm and plain
His own “All hail,” and, hearing,
May raise the victor strain.
Now let the heav’ns be joyful,
Let earth its song begin,
The round world keep high triumph,
And all that is there-in;
Let all things seen and unseen,
Their notes of gladness blend,
For Christ the Lord is risen,
Our joy that has no end!
Covenant Hymnal, #260
NEW TESTAMENT LESSONS
Acts 1:6-8
6 So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
1st John 3:16-24
16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before Him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22 and we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we obey His commandments and do what pleases Him.
23 And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us. 24 All who obey His commandments abide in Him, and He abides in them. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit that He has given us.
GOSPEL LESSON
Mark 6:47-56
47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 When He saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, He came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then He got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized Him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. 56 And wherever He went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might touch even the fringe of His cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Leader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
JESUS BREAD OF LIFE
Jesus bread of life, manna from heaven
Broken for the world
Offered up for every man
The feast of angels
Becomes food for the weary
And hungry hearts are filled
When You open up Your hand
When You open up Your hand
chorus
Oh Lord come fill us with your love
This table laid for us
There is more than enough
Oh Jesus bread of life
Sister, take what you need ,anything I own
There is no famine here, Jesus’ love will multiply
Brother. what’s mine is yours, you are not alone
There is no shortage here, Jesus’ love will satisfy
Jesus’ love will satisfy
CCLI Song # 7138305 CCLI License # 349090
Audrey Assad | Fernando Ortega© 2019 Fortunate Fall Music
REFLECTING ON THE WORD
Did You See That???
Pastor Phil
OPEN MY EYES, THAT I MAY SEE
Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth You have for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unlock and set me free.
Silently now, on bended knee,
Ready I wait Your will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth You send so clear;
And while the message sounds in my ear,
Ev’ry thing false will disappear.
Silently now, on bended knee,
Ready I wait Your will to see;
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Open my mouth, and let me bear
Gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere;
Open my heart, and let me prepare
Love with Your children thus to share.
Silently now, on bended knee,
Ready I wait Your will to see;
Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Covenant Hymnal, #368
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
led by Pastor Denise
Folks We Are Praying For:
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.
Church family who work in and around hospitals & nursing homes:
Alex A, Kyra A, Hannah A, Sam A, Linda C, Carl G, Katie G, Eric H, Rachel H, Chona I, Abby H, Dana J, Bryan J, Kari J, Neal J, Eric S, Don T.
(If we missed any people’s names above please let us know.)
We continue to pray for: Phyllis Levinson (Joyce Oseland’s sister), Ernesto Galaviz, Kathy Salzano, Nikolas Arden, Katie Collier, Art and Rosa Hamilton, Shirley Nicholas, Paul Mounts, Joyce Andrews, Steve Hoden, Mary Spriggs, Alice Nilsson (Nancy Popovich’s sister), the Brandel-Tanis family, the Morales/Randall family.
Ministries & Mission
Phillip & Stephanie Voland, serving in Germany; Covenant Mountain Mission Bible Camp
GIVING OF OUR TITHES & OFFERINGS
& PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
OFFERTORY
led by Erin & 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.
COMMUNITY LIFE
.
PRAISE IS RISING
Praise is rising
Eyes are turning to You
We turn to You
Hope is stirring
Hearts are yearning for You
We long for You
‘Cause when we see You
We find strength to face the day
In Your presence
All our fears are washed away
(Washed away)
chorus
Hosanna, hosanna
You are the God who saves us
Worthy of all our praises
Hosanna hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here Lord Jesus
Hear the sound of
Hearts returning to You
We turn to You
In Your Kingdom
Broken lives are made new
You make us new
ending
Hosanna, hosanna
CCLI Song # 4662491 CCLI License # 349090
Brenton Brown | Paul Baloche © 2005, 2006 Thankyou Music
BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
Simple Gifts
led by Cynthia
INVITATION & FINAL SLIDES
We’ll be back here next Sunday.
We hope you can join us.
Information on ravenscov.org.
music as we go, by maxeltoft
Reopening the sanctuary for worship
We have reopened the sanctuary for a small group of people to join in person for worship. Reservations are required, so if you would like to be a part of this group, contact the church office by phone (773-784-7091) or email (office@ravenscov.org) each week that you would like to attend. 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.
We have increased the number of people in the sanctuary we will accommodate to 35. We will continue to follow all of the current local and state safety protocols, including: temperature checks when you arrive; masks required at all times; sitting socially distant; avoiding handshakes and hugs; changes to communion and offering; and discouraging singing.
There will be no nursery, and all Sunday School classes will remain virtual at this time.
Congregational business meeting scheduled
The Leadership Team of Ravenswood Covenant has scheduled a congregational business meeting to be held after the worship service next Sunday, May 2. The meeting is contingent upon achieving a quorum of 25 members. On the agenda will be formally approving the 2021 budget, voting in new Leadership Team members, approving a bylaw amendment to allow for virtual Leadership Team Meetings, and voting to approve a few new members. If you are a member of the church, please make plans to attend. Of course, masks and social distancing will be in effect for the meeting.
