April 3, 2022 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

April 3, 2022
Adult Sunday School convenes at 9:30 on Zoom and in-person, Children’s Sunday School is in-person at 9:30am

PRE-SERVICE MUSIC

PRELUDE
Lasst Uns Erfreuen
arr. Ralph Vaughn Williams
led by Erin and Cynthia

WELCOME, COMMUNITY LIFE & GREETING

RESPONSIVE READING
from Psalm 146
Leader: Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

People: Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.

Leader: Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.

People: The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.

Leader: The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

All: The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!

SING PRAISE TO GOD WHO REIGNS ABOVE
Sing praise to God who reigns above
God of all creation,
The God of pow’r, the God of love,
The God of our salvation;
With healing balm my soul He fills,
And ev’ry faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory!

What God’s almighty pow’r has made
In mercy He is keeping,
By morning glow or evening shade
He watches without sleeping;
Within the kingdom of His might,
Lo! All is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory!

The Lord is never far away,
But, thro’ all grief distressing,
An ever-present help and stay,
Our peace and joy and blessing;
As with a mother’s tender hand
He leads his own, His chosen band:
To God all praise and glory!

So all my toilsome way along
I sing aloud His praises,
That all may hear the grateful song
My voice unwearied raises;
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart
Both soul and body, bear your part:
To God all praise and glory!

Covenant Hymnal, #27

GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
John 19:1-16a

Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. ²And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they dressed Him in a purple robe. ³They kept coming up to Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking Him on the face. ⁴Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no case against Him.” ⁵So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” ⁶When the chief priests and the police saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him; I find no case against Him.” ⁷The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law He ought to die because He has claimed to be the Son of God.”

⁸Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. ⁹He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰Pilate therefore said to him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have power to release You, and power to crucify You?” ¹¹Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over Me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” ¹²From then on Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.”

¹³When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. ¹⁴Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” ¹⁵They cried out, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” ¹⁶Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified.

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

Children ages 3-5 are dismissed to the fellowship hall at this time for Children’s Church.

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
You’ll Never Ever Die!
Pastor Mark Westlind

I AM THE RESURRECTION
chorus
I am the resurrection and the life
He who believes in Me
Will never die
I am the resurrection and the life
He who believes in Me
Will live (will live) a new life

I have come to bring the truth
I have come to bring you life
If you believe then you shall live

In My word all men will come to know
It is love which makes the spirit grow
If you believe then you shall live

Keep in mind the things that I have said
Remember Me in the breaking of the bread
If you believe then you shall live

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Jane Tuma, Kristine Brandel’s family, Nikolas Arden, Pastor Phil and Kerry Staurseth, Jon and Jamie Kratowicz and baby Sullivan, Shirley Nicholas, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Esther Stoel, the Koeller family, Mary Smith, Delores and Steve Staurseth, Jane Auger, Mary McKirchy, and Barb Cannon.

Ministries & Mission
Fabio Muniz & Johnna Hayward Muniz, serving in France; 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
“Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)”
arr. James Koertz
led by the choir

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.

CONFESSION OF SIN & PASSING OF PEACE
L: As we move towards the table let us remember the proof of God’s amazing love is this: while we were sinners Christ died for us. Because we have faith in Him, we dare to approach God with confidence. In humility and faith let us confess our sin to God:

L: The Lord be with you.
P: And also with you.

L: Let us confess our sins against God and neighbor.

All: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name. Amen.

PASSING THE PEACE
L: Since in Christ we are reconciled to God, so also we are reconciled to each other, the members of His body, the Church. May God’s peace extend throughout this congregation.

L: Peace of Christ be with you
P: And also with you.
L: Let us extend to each other signs of that peace.

(Extend greetings to those you’re with; comments online are welcome.)

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
chorus
I am the Bread of Life
All who eat this Bread will never die
I am God’s love revealed
I am broken that you might be healed

All who eat of this heavenly Bread
All who drink this cup of the covenant
You will live forever
For I will raise you up

No one who comes to Me shall ever hunger again
No one who believes shall ever thirst
All that the Father draws shall come to Me
And I will give them rest

CCLI Song # 17535John Michael Talbot © 1982 Troubadour For The Lord Music (admin. in the U.S. by Music Services and elsewhere in the world by Capitol CMG Publishing). All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.

