August 7, 2022

PRE-SERVICE MUSIC

PRELUDE
led by Dana

WELCOME & GREETING, COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 137
Leader: By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down
People: And there we wept, when we remembered Zion
Leader: For the wicked, carried us away to captivity,
Required from us a song,
People How can we sing King Alpha’s song in a strange land?
All: So let the words of our mouths and the meditations of hearts
Be acceptable in Thy sight, Oh Lord! Amen.

ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING
All creatures of our God and king,
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia, alleluia!
O burning sun with golden beam,
And silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him, O praise Him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

O rushing wind so wild and strong,
O clouds that sail in heav’n along,
O praise Him, alleluia!
O rising morn in praise rejoice,
O lights of evening, find a voice,
O praise Him, O praise Him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Cool flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for your Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Fierce fire so masterful and bright,
Providing us with warmth and light,
O praise Him, O praise Him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

And all of you with tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
Alleluia, alleluia!
All you who pain and sorrow bear,
Trust God and on Him cast your care:
O praise Him, O praise Him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One:
O praise Him, O praise Him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!


Covenant Hymnal, #55

GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
Matthew 20:25-28

25 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 26 It will not be so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave, 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.”

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

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON
1 Peter 5:1-14

Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it, not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. In the same way, you who are younger must be subject to the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for

“God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 13 Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

CHILDREN’S MOMENT
Pastor Mark

Children 6 and under are dismissed to the gym

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
So What Do I Get for This?
Pastor Mark

HOW CAN WE SING THE LORD’S SONG
How can we sing the Lord’s song
When all is new and strange,
When rules we thought were certain
Seem subject now to change?
But one thing still is constant:
The wide and loving flow
Of God’s creative Spirit
Wherever we may go.

How can we sing the Lord’s song
When love is torn apart,
By death, divorce, or quarrel,
To leave a lonely heart?
Yet Someone still is with us
Through turbulence or test;
Our truest love, our comfort,
Our Christ who loves us best.

How can we sing the Lord’s song
When suddenly denied
The work that we depend on
For sustenance and pride?
Lord, guide us in communion
With strong and helpful souls,
To find new paths of service
And ever greater goals.

How can we sing the Lord’s song
When exiled from our brain,
Our body disconnected
By drinking, drugs, or pain?
Break through our false denials,
To seek the help we need
For healing and for wholeness
Till we are clean indeed.

How can we sing the Lord’s song,
Held hostage in our fears,
Still hopeful but disheartened
By trouble through the years?
Yet in the deepest darkness,
We hear a still, small voice
Who frees and leads us, singing:
Rise up, move on, rejoice!

Covenant Hymnal, #418

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden, Michael Bucci, Vira Coszach, Joan Erickson, Carlos Feijoo, the congregation of Grace Evangelical Covenant Church, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Sarah Hill, Mary McKirchy, Shirley Nicholas, Mary Smith, the Staurseth family, Esther Stoel, and Dick Swedberg

Ministries & Mission
Paul & Sheryl Noren, serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 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
“O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee”
Henry Percy Smith
led by Cynthia and Dana

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
All: Forgive us, most gracious God, for what we have done to bring pain to Your beautiful world: our hard and unkind words, our careless and thoughtless deeds, our lack of compassion and reluctance to render aid when it was in our power to help. Amen.

WORDS OF ASSURANCE
from Ephesians 2:4-10
Hear the good news:
By grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not your own doing;
it is the gift of God—
not by works,
so that no one can boast.
We are what God has made us,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
to be our way of life.

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: The 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
I am the bread of life;
You who come to Me shall not hunger;
You who believe in Me shall not thirst.
No one can come to Me
Unless the Father beckons.

chorus
And I will raise you up,
And I will raise you up,
And I will raise you up on the last day.

