February 12, 2023

Worship live on Sundays in person,
or on YouTube at 10:45 am.

Children’s Sunday School for ages K-7th grade at 9:30 am in-person.
Faith Forum (adult Sunday School) at 9:30 am in person and on Zoom.

PRE-SERVICE MUSIC

PRELUDE
led by Dana

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 84:1-10a
Leader: How lovely is Your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
People: My soul longs, indeed it faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.

Leader: Even the sparrow finds a home
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
People: Happy are those who live in Your house,
    ever singing Your praise.

Leader: Happy are those whose strength is in You,
    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baca,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
People: They go from strength to strength;
    the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

Leader: O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    give ear, O God of Jacob!
People: Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed.

All: For a day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.

BETTER IS ONE DAY
How lovely is Your dwelling place
O Lord Almighty
For my soul longs and even faints for You
For here my heart is satisfied
Within Your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings

chorus
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

One thing I ask and I would seek
To see Your beauty
To find You in the place Your glory dwells

chorus

My heart and flesh cry out
To You the living God
Your Spirit’s water to my soul
I’ve tasted and I’ve seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You

chorus

Matt Redman © 1995 Thankyou Music CCLI License # 349090


GOSPEL LESSON
Matthew 13:24-43

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”

31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable He told them nothing. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
    I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation.”

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples approached Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Reader: The word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God!

HARK! ‘TIS THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE I HEAR
Hark! ’tis the Shepherd’s voice I hear,
Out in the desert dark and drear,
Calling the sheep who’ve gone astray,
Far from the Shepherd’s fold away.

chorus
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin;
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring the wanderers to Jesus.

Who’ll go and help the Shepherd kind,
Help Him the wandering ones to find?
Who’ll bring them back into the fold,
Where they’ll be sheltered from the cold?

Out in the desert hear their cry,
Out on the mountain wild and high,
Hark! ’tis the Master speaks to thee,
“Go, find My sheep where ‘er they be.”

Alexcenah Thomas / William A. Ogden
The Hymnal (1950), #525

CHILDREN’S MOMENT
Erin Stoel

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.

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
Who Are You? Are You Sure?
Pastor Mark

YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN
Your labor is not in vain
Though the ground underneath you
Is cursed and stained
Your planting and reaping are never the same
Your labor is not in vain

Your labor is not unknown
Though the rocks they cry out
And the sea it may groan
The place of your toil may not seem like a home
But your labor is not unknown

chorus
I am with you, I am with you
I am with you, I am with you
For I have called
Called you by name
Your labor is not in vain

The vineyards you plant will bear fruit
The fields will sing out and rejoice with the truth
For all that is old will at last be made new
The vineyards you plant will bear fruit

chorus

The houses you labored to build
Will finally with laughter and joy be filled
The serpent that hurts and destroys will be killed
And all that is broken be healed

chorus

CCLI Song # 7097868 Isaac Wardell | Paul Zach | Wendell Kimbrough

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden, Messian Burgos, the family of Samuel Carlson (Linda Carlson), Frank Coszach, Vira Coszach, the family of Larry Fricke (Bekah Carlson), Pedro Gomez, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Mary McKirchy, Shirley Nicholas, our Pastoral Search Committee, Mary Smith, and Steve Staurseth

Ministries & Mission
Lisandro & Patricia Restrepo, serving in Mexico; Renee Nicholas, serving as the national director for InterVarsity’s Graduate Healthcare Ministries

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
Adagio
Johann Gottfried Vierling
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.

* WE ARE GOD’S PEOPLE
We are God’s people,
The chosen of the Lord,
Born of His Spirit,
Established by His Word.
Our cornerstone is Christ alone,
And strong in Him we stand.
Oh, let us live transparently,
And walk heart to heart and hand in hand.

We are God’s loved ones,
The bride of Christ our Lord,
For we have known it,
The love of God outpoured.
Now let us learn how to return
The gift of love once giv’n.
Oh, let us share each joy and care,
And live with a zeal that pleases heav’n.

We are the body
Of which the Lord is head,
Called to obey Him,
Now risen from the dead.
He wills us be a family
Diverse yet truly one.
Oh, let us give our gifts to God,
And so shall His work on earth be done.

We are a temple,
The Spirit’s dwelling place,
Formed in great weakness,
A cup to hold God’s grace.
We die alone, for on its own
Each ember loses fire;
Yet joined in one the flame burns on
To give warmth and light, and to inspire.

Covenant Hymnal, #600

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

POSTLUDE
Moderato
Gottlieb Muffat
led by Cynthia

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

Worship update
The Leadership Team of Ravenswood Covenant Church recommends mask use during services, but this is not mandatory.

Ravenswood Covenant livestreams worship each week on YouTube, so Sunday morning worship is accessible to anyone who has Internet access.

Scripture reader volunteers
We are looking for volunteers to read scripture during the worship services. Whether you worship with us in the sanctuary or online, we can accommodate anyone who wants to participate in the services. Please contact Erin Stoel or the church office.

Choir resumes for Easter season
The church choir is now rehearsing in preparation for the Lenten and Easter seasons. It isn’t too late to join! Choir rehearsal is at 8:30 am on Sunday mornings in the sanctuary. Everyone is encouraged to participate, regardless of experience or music-reading ability.

Community Dinners
Thursday night community dinners are our main community gathering occasions during the work week. Our next Thursday night community dinner will be Thursday, February 23, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The suggested donation for the dinner is $5 for individuals and $10 for families.




Trevor Nicholas piece to premiere at Ravinia in March
Save the date for March 4 at 7 pm at Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, as Trevor Nicholas will be premiering a new piece with the Senn Arts vocalists in collaboration with Cor Cantiamo and Dr. Eric Johnson from Northern Illinois University. Tickets will be available soon. We would love to have our Ravenswood friends join us for this fun evening of music!

Indoor Playground
Indoor Playground is back! Our weekly cold-weather opportunity to let young children run around in our gym, play with toys, and use the bounce house has begun again. Indoor Playground will be open every Thursday afternoon from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.

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 Bible study
The weekly Bible study meets Thursdays at 7 pm. We are currently studying the book of Romans. The Bible study meets in the lounge, and is also accessible by Zoom. For more information, please contact Gregory Sager in the church office at (773) 784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org

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 February
February 5: T.R. Ahlstrom
February 12: Pastor Mark
February 19: Dan Teefey
February 26: Chaplain Jim Stoel

Scripture for next Sunday
Matthew 16:24 – 17:8
Psalm 41:7-10

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)