August 25, 2024 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

August 25, 2024

Worship live on Sundays in person at 10:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.

PRELUDE
“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!”
Oliver Holden
led by Leslie and Cynthia

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CAMP REPORTS
Anja Eikenbary-Barber, Covenant Point
Peter Eikenbary-Barber, Covenant Harbor

CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 145:1-4
Leader: I will exalt you, my God the King! I will praise Your name for ever and ever!
People: Every day I will praise You and extol Your name for ever and ever.
Leader: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.
People: One generation commends Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts.

UNISON PRAYER
Almighty God, You are worthy of all praise! Christ the Lord, You are the King who suffers with his people. Holy Spirit, You empower us to reject false idols and put our trust in God alone. As we sing Your songs and hear Your Word, may we commit our lives to the Kingdom of God. Amen.

* ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME!
All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!

Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all;
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown him Lord of all!

Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all;
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!

O that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all;
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all.

Covenant Hymnal, #265

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: Josie Baumgartner
Romans 12:1-8

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. ²Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

³For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

* THE STAND
You stood before creation
Eternity in Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

pre-chorus
So what can I say
And what can I do
But offer this heart, O God
Completely to You

So I’ll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
My life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

chorus
So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I’ll stand
My soul, Lord, to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
Pastor Ryan

Children 6 and under are dismissed to Children’s Church in the upstairs lounge. Parents can pick up their children in the lounge after the service.

REFLECTING ON THE WORD
Matthew 25:14-30
Steward Little
Pastor Ryan

GOD, WHOSE GIVING KNOWS NO ENDING
God, whose giving knows no ending,
All our life is from Your store:
Nature’s wonder, Jesus’ wisdom,
Costly cross, grave’s shattered door.
Gifted by You, turn we to You,
Offering up ourselves in praise;
Thankful songs shall rise forever,
Gracious donor of our days.

Skills and time are ours for pressing
Toward the goals of Christ Your Son:
All at peace in health and freedom,
Races joined, the church made one.
Now direct our daily labor,
Lest we strive for self alone;
Born with talents make us servants
Fit to answer at Your throne.

Treasure too You have entrusted,
Gain through pow’rs Your grace conferred:
Ours to use for home and kindred,
And to spread the Gospel word.
Open wide our hands in sharing,
As we heed Christ’s ageless call,
Healing, teaching, and reclaiming,
Serving You who loves us all.

Lend Your joy to all our giving,
Let it light our pilgrim way:
From the dark of anxious keeping,
Loose us into gen’rous day.
Then when years on earth are over,
Rich toward You and ev’ry one,
Lord fulfill beyond our dreaming
All our steward life’s begun.

Covenant Hymnal, #633

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden; Messian Burgos; Frank Coszach; Vira Coszach; Art & Rosa Hamilton; Trevor Hanks; Mary McKirchy; Sara Rosado; Mary Smith; Iris Velez; Lauren Vilardo; and Mark Westlind

Ministries & Mission
Alex & Melanie Viana, serving in France
Covenant Mountain Mission Bible Camp

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 & OFFERINGS
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle^® to: giving@ravenscov.org

OFFERTORY
Prelude #9 in E
Frédéric Chopin
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.

* THE BLESSING
The Lord bless you
And keep you
Make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
The Lord turn His
Face toward you
And give you peace

chorus
Amen
Amen
Amen

May His favor
Be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family
And your children
And their children
And their children

May His presence
Go before you
And behind you
And beside you
All around you
And within you
He is with you
He is with you

In the morning
In the evening
In your coming
And your going
In your weeping
And rejoicing
He is for you
He is for you

He is for you
He is for you

Brown / Carnes / Jobe / Furtick © 2020 Capitol CMG Paragon; Kari Jobe Carnes Music; Worship Together Music; Writer’s Roof Publishing; Music by Elevation Worship Publishing. Admin. Capitol CMG Publishing, Essential Music Publishing LLC

BLESSING OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

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

POSTLUDE
Praeambulum Terth Toni
Franz Xavier Anton Murschhauser
led by Cynthia

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

Please wear a nametag
We’ve had a number of visitors and new attendees lately, and it’s very important that we not only welcome them warmly to our church but also allow them to attach a name to a face. We’re asking everyone to return to our old practice of wearing nametags on Sunday morning. Blank nametags and Sharpies will be available both in the narthex and in the sanctuary.

