December 3, 2023 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

December 3, 2023

Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.

PRE-SERVICE MUSIC

PRELUDE
Hyfradol
Rowland Pritchard
led by Mary and Cynthia

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 27:13-14
Leader: I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
People: Wait for theLord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

PRAYER
God of power and love, You raised Jesus from death to life, resplendent in glory to rule over all creation. Free the world to rejoice in His peace, to glory in His justice, and to live in His love. Unite all humankind in Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

* O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

refrain

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid now our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

refrain

Covenant Hymnal, #120

LIGHTING THE FIRST ADVENT CANDLE (“HOPE”)
Kari & Neal Johnson and their children

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Kari & Neal Johnson
Jeremiah 23:5-6

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
    and do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

DEDICATION OF NORA LINNEA JOHNSON

CHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER
Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish,
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them,
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers,
Your Protector never slumbers;
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His, the loving purpose solely
To preserve them, pure and holy.

Tryggare kan ingen vara,
Än Guds lilla barnaskara,
Stjärnan ej på himlafästet,
Fågeln ej i kända nästet.

Covenant Hymnal, #87

GOSPEL LESSON: Jackie Criswell
Mark 8:27-29

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸And they answered Him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Messiah.”

CHILDREN’S MOMENT
Leslie Hodgkinson

HE CAME DOWN
led by the choir and the children of RECC

He came down that we may have hope*.
He came down that we may have hope*;
He came down that we may have hope*:
Hallelujah forevermore.

* peace, joy, love

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
Jeremiah 31:31-34
New Covenant
Pastor Ryan

* WHO YOU SAY I AM
Who am I that the highest King
Would welcome me
I was lost but He brought me in
Oh, His love for me
Oh, His love for me

Who the Son sets free
Oh, is free indeed
I’m a child of God
Yes, I am

Free at last
He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes, He died for me

In my Father’s house
There’s a place for me
I’m a child of God
Yes, I am

I am chosen, not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me, not against me
I am who You say I am

(Oh) (Yes) I am who You say I am

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden, Messian Burgos, Frank Coszach, Vira Coszach, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Trevor Hanks, Kathy Sager, Mary Smith, Steve Staurseth, and Phillip, son of Iris Velez

Ministries & Mission
Fabio Muniz & Johnna Hayward Muniz, 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

* 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.

CALL TO COMMUNION
The Gospels tell us that on the first day of the week, the day our Lord rose from the dead, He appeared to some of His disciples and was made known to them in the breaking of bread. It is true for us as well: Christ is made known to us as we break this bread and drink this cup together.

WORDS OF PREPARATION
As we prepare to come to the Lord’s Table, we reflect on our reasons for thanksgiving and faith, and our need for forgiveness and love. In this time of silence, we remember our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who called us to share this meal together; and we thoughtfully examine the state of our faithfulness and our unity with his body.

TIME OF SILENCE

INVITATION
Sisters and brothers, this is food for the journey to which God has called us. Let our lives be nourished by the Lord Himself as we celebrate together at this table.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION
The apostle Paul tells us that on the night on which Jesus was betrayed, He 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.” Paul goes on to tell us that 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.” Paul then reminds us that whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the death of Jesus until He comes again.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE BREAD AND THE CUP
This is the Lord’s Table. It is Jesus Himself who invites you to this meal. The table is open to all who believe and have professed faith in Jesus Christ.

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. Unite us with one another and with all your saints in heaven and on earth. Consecrate us, body and soul, to be a living, acceptable offering to You, so that in word and deed we may continually praise and glorify Your holy name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.”

SHARING OF BREAD AND CUP

* GREAT ARE YOU, LORD
You give life.
You are love.
You bring light to the darkness.
You give hope.
You restore
Ev’ry heart that is broken.
And great are You, Lord.

chorus
It’s Your breath in our lungs,
So we pour out our praise,
We pour out our praise,
It’s Your breath in our lungs,
So we pour out our praise to You only.

bridge
And all the earth will shout Your praise.
Our hearts will cry,
These bones will sing,
“Great are You, Lord!”

Jason Ingram / Leslie Jordan / David Leonard © 2012 Open Hands Music / So Essential Tunes / Integrity’s Praise! Music / Little Way Creative CCLI License #349090

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

POSTLUDE
Von Himmel Hoch
attr: Martin Luther, c.1539
led by Cynthia
please remain seated during the postlude

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.

RECC Advent/Christmas schedule
We are now entering the busiest time of year in the life of our church, and the dates have been set for all of the various holiday activities for which you’re invited to participate and/or enjoy as a spectator:

* Parenting ProGRESS Christmas party – Thursday, Dec. 14, 4:30 pm

* Sankta Lucia festival – Sunday, December 17, after worship

* Axiom Brass Quintet Concert – Monday, December 18, 7:00 pm

* Christmas Carol Jeopardy! – Sunday, December 24, after worship

* Christmas Eve service – Sunday, December 24, 7:00 pm

Sunday School and Faith Forum
Sunday School and Faith Forum will meet at 10:00 am every week, unless otherwise noted. We are still looking for folks who are willing to help out with Sunday School. Please speak with Beth Anderson, Bekah Carlson, or Kelly Vetter if you’re interested. Also, please check with the church office to make sure that you have an up-to-date background check if you are going to work with the church’s children in 2023-24.

Choir returns for fall/winter season
Calling all singers! The Ravenswood Covenant choir has started rehearsals for our fall and winter choir season. It’s not too late to join!

Choir rehearsal is at 9:00 am Sunday mornings in the sanctuary. Anyone with a heart for singing is welcome to join the choir. Please speak to our organist and choir director Cynthia Arden if you’re interested in joining.

Scripture reader sign-up
We are seeking people to read the scripture passages of the day as part of the worship services this fall. If you are willing to be a scripture reader, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the church office or contact Gregory Sager or Pastor Ryan.

Covenant Harbor is hiring
Covenant Harbor is still looking for some kitchen staff and volunteers. All inquires can be made to Sandy Wendtland at swendtland@covenantharbor.org .

Summer staff applications for 2024 are now open on the Covenant Harbor website as well. They are already hiring for next year’s summer camp positions. If you have any questions, please contact Emma Mueller at emueller@covenantharbor.org.

All of these details can also be found on the camp’s website at www.covenantharbor.org.

Pastor Ryan’s office hours
Pastor Ryan’s office hours at church are typically Tuesday thru Friday from 9:00 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. We are studying the Gospel of Mark. 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 now have Zoom available again 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

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
Isaiah 7:10-16
Isaiah 7:1-9
Matthew 1:18-23

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.