Adult Sunday School convenes at 9:30 on zoom

Streaming Live
Facebook & YouTube


PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
Joe Clifton Music
Joe is a friend of our church and has played at our farmers market. We recorded this music last spring.

KIDS TIME
Music & a visit from some friends

PRELUDE
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, J.S.Bach
led by Mary & Cynthia

WELCOME & GREETING

CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: O Lord, open our eyes,
People: that we may see the beauty of goodness.

L: O Lord, open our ears,
P: that we may hear the truth.

L: O Lord, open our lips,
P: that we may show forth Your praise.

KING OF THE BROKEN
We, Your children, pray, Lord
Humbly seek Your face
We turn from our sin, Lord
You hear us as we pray

Healing King of nations
Let Your kingdom come
Purify Your church
Lord, Your glory over us

pre-chorus
Heal us, forgive us
Restore our hearts again
Fill us, breathe upon us

chorus
Jesus, Jesus
Healer of nations
Hope of salvation
Jesus, Jesus
King of our hearts
King of the broken

Lover of the wounded
Defender of the weak
Friend of the forgotten
You wipe our tears away

chorus 2
Jesus, Jesus
Healer of nations
Hope of the world
Jesus, Jesus
King of our hearts
Hope of the world
Jesus, Jesus
King of our hearts
King of the broken

CCLI Song # 5272897 CCLI License # 349090
Andy Park | Chris Tomlin | Darlene Zschech | Graham Kendrick | Israel Houghton | Martin Smith | Matt Redman | Michael W. Smith | Paul Baloche | Steven Curtis Chapman | Stuart Garrard | Tim Hughes © 2008 GloWorks Limited for CompassionArt

FIRST TESTAMENT LESSON
Psalm 92:12-15

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
    they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 In old age they still produce fruit;
    they are always green and full of sap,
15 showing that the Lord is upright;
    He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

MY SHEPHERD WILL SUPPLY MY NEED
My Shepherd will supply my need;
Jehovah is His name:
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wand’ring spirit back,
When I forsake His ways;
And leads me, for His mercy’s sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death
Your presence is my stay;
One word of Your supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Your hand, in sight of all my foes,
Does still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows,
Your oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may Your house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come;
No more a stranger, or a guest,
But like a child at home.

Covenant Hymnal, page 91

GOSPEL LESSON
Mark 4:1-34

“GARDEN TALK”
 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” And He said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

10 When He was alone, those who were around Him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And He said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; 12 in order that

‘they may indeed look, but not perceive,
    and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’”

13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

“A GARDEN LIGHT”
21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

GARDEN TALK” (again)
 24 And He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25 For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 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.”

33 With many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 He did not speak to them except in parables, but He explained everything in private to his disciples.

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

(sung)
Glory be to the Father, 
And to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.

REFLECTING ON THE WORD
The Joy of Gardening
Pastor Phil .

IN THE FIELDS OF THE LORD
In the fields of the Lord our work is rest
He is moving in our hands and feet to bless
In the fields of the Lord in the fields of the Lord
In the fields of the Lord our work is rest

In the vineyards of the Lord our work is light
He is tending every leaf and every vine
In the vineyards of the Lord
In the vineyards of the Lord
In the vineyards of the Lord our work is light

In the garden of the Lord our work is sound
He is weaving every thorn into a crown
In the garden of the Lord in the garden of the Lord
In the garden of the Lord our work is sound

At the harvest of the Lord the fields are white
He will wipe away the tears from ev’ry eye
At the harvest of the Lord
At the harvest of the Lord
At the harvest of the Lord the fields are white

CCLI Song # 7097865 CCLI License # 349090
Audrey Assad | Isaac Wardell © Hymns From The Porter’s Gate

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, Phyllis Levinson (Joyce Oseland’s sister), 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
Kristi & Christopher Johnson, serving in Thailand; Barb & Steve Swanson, serving in Sweden

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

GOD THE MAKER
We bring our time we bring our treasure
We lay them down before Your throne
You will make them something greater
More than we could ever know

We bring our gifts we bring our power
Place them in Your sov’reign hand
You will take what we have given
You will use it for Your plan

chorus
Glory be to God the Maker
Glory be to God Creator
Take our time use our treasure
Turn them into something greater
Glory be to God the Maker

Though our hearts are weak from failure
Broken dreams and failed attempts
Show us that in ev’ry season
You will fill our emptiness

CCLI Song # 7097863 CCLI License # 349090
David Gungor | Isaac Wardell | Paul Zach © Hymns From The Porter’s Gate

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.  