Sunday School Kick-off
Sunday School Kick-off Day is fast approaching! On Sunday, Sept. 8 we will begin our school-year schedule by returning to an 11:00 am worship hour. We will also recognize our 2024-25 Sunday School teachers in the worship service and pray for them as they prepare to teach our children about God this coming year. That Sunday will also be the first official day of Children’s Church. (Please note that Children’s Church is only for children of kindergarten age or younger; older children are expected to remain in the sanctuary.) Following the service, a light lunch will be served downstairs, and there will be children’s activities.

The first day of Sunday School will be the following Sunday, Sept. 15.

Faith Forum
Faith Forum, Ravenswood Covenant’s adult Christian education class that meets during the Sunday School hour during the school year, is returning on September 15. This year’s edition of Faith Forum will feature a series of teachers who will each explore a topic over a one-month period. The first teacher will be LeRoy Carlson, who will lead a series in September on the theology of worship, focusing upon the Covenant Book of Worship, the worship handbook used by the Covenant’s pastors, chaplains, and worship leaders.

Treats and coffee are provided each week. Join us in the upstairs lounge every Sunday in Faith Forum!

Symphonic Exploration!
The Lake County Symphony Orchesta, featuring our own Cynthia Arden as concertmaster, will begin its 2024 -25 season with a family concert entitled “Symphonic Exploration!” The concert will be held at the James Lumber Center For The Performing Arts at the College of Lake County, located at 19351 W. Washington St. in Grayslake, on September 14 at 7:30 pm!

This concert is family-oriented and can act as a wonderful introduction into the world of classical music. The main work being featured is English composer Benjamin Britten’s iconic work, “The Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra”. This work starts with the theme in the entire orchestra and then moves from instrument family to instrument family (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion), so you and your child can learn more about the various instruments. Do not be fooled by the educational nature of the work. This work is as beautiful and timeless as any of the composer’s other major works!

During intermission there will also be an “instrument petting zoo” in the lobby of the James Lumber Center. There will be a wide variety of instruments set up with LCSO musicians demonstrating them so that you and your children can learn more about the various instruments you just heard onstage.

For ticket information, go to https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/71732235/lcso .

Save your cardboard rolls!
Please save your empty paper towel and toilet paper cardboard rolls, as Bekah Carlson needs them for a kids project at the science table of our farmers market. There is a box in the lobby of the C.E. wing for you to leave your rolls.

Cooler Sunday
Today, August 25, will be the third and final Cooler Sunday of this summer. Once again, freshly-grilled hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided; we ask that you bring a dish or dessert to pass. We hope that you join us for fun and fellowship as we say goodbye to summer!

Church parking
Do you know someone who needs a place to park in the Ravenswood neighborhood? Ravenswood Covenant Church is currently leasing space in its parking lot. Parking is $60 per space per month for non-members, and is available for day/evening, overnight, or both. For more information, please contact the church office at 773-784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org.

Scripture reader sign-up
We’re now seeking people to read the scripture passages of the day in the worship service for the fall months. If you are willing to be a scripture reader in September, October, or November, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the church office or in the narthex on Sundays, or contact Gregory Sager or Pastor Ryan. Feel free to sign up for more than one Sunday if you like.

Farmers market
This past Wednesday saw another strong farmers market with about 750 adults on hand to shop, browse, eat, and enjoy the market experience. Plenty of kids were on hand to enjoy all of our children’s activities as well.

The farmers market continues to have openings for children’s art tent staff and bounce house monitors, as well as people who can help to set up and/or take down the market.

This is not necessarily a commitment to the full span of the market; whenever you can help out would be great! For more information, please contact Bekah Carlson or leave your name and contact info at the church office.

Pastor Ryan’s office hours
Pastor Ryan’s office hours at church are typically Tuesday thru Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you would like to meet with Pastor Ryan please call the church office in advance to schedule an appointment.

Coffee hour changes
There is now a coffee hour bulletin board downstairs in the fellowship hall! (It’s right next to the kids’ serving window.) Please look there for updated serving instructions as well as to find out what team you’re on. We’ve had some turnover, so we encourage you to sign up to join a serving team if you haven’t done so already. A self-sign-up will now be available on the board so that you can pick which Sundays work best for you. As always, thanks for serving!

Thursday evening Bible study
The weekly Bible study meets Thursdays at 7:00 pm. This week we began studying the book of Ecclesiastes. The Bible study meets in the upstairs lounge. For more information, please contact Gregory Sager in the church office at (773) 784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org.

We have Zoom available for those who would like to take part in the Bible study but cannot be physically present. The Zoom link for the Bible study is:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83923376849?pwd=YUlYVXBmOVdwV0d5L20ySng3aHU3Zz09

Meeting ID: 839 2337 6849
Passcode: 318853

Scripture for next Sunday
Matthew 25:31-46
Romans 12:9-21

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.