July 7, 2024
Worship live on Sundays in person at 10:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.
PRELUDE
“Praise the Lord! O Heavens, Adore Him”
led by Mary and Cynthia
WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 101:1-2, 5-6
Leader: I will sing of loyalty and of justice;
to You, O Lord, I will sing.
People: I will study the way that is blameless.
When shall I attain it?
Leader: The Lord said, “One who secretly slanders a neighbor
I will destroy.
People: A haughty look and an arrogant heart
I will not tolerate.
Leader: I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
so that they may live with Me;
People: Whoever walks in the way that is blameless
shall minister to Me.”
UNISON PRAYER
Almighty Father, we worship You with gladness! Lord Jesus, we lean upon both Your saving grace and the example You set for us. Holy Spirit, we move and breathe and are faithful to Your call by Your very presence within us! Be with us here in worship today and throughout the week as we work for God’s glory and neighbor’s good. Amen.
* PRAISE THE LORD! O HEAVENS, ADORE HIM
Praise the Lord! O heav’ns adore Him,
Praise Him angels, in the height;
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him,
Praise him, shining stars of light.
Praise the Lord! for He has spoken,
Worlds His mighty voice obeyed;
Laws which never shall be broken
For their guidance He has made.
In the earth let all things praise Him,
Seas and all that they contain,
Stormy winds that do His pleasure,
Hail and light’ning, snow and rain.
Hills and mountains, praise your Maker,
Praise Him all you flocks and herds,
Fields and orchards, sing His glory;
Praise Him, creeping things and birds.
All you nations, come before Him,
Earthly rulers and all kings,
Men and women, parents, children,
Join with all created things.
Praise the God of our salvation,
Who restores from sin and shame,
Heav’n and earth and all creation,
Praise and magnify His name!
Covenant Hymnal, #62
NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: LeRoy Carlson
Romans 6:1-14
What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may increase? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 The death He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies, so that you obey their desires. 13 No longer present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
* ALL WHO BELIEVE AND ARE BAPTIZED
All who believe and are baptized
Shall see the Lord’s salvation;
Baptized into the death of Christ,
Each is a new creation.
Through Christ’s redemption we shall stand
Among the glorious, heav’nly band
Of ev’ry tribe and nation.
With one accord, O God, we pray:
Grant us Your Holy Spirit;
Help us in our infirmity
Through Jesus’ blood and merit;
Grant us to grow in grace each day
That, as is promised here, we may
Eternal life inherit.
Covenant Hymnal, #541
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
Tribes
Luke 10:25-37
Gregory Sager
THEY ASKED, “WHO’S MY NEIGHBOR”
They asked, “Who’s my neighbor and whom should I love;
For whom should I do a good deed?”
The Master related a story and said,
“It’s anyone who has a need,
Yes, anyone who has a need.”
There once was a traveler set on by thieves
Who beat him and left him to die;
A Priest and a Levite each saw him in pain,
But they turned away and walked by,
Yes, they turned away and walked by.
A certain Samaritan then came along
To bind up his wounds and give aid;
He took him to stay at an inn until well,
And for all the service he paid,
Yes, for all the service he paid.
I know who’s my neighbor and whom I should love,
For whom I should do a good deed;
For Christ made it clear in the story He told:
It’s anyone who has a need,
Yes, anyone who has a need.
Covenant Hymnal, #716
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
Gary & Pauline Carlson, serving in Japan; 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
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
OFFERTORY
“‘Tis a Gift to be Simple”
Shaker folk tune
led by 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.
INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE
Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right everywhere and at all times to give God thanks.
We thank You, God, for creating our world, taking pleasure in it, hating nothing You had made. Grudging existence to no one, You created a man and woman, sharing Your breath with them. After taking great delight in the work of Your hands, You declared a great sabbath. Blessed with times and seasons, the earth brought forth abundantly, providing the man and woman all that was essential to life. Therefore, we join our voices with the angels and all the saints in heaven and on earth as we praise your name, saying:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Glory be to you, O Lord most high.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
An intruder appeared, intent on ruining the work of Your hands, tempting the man and woman to doubt Your word and distrust Your promise. Weakened by doubt and distrust, they acted in disregard of Your word and promise and became like homeless persons in their own garden. Aware of what they had done and knowing a shame too deep for words, they became strangers to You, to each other, and to themselves.
Knowing such is true about ourselves we say:
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
How merciful You are that You took notice of lost persons, O God, not leaving them to their shame or Your creation to self-destruct.
When it appeared that You had withdrawn from Your world, O God, oblivious to Your promises to help in time of need, You sent Gabriel to a virgin named Mary, telling her that she would be the mother of the One all had been looking for.
She gave birth to a son, Jesus by name. He began his public ministry, first by gathering a group of people to be His disciples, people having little in common, often hostile to each other, each not knowing the outcome of their going with Jesus.
They went with Him, often to forbidden places and forsaken people — the lepers, the disabled, the impoverished, the non-Jews, the political enemies, the fraudulent — all to begin to gather into one the scattered people of God.
Increasingly unwanted by official leaders of temple and state, and misunderstood by those closest to Him, He came to this: On the night He 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 remembering Me.” In the same way He took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembering Me.”
So, Lord, is it I who continues to add to Your suffering?
“Holy Father, who sent the Holy Spirit to equip your Son Jesus for doing Your will, send now this same Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine returned to You from Your creation. Unworthy though we may be, may this same Spirit enable us to receive them for what Jesus said they were — His body and blood for us. So receiving, may we be the more equipped to endure testing as well as triumph in our service to You. Therefore, sustain us in faith, strengthen us to love, and season us with hope as we await the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who, with You and the Holy Spirit, ever lives and rules, now as always. Amen.
Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith.
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
When we break the bread, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?
When we give thanks over the cup, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?
Christ our Passover is offered for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP
PRAYER
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God’s benefits.
Loving God, we thank You that You have fed us with the bread of life, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet in Your eternal kingdom. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
* WE ARE CALLED
Come! Live in the light! Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord!
We are called to be light for the kingdom,
To live in the freedom of the city of God.
refrain
We are called to act with justice,
We are called to love tenderly;
We are called to serve one another,
Walk humbly with God.
Come! Open your heart! Show your mercy to all those in fear!
We are called to be hope for the hopeless,
So hatred and blindness will be no more.
Sing! Sing a new song! Sing of that great day when all will be one!
God will reign, and we will walk with each other,
As sisters and brothers united in love.
* BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
America the Beautiful
Samuel A. Ward
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.
New Covenant Home Altar available
The new issue of the Covenant Home Altar, the daily devotional magazine of the Evangelical Covenant Church, is now available for free in the narthex. Pick one up and let it help you with your own devotional life!
Farmers market
We’ve never held a farmers market during Independence Day week before, but we held one on Wednesday — and the turnout (over 600 adults and lots of kids) was better than we thought it would be. A great time was had by all!
We have openings for RECC greeting tent staff, children’s art tent staff, 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 13:36-43
Romans 7:14-25
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.