Adult Sunday School convenes at 9:30 on zoom

Streaming Live
Facebook & YouTube


PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
Cynthia

KIDS TIME
Music & a visit from some friends

PRELUDE
led by Dana

WELCOME & GREETING

CALL TO WORSHIP based on Psalm 48
Leader: Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
People: in the city of our God.
His holy mountain,

L: We ponder Your steadfast love, O God,
P:  in the midst of Your temple.

L: Your name, O God, like Your praise,
    reaches to the ends of the earth.
P: Your right hand is filled with victory.

LORD MOST HIGH
From the ends of the earth (ECHO)
From the depths of the sea (ECHO)
From the heights of the heavens (ECHO)
Your name be praised
From the hearts of the weak (ECHO)
From the shouts of the strong (ECHO)
From the lips of all people (ECHO)
This song we raise, Lord

Throughout the endless ages
You will be crowned with praises
Lord Most High
Exalted in every nation
Sovereign of all creation
Lord Most High be magnified

CCLI Song # 2037688 CCLI License # 349090
Don Harris | Gary Sadler © 1996 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music


FIRST TESTAMENT LESSON
Genesis 12:1-4

1Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

GOSPEL LESSON
Mark 3:7-19; 6:7-13

13 He went up the mountain and called to Him those whom He wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, whom He also named apostles, to be with Him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 So He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter); 17 James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

6:6b Then He went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

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

LORD OF ALL HOPEFULNESS
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

From the Covenant Hymnal, page 89

REFLECTING ON THE WORD
Traveling Light
Pastor Denise .


JESUS DRAW ME EVER NEARER
chorus 1
May this journey bring a blessing
May I rise on wings of faith
And at the end of my heart’s testing
With Your likeness let me wake

verse 1
Jesus draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm
You have called me to this passage
And I’ll follow though I’m worn

verse 2
Jesus guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit staid and sure
When the midnight meets the morning
Let me love You even more

chorus 2
May this journey be a blessing
May I rise on wings of faith
And at the end of my heart’s testing
With Your likeness let me wake

verse 3
Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go
And at the end of this long passage
Let me leave them at Your throne.

ending
Jesus draw me ever nearer
Jesus draw me ever nearer
Jesus draw me ever nearer to You, to You

CCLI Song # 3552533 CCLI License # 349090
Keith Getty | Margaret Becker © 2002 Thankyou Music

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
Folks We Are Praying For:
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.

Church family who work in and around hospitals & nursing homes:
Alex A, Kyra A, Hannah A, Sam A, Linda C, Carl G, Katie G, Eric H, Rachel H, Chona I, Abby H, Dana J, Bryan J, Kari J, Neal J, Eric S, Don T.

(If we missed any people’s names above please let us know.)

We continue to pray for: The Hodgkinson family, Kathy Salzano, Nikolas Arden, Katie Collier, Art and Rosa Hamilton, Shirley Nicholas, Paul Mounts, Joyce Andrews, Steve Hoden, Mary Spriggs, Alice Nilsson (Nancy Popovich’s sister), the Brandel-Tanis family, the Morales/Randall family.

Ministries & Mission
Janet & Ronald Ziegelbaur, serving in Cameroon; Covenant Mountain Mission Bible Camp.

GIVING OF OUR TITHES & OFFERINGS
& PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org

OFFERTORY
Heavenly Father
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. 

Amen. 

COMMUNITY LIFE

.


I THEN SHALL LIVE
I then shall live as one who’s been forgiven;
I’ll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father;
I am his child, and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardon’d, I’ll forgive another;
The law of love I gladly will obey.

I then shall live as one who’s learned compassion;
I’ve been so loved that I’ll risk loving, too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges;
I dare to see another’s point of view.
And when relationships demand commitment,
Then I’ll be there to care and follow through.

Your kingdom come around and through and in me,
Your pow’r and glory, let them shine through me;
Your hallowed name, oh, may I bear with honor,
And may Your living kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, oh, may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.

From the Covenant Hymnal, page 625

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

POSTLUDE
Be Still My Soul
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 maxeltoft


Audrey R. Hodgkinson Scholarship at NPU
To honor the life of Audrey Hodgkinson, a scholarship fund at North Park University has been established in Audrey’s name.  The income from this fund will provide an annual scholarship to a student in NPU’s nursing program who is a resident of the city of Chicago. 