INVITATION
It is now our sacred privilege to celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. All who humbly put their trust in Christ and desire His help that they may lead a holy life; all who are truly sorry for their sins and would be delivered from them; all who would walk in love with their neighbors and intend to live a new life, following the commandments of God and walking from now on in His holy ways, are invited to draw near with faith and to receive this holy sacrament.

A PRAYER FOR COMMUNION
Holy God, we praise You.
Let the heavens be joyful and the earth be glad.

We bless You for creating the whole world,
for Your promises to your people Israel,
and for Jesus Christ in whom Your fullness dwells.

Born of Mary, He shares our life.
Eating with sinners, He welcomes us.
Guiding his children, He leads us.
Visiting the sick, He heals us.
Dying on the cross, He saves us.
Risen from the dead, He gives new life.
Living with You, He prays for us.

The Lord Jesus, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembering Me.”

In the same way He took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembering Me.”

With thanksgiving we take this bread and this cup and proclaim the death and resurrection of our Lord.

Receive our sacrifice of praise.
Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us
that this meal may be a communion in the body and blood or our Lord.

Make us one with Christ
and with all who share this feast.

Unite us in faith,
encourage us with hope,
inspire us to love that we may serve
As Your faithful disciples
Until we feast at Your table in glory.

We praise you, eternal God,
through Christ Your Word made flesh,
in the holy and life-giving Spirit now and forever. Amen.

SHARING IN COMMUNION

SPECIAL MUSIC

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Eternal God, heavenly father, You have graciously accepted us as living members of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and You have fed us with spiritual food in the sacrament of His body and blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A SENDING FROM COMMUNION
What we have been about here is not separate from life. Rather these acts have been a reminder that we belong to Christ always and everywhere. We carry Christ’s Spirit into our homes, our daily activities, all our relationships. We are Christ’s people. By God’s grace, let it be so. Amen.

GOD THE MAKER
We bring our time we bring our treasure
We lay them down before Your throne
You will make them something greater
More than we could ever know

We bring our gifts we bring our power
Place them in Your sov’reign hand
You will take what we have given
You will use it for Your plan

chorus
Glory be to God the Maker
Glory be to God Creator
Take our time use our treasure
Turn them into something greater
Glory be to God the Maker

Though our hearts are weak from failure
Broken dreams and failed attempts
Show us that in ev’ry season
You will fill our emptiness

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

POSTLUDE
Praeambulum Legatura
Girolamo Frescobaldi
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 axiom.brass

Benevolence Sunday
The first Sunday of the month at Ravenswood Covenant is always Benevolence Sunday. There is a box in the narthex in which you can leave a benevolence offering that will be used to help meet the needs of those in the congregation and the larger community who are currently having difficulty paying for rent, food, medicine, transportation, etc.

Easter flower orders
This is the time of year to think about ordering flowers to decorate the front of the church on Easter Sunday while also honoring or memorializing loved ones. Although our Easter lillies have already been ordered, there will be additional flowers of other species, such as the chrysanthemums and hyacinths pictured here, that will be purchased by the church and displayed on Easter Sunday.

If you would like, you can honor or memorialize someone by giving a donation to the church to help offset the cost of these flowers. If you choose to do so, please contact the church office at 773-784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org to indicate who you would like to honor or memorialize. You may take your flowers home after the service on Easter Sunday.

Fellowship hour returns
Fellowship hour is back! Our aim is to hold fellowship hour every other week until there is a full roster of volunteers for each of the fellowship hour serving teams, at which point it will again be a weekly aspect of our community life.

We are in need of people who are willing to make coffee and set out food downstairs as well as clean up afterwards. If you would like to bake or bring treats to donate, you can also volunteer in that way. Please connect with Kari Johnson or Beth Anderson if you are willing to help out. We will teach you what you need to know for making coffee and finding what you need in the kitchen. We will pair people up so that no one has to do it all themselves. Contact Kari by email at Karinelson88@gmail.com.

Choir continues Easter season rehearsals
Our choir is back! This aspect of our collective worship has been sorely missed during the Covid pandemic, but the plan is for RECC to once again have a choir to take part in our Holy Week and Easter Sunday services. Choir rehearsal is on Sundays at 8:30 am. If you have never sung in the choir before but are interested, we encourage you to attend rehearsal next Sunday.

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 them 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, please connect with Jeremy Foster for information to donate to Youth with a Mission (Beatrice Foster account).