The bread that I will give
Is My flesh for the life of the world
And if you eat of this bread,
You shall live forever,
You shall live forever.

chorus

Unless you eat
Of the flesh of the Son of Man
And drink of His blood,
And drink of his blood
You shall not have life within you.

chorus

I am the resurrection
I am the life
If you believe in Me,
Even though you die,
You shall live forever.

chorus

Yes Lord, we believe
That You are the Christ,
The Son of God
Who has come
Into the world.

chorus

Covenant Hymnal, #557

INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE
This is the Lord’s Table. Come to this sacred table, not because you must, but because you may; come to testify not that you are righteous, but that you sincerely love our Lord Jesus Christ and desire to be his true disciples; come not because you are strong, but because you are weak; not because you have any claim on the grace of God, but because in your frailty and sin you stand in constant need of God’s mercy and help; come not to express an opinion, but to seek God’s presence and pray for the Spirit.

WORDS OF INSTITUION
The Lord Jesus, on the night 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 remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying. “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, blest forever! To You be praise and honor for giving Yourself, shedding Your blood, and letting Your body be broken in death for our sake, so that we might have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Bless, O God, this bread which we together eat, and the cup which we together drink. Let us through this blest bread and this blest cup become partakers of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

SHARING OF THE BREAD AND CUP
Take and eat, this is the body of Christ, which is broken for you.
This cup is the new covenant in the blood of Christ. Drink of it.

SPECIAL MUSIC
“The Bread of Life”
Porter’s Gate
led by Cynthia and Dana

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Father of all, we give You thanks and praise, that when we were still far off You met us in Your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, He declared Your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live His risen life; we who drink His cup bring life to others; we who the Spirit lights give light to the world, through Christ our Lord.

GOODNESS OF GOD
I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days
I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God

chorus
All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a father
I’ve known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God

bridge
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me

Ben Fielding | Brian Johnson | Ed Cash | Jason Ingram | Jenn Johnson © 2018 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Fellow Ships Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Bethel Music Publishing For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License # 349090

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

POSTLUDE
In Dulce Jubilo
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.

Tacos and Tunes
Our third and final Tacos and Tunes gathering of summer 2022 will be Friday, August 19, in the parking lot from 5:30 to 7 pm. Chef Bobby will be preparing the tacos, the playground will be open for the kids, and we’ll have live, family-friendly music as well. As is the case for Thursday night community dinners, the suggested donation for Tacos and Tunes is $5 per person or $10 per family. Plan to join us!

Women’s luncheon
Women, please save this date:  Saturday, September 24, for a special luncheon and fun at  church. You won’t want to miss this get-together! 

Pastoral search focus groups
Every congregation faces times of transition, and it’s currently our turn here at Ravenswood Covenant. We are grateful for the input we received from the recent survey. It is also important that we have the opportunity to discuss the findings with each other. With that in mind, we have asked the Rev. Peter Sjoblom to facilitate conversations which will assist our pastoral search committee to discern what we are hoping for of our new pastor. We have four remaining dates and times to meet. We hope you will sign up and be part of this important input. Please list in order of preference by numbers 1, 2, and 3 the three times you might be available.

Each of the focus group sessions will meet both in person in the upstairs lounge and by Zoom for your convenience.

Please sign up by emailing the church office at office@ravenscov.org, or by calling the church office at 773-784-7091. Please leave your preferences on the answering machine if your call is not picked up.

FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS
Tuesday, August 9, 7 pm
Saturday, August 13, 10 am
Monday, August 15, 7 pm
Thursday, August 25, 7 pm

Farmers market
This past Wednesday’s farmers market was plagued by iffy weather that kept a lot of people away who feared that they might get caught in a thunderstorm. But the storm never came, the rain stopped before the market began, and over 350 adults still came to the market in spite of the fact that our weather-related decision not to inflate the bounce house might’ve kept some parents with kids from visiting.

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
Our weekly Bible study meets on Thursday evenings at 7 pm. We are currently 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.”

RECC preaching schedule for the remainder of the summer
August 7: Pastor Mark
August 14: Eliza Stiles
August 21: Brandi Sanders
August 28: Pastor Denise
September 3: Gregory Sager

Scripture for next Sunday
Matthew 5:3-9
Ruth 1:1-22

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.

"With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." (Mark 4:30-32 NRS)