Audrey was a graduate of the Swedish Covenant Hospital School of Nursing, the precursor to NPU’s Bachelor of Nursing program.  Audrey’s work at Booth Memorial Hospital, and her dedication to her volunteer work at the Princeton Children’s Home and our own RC4, reflected not only the care and concern she had for others but her desire to share Christ’s love to girls and women from Chicago who often had nowhere to turn.  It is fitting that the scholarship in Audrey’s name can be an enduring legacy of her work by allowing a deserving Chicago resident an opportunity to provide nursing care for the people of Chicago.

If you are interested in contributing to the Audrey R. Hodgkinson Scholarship Fund please contact Bud Hodgkinson at 773-509-0002 or Don Hodgkinson at 773-784-4848.  Commitment forms are also available that you can fill out and send along with a check to North Park University.

Faith Forum update

Next Sunday in Faith Forum the guest speaker will be Jay Phelan, former professor of theology at North Park Theological Seminary, who will be speaking about his new book, Separated Siblings: An Evangelical Understanding of Jews and Judaism.

Faith Forum meets via Zoom at the traditional meeting time of 9:30 am on Sunday. This is the Zoom link for Faith Forum. The link is also provided at the top of the bulletin every week.

Monday Night Bible Study


The Thursday night Bible study is moving to Monday nights for a spell, and at a new time, 7 pm. The group is studying 1 Corinthians, and will examine the seventh chapter of the book tomorrow. The Bible study will meet every Monday at 7 pm via Zoom until further notice , and if you are not conversant with Zoom, don’t let that stop you! We can teach you how to activate Zoom so that you can take part. If you’re interested, please contact Gregory Sager in the church office at office@ravenscov.org or at 773-784-7091.

The Zoom link for the Monday night Bible study is https://zoom.us/j/95052558015?pwd=N3d1eFpUUmUwenhCSzNJNUk3WEV2QT09

Meeting ID: 950 5255 8015
Passcode: 141628

Zoom book study

Monday, March 22, at 7:00 pm will be the second Zoom conversation on Rethinking Incarceration. The discussion will focus on the second part of the book. If you are struggling to get the book or to find time to read it, Pastor Denise has a link to a series of videos which author Dominique Gilliard recorded that cover the topics in his book. https://walkingtowardslove.com/series/rethinking-incarceration/ . The book can be ordered through InterVarsityPress. https://www.ivpress.com/rethinking-incarceration. It is also available on Audible.

2021 camp registration update from HarborPoint Ministries
There may be snow on the ground … but at Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point Bible camps, the staffs are already thinking about summer! For those who are wondering about camp options for summer 2021, please be aware that online registration for next summer’s camping season began Tuesday, January 5.

Day, overnight, and family camp options are posted at www.covenantharbor.org and www.cpbc.com.


Prayer meeting canceled indefinitely
The church’s biweekly prayer meeting that gathers every second and fourth Monday night each month has been canceled until further notice as part of the church’s response to Chicago’s heightened Covid-19 infection rate and the mayor’s “Stay-at-Home Advisory.”

Prayer requests
A group of women in our church are meeting every night at 7 pm via phone calls and texts in order to keep our various needs before God in prayer. They are asking the congregation to bring their needs to them to be lifted up in prayer as part of this evening prayer time. If you have any needs that you would like to have added to their prayer list, please contact the church office.

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 773-396-6175 for more information.

Our response to the current health crisis
As a community of faith we continue to pray for the health and welfare of our church and community as we resist the temptation to fall prey to fear. We do, however, want to continue to look out for the welfare of our friends and neighbors. We are doing our best to stay current with best practices for this unique time — please stay tuned as these may change. Our primary place for timely communication will be our website, ravenscov.org. We will also offer reminders and notes on our Facebook page and by email. We are livestreaming our Sunday morning worship on Facebook Live and YouTube so that you may continue to be a part of our worship. Do not, however, become isolated. If you need any help there are folks in our church who can do so. Call the office (773-784-7091) or email the office (office@ravenscov.org).

General fund giving:
February 14: $1,644

General fund giving:
February 21: $3,780

Scripture for next Sunday
Genesis 3:8-15
Psalm 138
Mark 3:20-30; 6:1-6

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)