Let’s honor our graduates!
Are you, or a member of your family, graduating this spring? The church office would love to have the details (name, grade or degree, school) of your graduate to share with the congregation. This will be a comprehensive list that goes from preschool graduates all the way up to those receiving doctorates. Please let us share the joy of your, or your loved one’s, accomplishment!
Delegates sought for Annual Meeting
Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church is a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church. As such, our church takes part in the governance of the denomination by sending delegates to its governing body, the Annual Meeting. RECC is seeking interested members of the church to serve as delegates to this year’s Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church, which will be held June 24-26. All business sessions of the Annual Meeting will be held virtually via Zoom, so there is no travel involved. If you do not have Zoom, or if you wish to have the church’s resources at hand, you may use the Zoom link and the big screen in the church’s Nelson Lounge as your venue from which to participate in the Annual Meeting.
If you are interested in being a delegate to the Annual Meeting, please contact a member of the Leadership Team (listed at the bottom of this email), or contact the church office.
Upcoming Covenant Harbor events
The Mother/Daughter Retreat is May 7-8 at Covenant Harbor. This event is geared for mothers and daughters ages K-8, but aunts, grandmas, friends, and sisters are invited to be a part of this weekend. See the website for more details: https://covenantharbor.org/moms-daughters-retreat/
Book study
In May we will begin discussing Race and Place: How Urban Geography Shapes the Journey to Reconciliation. The author, David Leong, is a professor of missiology at Seattle Pacific Seminary.
“Race and Place reveals the profound ways in which these geographic forces and structures sustain the divisions among us. Urban missiologist David Leong, who resides in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country, unpacks the systemic challenges that are rarely addressed in the conversation about racial justice.
“The evening news may deliver story after story that causes us to despair. But Leong envisions a future of belonging and hope in our streets, towns, cities, and churches. A discussion about race needs to go hand in hand with a discussion about place. This book is a welcome addition to a conversation that needs to include both.”
The book can be purchased through InterVarsity as paperback or ebook. https://www.ivpress.com/race-and-place
Contact Pastor Denise for more information. denise@ravenscov.org.
Thursday evening Zoom Bible study returns this week
The Thursday evening Bible study will resume this coming Thusday, April 29 at 7 pm. The Bible study meets each Thursday at 7 pm and is currently studying the book of 1 Corinthians.
The Zoom link for the Bible study is https://zoom.us/j/95052558015?pwd=N3d1eFpUUmUwenhCSzNJNUk3WEV2QT09
Meeting ID: 950 5255 8015
Passcode: 141628
Worship bags for kids
Each week there will be worship bags for children ages 2 to 12 attending worship. The bag will have the child’s name on it and will only be used by that child. Parents are asked to inform the church office when registering for worship that they will be bringing a child or children between 2 or 12 with them, so that Pastor Denise can provide a bag for each child.
2021 camp registration update from HarborPoint Ministries
For those who are wondering about camp options for summer 2021, you may check out day, overnight, and family camp options at posted at www.covenantharbor.org and www.cpbc.com. Register now … spaces are filling up fast!
Prayer meeting has returned
The church’s biweekly prayer meeting that gathers every second and fourth Monday night each month has resumed! After being shut down due to the city’s pandemic guidelines, the city’s reduced infection rate and the upswing in vaccinations has led the church’s leadership to once again allow the prayer meeting to convene. The next meeting will be tomorrow night, Monday, April 26, at 7 pm. Masks and social distancing will still be required, as before.
Free masks available
The church is offering free masks to anyone in the congregation who is in need of one. If you would like, you may make a donation to our benevolence fund when you come to the church building to pick yours up. Please contact the church office at office@ravenscov.org or 773-396-6175 for more information.
Our response to the current health crisis
As a community of faith we continue to pray for the health and welfare of our church and community as we resist the temptation to fall prey to fear. We do, however, want to continue to look out for the welfare of our friends and neighbors. We are doing our best to stay current with best practices for this unique time — please stay tuned as these may change. Our primary place for timely communication will be our website, ravenscov.org. We will also offer reminders and notes on our Facebook page and by email. We are livestreaming our Sunday morning worship on Facebook Live and YouTube so that you may continue to be a part of our worship. Do not, however, become isolated. If you need any help there are folks in our church who can do so. Call the office (773-784-7091) or email the office (office@ravenscov.org).
General fund giving:
April 11: $1,624
General fund giving:
April 18: $1,825
Scripture for next Sunday
Mark 7:1-5, 24-30
Acts 1:12-14
1 John 4:7-21
Art Used in this Bulletin: Steve Erspamer, SM
Clip Art for Year A © 1992, Archdiocese of Chicago.
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.