December 19, 2021
Adult Sunday School convenes at 9:30 on Zoom and in-person
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT
God’s love has a long memory. As we come to the final Sunday of Advent, we remember that God’s promise of love is often kept in unexpected ways. Through acts as common as the birth of a baby, and as unexpected as birth in a barn, God transforms the world with His love in human flesh. In a world where even evergreens turn dry and brittle, where night grows long and cold darkness envelopes us, it is only God’s promise of love that keeps us in eager anticipation of when, in Jesus Christ, all things will be made new. Today we light the fourth candle of God’s eternal love that shines brightly especially in dark places.
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
led by Cynthia
PRELUDE
led by Dana
WELCOME, COMMUNITY LIFE, & GREETING
SOME SPECIAL GUESTS
“Buddy”
JOHN 3:16-17
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
LIGHTING THE CANDLE OF LOVE
CALL TO WORSHIP
Friends of God, believe this –
God loved the world,
God loves the world
we are the beloved!
May the truth of this great love story
shine through our worship today
and renew our sense of calling.
So come, with your tiredness,
your frustrations and your discouragements;
come with your doubts, your fears,
and your longings;
come, to discover yet again
how Jesus reveals God’s love and mercy.
Come, in friendship to God
and to each other,
and in friendship to the world,
to listen for God’s Word to us,
to offer our prayers,
and to renew our calling.
Friends of God,
let us worship!
— written by Ann Siddall, Stillpoint Spirituality Centre and Faith Community. Posted on the Uniting Church SA website. http://mrn.sa.uca.org.au/
O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
O sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above;
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,
O Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
Covenant Hymnal, #147
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
WHILE WE ARE WAITING, COME (verse 1)
While we are waiting, come;
While we are waiting, come.
Jesus, our Lord, Emmanuel,
While we are waiting, come.
Covenant Hymnal, #773
We continue to pray for: the family of Kari Hutson, Ernesto Galaviz, Kristine Brandel’s friend Terrie, Nikolas Arden, Katie Collier, Chuck & Shirley Nicholas, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Esther Stoel, the Koeller family, Joyce Andrews, Brianna Randall, Mark Erickson’s sister Sue Kelly and family, Steve Hoden, Devencie Ervin and his family, Delores Staurseth, Tom Kelly, Brian Alnes, Tom Spriggs, Jane Auger, Mary McKirchy, Jolie Fisher, and Brian Finnegan.
Ministries & Mission
Carolyn & Jeffrey Stoker, serving in Cameroon; Carlos & Karen Feijoo, serving in Ecuador
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
& PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
OFFERTORY
“Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine”
arr. Robert J. Powell
led by Erin, Cynthia, and Mary
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.
MATTHEW 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named Him Jesus.
O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light:
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to all on earth.
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!
Covenant Hymnal, #154
CHRISTMAS PROCESSION
AWAY IN A MANGER
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus! I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.
Covenant Hymnal, #164
LUKE 2:8-20
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a Child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom He favors!”[
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this Child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
INFANT HOLY, INFANT LOWLY
Infant holy, infant lowly,
For his bed a cattle stall;
Oxen lowing, little knowing
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging angels singing,
Noels ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Flocks were sleeping: shepherds keeping
Vigil till the morning new
Saw the glory, heard the story,
Tidings of the Gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,
Praises voicing greet the morrow:
Christ the babe was born for you.
Christ the babe was born for you.
Covenant Hymnal, #169
MATTHEW 2:1-12
1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the Child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed His star at its rising, and have come to pay Him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the Child; and when you have found Him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay Him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they knelt down and paid Him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
SWEET LITTLE BABY
Children return to their parents in the pews.
NOEL
Love incarnate, love divine
Star and angels gave the sign
Bow to babe on bended knee
The Savior of humanity
Unto us a Child is born
He shall reign forevermore
chorus
Noel, Noel
Come and see what God has done
Noel, Noel
The story of amazing love
The light of the world given for us
Noel
Son of God and Son of man
There before the world began
Born to suffer, born to save
Born to raise us from the grave
Christ the everlasting Lord
He shall reign forevermore
CCLI Song # 7050419 CCLI License # 349090
Chris Tomlin | Ed Cash | Matt Redman © 2015 Alletrop Music
JOHN 1:1-18
read responsively
Whole congregation reads together: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in Him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
One reader: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
Whole congregation: He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him; yet the world did not know Him. 11 He came to what was His own, and His own people did not accept Him. 12 But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
One reader: And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to Him and cried out, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because He was before me.’”) 16 From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made Him known.
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
REFLECTION
Why Do We Love Christmas?
Pastor Denise
COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS
Come, Thou long expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art:
Dear desire of ev’ry nation,
Joy of ev’ry longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child, and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Covenant Hymnal, # 135
BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
In Dulci Jubilo
J.S. Bach
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
Covid restrictions for in-person worship
Chicago is now requiring the use of masks for indoor public gatherings, so Ravenswood Covenant has reinstated safety protocols for Sunday morning worship. This means that within the building masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status; seating is socially distant; and handshakes and hugs are avoided.
We are still observing precautions regarding children, specifically with regard to the cry room. As was the case before, if you and your family would like to worship in the cry room, please reserve it in advance by contacting Gregory Sager at office@ravenscov.org or 773-784-7091. One family may choose to use the cry room upon arrival if it hasn’t already been reserved. Children of all ages are always welcome to be in the sanctuary with their parents for the worship service!
Thursday evening adult Bible study
Our adult Bible study will be on hiatus for the holidays until January 6. The adult Bible study meets on Thursday evenings at 7 pm.
We are now welcoming anybody to the lounge on Thursday evenings who wants to take part in the Bible study. Please wear a mask. 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
Children’s Sunday School
Children’s Sunday School and Confirmation classes will not meet again until Sunday, January 9.
Christmas Eve service
Join us this Friday, December 24 at 6:30 pm for our annual Christmas Eve service. All are invited to join in worship as we remember the Incarnation of God in our world as a human baby two thousand years ago.
Christmas season thank-yous
We would like to thank the many people who have helped organize, prepare, present, and participate in the many facets of our church’s Christmas season activities, including Sankta Lucia, the Axiom Brass concert, the Parenting ProGRESS giving tree and holiday party, Christmas Carol Jeopardy, the “Simple Christmas” children’s Christmas program, and Cupcake Sunday, as well as those who have decorated the church for the season.
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.”
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 773-784-7091 for more information.
Scripture for next Sunday
Psalm 32:1-2
John 1:19-34
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.