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

Pastor Denise’s office hours
Pastor Denise will be working full-time until Ravenswood Covenant has an interim pastor. She will be at the church Tuesdays through Fridays 10 am to 4 pm unless she is out visiting someone. Please call the church office if you would like to make an appointment with her or email denise@ravenscov.org. Office Manager Gregory Sager’s church office hours are 8 am to 1 pm Mondays through Fridays.

Congregational business meeting next Sunday
There will be a congregational business meeting for the purposes of distributing a congregational survey and creating a pastoral search committee next Sunday, April 10, after the service. Please put this date on your calendar and plan to take part in this important meeting, either in person or via Zoom.

Church Clean-Up Day
This coming Saturday, April 9, we will hold a Church Clean-Up Day from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Show up ready to work, as we will clean the church grounds as well as the interior of the building, in preparation for the Easter season. Coffee and donuts will be available at 8:30 am, and lunch will be served at the conclusion of the clean-up.

Mark Safstrom to speak at online Waldenström atonement sermon symposium
The year 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the Rev. Paul Peter Waldenström’s sermon on reconciliation (1872), which set in motion events that led to the formation of the Covenant Churches in Sweden (1878) and North America (1885) and left an indelible mark on Covenant preaching, mission, and ecclesiology. Join four scholars and church leaders, including RECC’s own Mark Safstrom for a symposium this coming Friday, April 8, that will be held as a virtual conference, as they share how this crucial aspect of Covenant history remains relevant today to the Church’s calling to restorative justice, racial righteousness, global mission, preaching, and congregational life. The conference will run from 10 am to 4 pm CDT, with a lunch break from 12:15-1:15 pm. The event is co-sponsored by the Commission on Covenant History and North Park Theological Seminary.

Triduum service during Holy Week
For several years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church participated in a Holy Week Triduum — a string of three consecutive evenings of combined-congregation worship on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Holy Week — in partnership with several other Covenant churches on Chicago’s North Side. This year, the Triduum returns, with the following worship schedule:

Maundy Thursday (April 14) — 7 pm at Grace Evangelical Covenant Church, 4201 N. Monticello Ave., Chicago, IL 60618 (Please note that Grace strongly recommends mask use.)

Good Friday (April 15) — 7 pm at Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church, 4900 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60625

Easter Vigil (April 16) — 7 pm at Resurrection Covenant Church,
3901 N. Marshfield Ave., Chicago, IL 60645

Childcare will be provided on all three evenings.

A combined choir from the participating churches will be singing here at Ravenswood Covenant in the Good Friday portion of the Triduum. If you are interested in taking part in the Good Friday choir, or know of someone who might be interested, please speak to Cynthia Arden. The combined choir will be rehearsing at 6 pm on Good Friday, one hour before the service begins.

Thorek Retirement Community open houses
Thorek Retirement Community (formerly known as Bethany Retirement Community), located at 4950 N. Ashland Ave., will be hosting open house tours on April 10, 16, 24, and 30 from 10 am to 2 pm. TRC is licensed as a shelter care facility, but it offers supportive services for a fee to those seniors that may need some assistance in their daily tasks. They have studios and 1 BR apartments ready to be rented for seniors! Their prices are hard to beat compared to other facilities located in Chicago. Please RSVP to David at 773-750-2730 to attend one of TRC’s open houses.

Wanted: Church directory coordinator
Ravenswood Covenant is in the process of updating its online church directory, with the intention of eventually making paper copies of the directory available. We are seeking a volunteer who is willing to take on this project, which means gathering information and photographs and inputting them onto the church’s WordPress-based website. If you are interested in coordinating the directory update, please contact Gregory Sager in the church office at 773-784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org.

Thursday evening adult Bible study
Our weekly Bible study meets on Thursday evenings at 7 pm. This coming Sunday we will begin studying the book of Romans. We welcome anybody to the upstairs lounge on Thursday evenings who wants to take part in the Bible study. If you would prefer to participate remotely, or if you are out of town, the Bible study will continue to provide Zoom access as well for online participants.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95052558015?pwd=N3d1eFpUUmUwenhCSzNJNUk3WEV2QT09

The Zoom meeting ID for the Bible study: 972 871 4458
The Zoom passcode for the Bible study: 1qa3CD

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.”

Scripture for next Sunday
Psalm 24
John 19:16-25

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.