March 17, 2024
Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.
PRELUDE
“All Creatures of Our God and King”
led by Mary and Cynthia
WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 102:12-17
Leader: But You, O Lord, are enthroned forever; Your name endures to all generations.
People: You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to favor it; the appointed time has come.
Leader: For Your servants hold its stones dear, and have pity on its dust. The nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.
People: For the Lord will build up Zion; He will appear in His glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.
UNISON PRAYER
Great and good God, give us pure hearts that we may see You, humble hearts that we may hear You, hearts of love that we may serve You, hearts of faith that we may live in You, reverent hearts that we may worship You, here and in the world out there, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
* ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia, alleluia!
O burning sun with golden beam,
And silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him, O praise Him,
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
O rushing wind so wild and strong,
O clouds that sail in heav’n along,
O praise Him, alleluia!
O rising morn, in praise rejoice,
O lights of ev’ning, find a voice,
O praise Him, O praise Him,
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
Cool flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for your Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Fierce fire, so masterful and bright,
Providing us with warmth and light,
O praise Him, O praise Him,
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
And all of you men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
Alleluia, alleluia!
All you who pain and sorrow bear,
Trust God and on Him cast your care;
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness;
O praise Him, Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One;
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.
Covenant Hymnal, #55
* GOSPEL LESSON: Amy Eikenbary-Barber
Mark 13:1-8
As He came out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2 Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
3 When He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in My name and say, ‘I am He!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”
* BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD
Behold the Lamb of God
Who takes away
Who takes away the sins of the world
Behold the Lamb of God
Who takes away
Who takes away the sins of the world
Behold the Lamb
Of God
White as snow
Pure as gold
Greater love the world
Will never know!
Behold the Lamb of God
Who takes away
Who takes away the sins of the world
Behold the Lamb of God
Who takes away
Who takes away the sins of the world
Behold the Lamb
Of God
White as snow
Pure as gold
Greater love the world
Will never know!
Behold the Lamb of God
Who takes away
Who takes away the sins of the world
Behold the Lamb of God
Covenant Hymnal, #216
CHILDREN’S MOMENT
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
Psalm 101:1 and 137; Micah 6:8; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:14
Lament in Worship
Glenn Kaiser
* I WISH I WAS IN HEAVEN SITTIN’ DOWN
Wish I was in heaven sittin’ down
Wish I was in heaven sittin’ down
O Mary, O Martha
Wish I was in heaven sittin’ down
Wouldn’t get tired no more
Wouldn’t get tired no more
O Mary, O Martha
Wouldn’t get tired no more
Try on my long white robe
Try on my long white robe
O Mary, O Martha
Try on my long white robe
Angel done called my name
Angel done called my name
Oh, oh oh oh oh my Lord
My angel done called my name
traditional Black spiritual
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; Bud Hodgkinson; Nancy Popovich’s family; Sara Rosado; Mary Smith; Phillip, son of Iris Velez; Lauren Vilardo; and Drema Widener
Ministries & Mission
Carl & Karen Groot, serving in Thailand; 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
“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” Covenant Hymnal, #238
led by the choir (the congregation is invited to join on verse 3)
* 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.
* GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
refrain
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided —
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
refrain
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow —
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
refrain
Covenant Hymnal, #78
* BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
Moderato in F
J.S. Bach
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.
Glenn Kaiser at Ravenswood Covenant
Ravenswood Covenant is blessed to have Glenn Kaiser present today to preach as well as to help lead worship with a couple of songs. A Covenant pastor, one of the ministers and leaders of Jesus People USA for half a century, and a world-famous singer/guitarist/songwriter both solo and as a member of the Resurrection Band (aka Rez Band or just plain REZ), Glenn has lived a remarkable life of sharing the Good News with non-Christians as well as challenging Christians with timely truth-telling lyrics and preaching.
Sign up to clean up!
It’s time for the church’s annual spring clean-up, as we prepare our building and grounds for Easter Sunday. Given that our church is now heavily used by other congregations each weekend, making it difficult to schedule a common work day for cleaning, we are going to do cleaning on an individual basis this year. The Leadership Team is preparing a sign-up sheet that will allow you (and perhaps a few others who would like to work with you on the same task) to take on a specific cleaning task on whatever day and time fits your own personal schedule. Look for further details regarding this sign-up sheet to be announced in church on Sunday.
Central Conference Annual Meeting delegates wanted
The Central Conference, our local region within the Evangelical Covenant Church that encompasses Illinois, Wisconsin, northern Indiana, eastern Missouri, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, will hold its Annual Meeting on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4 at Batavia Covenant Church in west suburban Batavia. If you are a member of Ravenswood Covenant and are interested in being a delegate from our church to this annual celebration and business meeting of our conference, please contact Pastor Ryan or Gregory Sager in the church office no later than April 12.
All delegate costs (registration fee, mileage, meals) will be reimbursed by the church.
Covenant Annual Meeting delegates wanted
Our parent denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church, will hold its Annual Meeting, called Gather 2024, on June 26-29 at the Cincinnati Marriott Hotel in Covington, KY (across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati). If you are a member of Ravenswood Covenant and are interested in being a delegate from our church to this annual celebration and business meeting of our conference, please contact Pastor Ryan or another member of the church’s Leadership Team, or Gregory Sager in the church office. Ravenswood Covenant will hold a congregational meeting on Sunday, June 9 at which delegates will be chosen to represent us at Gather 2024.
Covenant Annual Meetings now provide the option for delegates to attend either in-person or virtually. If you are unable to travel to the Cincinnati Marriott to attend Gather 2024 in person, you can still represent our congregation and take part in the meetings via a video link. Please note, however, that if you do choose to be a virtual delegate you will be expected to remain at your computer and fully participate in the meeting whether you are at home, at work, at church, or someplace else.
All costs for in-person delegates (registration fee, lodging, mileage, meals) will be reimbursed by the church. The registration fee for virtual delegates will be reimbursed by the church as well.
Farmers market is returning!
Our farmers market will be back this summer and fall, and this year it will commence in the spring as well! We’re moving the start of the market forward to Wednesday, May 8, so it’s not too early to think about volunteering. 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.
New Covenant Home Altar available
Copies of the second-quarter issue of the Covenant Home Altar are available for free in the narthex. The Covenant Home Altar isthe daily devotional that features contributions from people who are a part of our denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Camp Booster Fund
Interested in sending your children to overnight camp at Covenant Harbor or Covenant Point next summer? We have a camp booster fund that will give $200 towards the fee of any Ravenswood Covenant child (or that child’s friend) who wishes to attend one of our two Central Conference summer camps. We feel that every child from our congregation who wants to attend camp should have the opportunity to go!
Sunday School and Faith Forum
Sunday School and Faith Forum meets at 10:00 am every week, unless otherwise noted. Come join us as we gather together to learn and grow in faith every Sunday morning.
Scripture reader sign-up
We are seeking people to read the scripture passages of the day as part of the worship services this coming spring. If you are willing to be a scripture reader in April, May, or June, 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. 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
Mark 14:3-11
Psalm 118:14-29
Mark 11:1-11
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.