COMMUNITY LIFE


.


COME, YOU THANKFUL PEOPLE, COME
Come, you thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin:
God our maker, does provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown:
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come
And shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day
All offenses purge away,
Give His angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come
To Your final harvest home;
Gather now Your people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin:
There forever purified,
In Your presence to abide;
Come with all your angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.
Amen.

Covenant Hymnal, page 654

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

POSTLUDE
Adagio by Jacques Boyvin (1653-1706)
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


Reopening the sanctuary for worship
We have reopened the sanctuary for a small group of people to join in person for worship. Reservations are required, so if you would like to be a part of this group, contact the church office by phone (773-784-7091) or email (office@ravenscov.org) each week that you would like to attend. Ravenswood Covenant will continue to livestream worship each week on YouTube and Facebook; this is now a permanent feature of our ministry, so Sunday morning worship will remain accessible to anyone who has Internet access.

We have increased the number of people in the sanctuary we will accommodate to 35. We will continue to follow all of the current local and state safety protocols, including: temperature checks when you arrive; masks required at all times; sitting socially distant; avoiding handshakes and hugs; changes to communion and offering; and discouraging singing.

There will be no nursery, and all Sunday School classes will remain virtual at this time.

Easter flowers
In past years we have used the purchase of flowers for the sanctuary on Easter Sunday as an opportunity for people in the congregation to honor or memorialize loved ones. We will do that again this year, but in a manner that will make it easier to expedite the process both for you and for the church staff, given that the number of people in the sanctuary on Easter Sunday will be limited due to the pandemic.

Rather than requesting specific flowers and listing the person/people whom you wish to honor/memorialize through an order form on paper, simply email your honor/memorial entry (naming the person or people whom you wish to honor if still alive, or memorialize if deceased, as well as the person or people offering the honor or memorial) to the church office at office@ravenscov.org. You may also call the office at 773-784-7091 and leave the honor or memorial that way. Of course, you can always do it the old-fashioned way as well by mailing in your honor/memorial request or by leaving it in the church’s mailbox at the glass-door entrance.

On Easter Sunday (April 4, which is two weeks from today) the list of honors and memorials will be included in the bulletin for that service. If you are not physically present in church on Easter Sunday, you may come to the church and pick up a flower after the service between noon and 1:30 pm, as they will be brought out to the front steps to make it easy for you to pick one up. If the flowers are not all claimed by then, you can stop by the church during business hours the next day and pick one up. Please note that the flowers will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis, and we’re not reserving specific types of flowers for people. Those flowers that are not picked up will be planted on the church grounds instead.

In lieu of payment, you may choose to make a specific donation to the church towards the cost of this year’s Easter flowers.

We hope that you have a blessed Easter season, and that you’re able to join us (either in-person or via the livestream) on April 4 as we celebrate the miracle of our Savior’s Resurrection!

Faith Forum update


Next Sunday, Colleen Carlson will lead Faith Forum for a Palm Sunday class that will examine the question, “What was Jesus doing before the crucifixion?”

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 ninth 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

Tomorrow, March 22, at 7 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
Today may be the first day of spring … 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, you may check out day, overnight, and family camp options at posted at www.covenantharbor.org and www.cpbc.com. Register now … spaces are filling up fast!


Prayer meeting to return after Easter
The church’s biweekly prayer meeting that gathers every second and fourth Monday night each month is coming back! After being shut down due to the city’s pandemic guidelines, the city’s reduced infection rate and the upswing in vaccinations has led the church’s leadership to once again allow the prayer meeting to convene. The first meeting will be at
7 pm on Monday, April 5, the day after Easter. Masks and social distancing will still be required, as before.

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:
March 7: $1,141

General fund giving:
March 14: $3,345

Scripture for next Sunday
Mark 11

Mark 14

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)