July 14, 2024 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

July 14, 2024

Worship live on Sundays in person at 10:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.

PRELUDE
led by Dana

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 126:3-6
Leader: The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
People: Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
Leader: May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
People: Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.

UNISON PRAYER
Come Almighty Father, and overturn evil with love. Come Lord Jesus, and save us from sin and death. Come Spirit, and plant seeds of righteousness in our lives. Come Triune God, and unite us in perfect peace. Amen.

* AS TREES FROM TINY SEEDS CAN GROW
As trees from tiny seeds can grow,
As yeast expands the lifeless dough,
As light, unhampered, shines around,
So does God’s gracious love abound.

As hidden treasure is reclaimed,
We, God’s new people, are renamed.
For us, the pearl, long sought, is found.
Christ is our treasure sure and sound.

We are not promised weedless fields,
Nor are we given equal yields;
But God’s true faithfulness shall stay
With us, supporting all the way.

As coins, once lost, are found with joy,
As Jesus loves each girl and boy,
So we, now found by God, rejoice,
Lifting in praise one heart and voice.

Covenant Hymnal, #344

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: Gregory Sager
Romans 7:14-25

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. ¹⁵I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷But in fact it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸For I know that the good does not dwell within me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do the good lies close at hand, but not the ability. ¹⁹For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me.

²¹So I find it to be a law that, when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. ²²For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, ²³but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴Wretched person that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with my mind I am enslaved to the law of God, but with my flesh I am enslaved to the law of sin.

* MY LIGHTHOUSE
In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won’t walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea, whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

In the silence You won’t let go
In the questions Your truth will hold
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea, whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

chorus
My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse
Shining in the darkness
I will follow You, oh
My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse
I will trust the promise
You will carry me safe to shore
Safe to shore, safe to shore, safe to shore

I won’t fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I’ll rise and sing
My God’s love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea, whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

bridge
Fire before us
You’re the brightest
You will lead us
Through the storms (hey)
(repeat 3x)

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
Stuck in the Weeds
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Pastor Ryan

WE LABOR UNTO GLORY
My God my God where e’er I go, glory
Where I reap and where I sow, glory
When my hands, they grip the thorn, glory
In the still and in the storm, glory
Glory

chorus
O we labor unto glory
’til heaven and earth are one
O we labor unto glory
Until God’s kingdom comes

The sun, it shines and then goes down, glory
Rain, it pours and beats the ground, glory
Dust, it blows and ends my days, glory
Hearts, they burn beneath Your gaze, glory
Glory

chorus

My heart, my hands, they’re kingdom bound, glory
Where thorns no longer curse the ground, glory
Trim the wick, ignite the flame, glory
My work, it will not be in vain, glory
Glory

Craig Harris / Isaac Wardell © Hymns From The Porter’s Gate, Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden; Messian Burgos; Frank Coszach; Vira Coszach; Art & Rosa Hamilton; Trevor Hanks; Mary McKirchy; Sara Rosado; Mary Smith; Iris Velez; and Lauren Vilardo

Ministries & Mission
Peter & Ruth Dutton, serving in Thailand; 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
“Amazing Grace”
led by Leah, 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.

YOU ARE SALT FOR THE EARTH
You are salt for the earth, O people,
Salt for the kingdom of God!
Share the flavor of life, O people:
Life in the kingdom of God!

refrain
Bring forth the kingdom of mercy,
Bring forth the kingdom of peace;
Bring forth the kingdom of justice,
Bring forth the city of God!

You are a light on the hill, O people,
Light for the city of God!
Shine so holy and bright, O people:
Shine for the kingdom of God!

refrain

You are a seed of the Word, O people:
Bring forth the kingdom of God!
Seeds of mercy and seeds of justice,
Grow in the kingdom of God!

refrain

We are a blessed and a pilgrim people,
Bound for the kingdom of God!
Love our journey and love our homeland:
Love is the kingdom of God!

refrain

Covenant Hymnal, #725

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

POSTLUDE
Largo
Gilles Jullien
led by Cynthia

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.

Post-baptism open house
Everyone is invited to an open house at Linda Carlson’s new home following her daughter Bertie’s baptism in the July 21 worship service. The address is 2846 W. Summerdale Ave., #2W, and the open house will be from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Farmers market
This past Wednesday was another great day for attendance at the farmers market, as 1,016 adult visitors passed through the market. Many of them stayed for lengthy periods of time, especially those who brought their children with them to enjoy the bounce house and the art tent.

The farmers market continues to have openings for children’s art tent staff and bounce house monitors, as well as people who can help to set up and/or take down the market.

This is not necessarily a commitment to the full span of the market; whenever you can help out would be great! For more information, please contact Bekah Carlson or leave your name and contact info at the church office.

Cooler Sundays in 2024
The fourth Sunday of each month of summer — June 23, July 28, and August 25 — will be a Cooler Sunday, which will again feature grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and a potluck meal. Please plan to join us after the service on July 28 for fun, food, and fellowship!

Church garden plots available
Are you a gardener, or would you like to become one? Ravenswood Covenant has free garden plots available along the north boundary of the church parking lot. if you would like to claim a plot, please contact the church office at 773-784-7091 or at office@ravenscov.org.

Scripture reader sign-up
We still have a couple of Sundays this summer for which we’re seeking people to read the scripture passages of the day in the worship service. If you are willing to be a scripture reader, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the church office or in the narthex on Sundays, or contact Gregory Sager or Pastor Ryan.

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. This week we began studying the book of Ecclesiastes. 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 have Zoom available 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

Scripture for next Sunday
Matthew 13:44-53
Romans 8:9-17

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.