March 27, 2022 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

March 27, 2022
Adult Sunday School convenes at 9:30 on Zoom and in-person, Children’s Sunday School is in-person at 9:30am

PRE-SERVICE MUSIC

PRELUDE
“Lord, When We Praise You with Glorious Music”
led by Erin and Cynthia

WELCOME, COMMUNITY LIFE & GREETING

RESPONSIVE READING
Psalm 145:10-13
Leader: All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your faithful shall bless you.
People: They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
    and tell of your power, to make known to all people
your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
All: Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

I STAND AMAZED IN THE PRESENCE
I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean.
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden he prayed, “Not My will, but Thine”;
He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat-drops of blood for
mine.
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

In pity angels beheld Him and came from the world of light
To comfort Him in the sorrows He bore for my soul that night.
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own;
He bore the burden of Calv’ry, and suffered and died alone.
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see,
’twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me.
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

Covenant Hymnal, #485

GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
John 18:28-40

²⁸Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” ³⁰They answered, “If this Man were not a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you.” ³¹Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” ³²(This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when He indicated the kind of death He was to die.)

³³Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about Me?” ³⁵Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed You over to me. What have You done?” ³⁶Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If My kingdom were from this world, My followers would be fighting to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here.” ³⁷Pilate asked him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.” ³⁸Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against Him. ³⁹But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.

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

WOOD AND NAILS
O humble carpenter down on Your hands and knees
Look on Your handiwork and build a house
So You may dwell in me
So You may dwell in me

chorus
The work was done with nothing but wood and nails
In Your scar-borne hands
O show me how to work and praise
Trusting that I am Your instrument

O loving laborer with the sweat upon Your face
O build a table that I too may join You
In the Father’s place
Oh, in the Father’s place

chorus

The kingdom’s come and built upon
Wood and nails gripped with joyfulness
So send me out within Your ways
Knowing that the task is finished

chorus

The dead will rise and give You praise
Wood and nails will not hold them down
These wooden tombs, we’ll break them soon
And fashion them into flower beds

chorus

The curse is done, the battle won
Swords bent down into plowshares
Your scar-borne hands we’ll join with them
Serving at the table You’ve prepared

ending
O humble carpenter

CCLI Song # 7097870 Isaac Wardell | Keith Watts | Madison Cunningham © Hymns From The Porter’s Gate (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]) For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License # 349090

Children ages 3-5 are dismissed to the fellowship hall at this time for Children’s Church.

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
Don’t lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him
And He will direct your paths.
Al-le-lu-ia, Al-le-lu-ia, and
He will direct your paths.

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
2 Kings 7:3-11

³Now there were four leprous men outside the city gate, who said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die? ⁴If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; but if we sit here, we shall also die. Therefore, let us desert to the Aramean camp; if they spare our lives, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.” ⁵So they arose at twilight to go to the Aramean camp; but when they came to the edge of the Aramean camp, there was no one there at all. ⁶For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots, and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to fight against us.” ⁷So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys leaving the camp just as it was, and fled for their lives. ⁸When these leprous men had come to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent, ate and drank, carried off silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. Then they came back, entered another tent, carried off things from it, and went and hid them.

⁹Then they said to one another, “What we are doing is wrong. This is a day of good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, we will be found guilty; therefore let us go and tell the king’s household.” ¹⁰So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, “We went to the Aramean camp, but there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied, the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.” ¹¹Then the gatekeepers called out and proclaimed it to the king’s household.

REFLECTING ON THE WORD
If We Stay …
Pastor Kevin Swanson

TEACH ME YOUR WAY, O LORD
Teach me Your way, O Lord, teach me Your way!
Your guiding grace afford, teach me Your way!
Help me to walk aright,
More by faith, less by sight;
Lead me with heav’nly light–
Teach me Your way!

When I am sad at heart, teach me Your way!
When earthly joys depart, teach me Your way!
In hours of loneliness,
In times of dire distress,
In failure or success,
Teach me Your way!

When doubts and fears arise, teach me Your way!
When storm-clouds fill the skies, teach me Your way!
Shine thro’ the wind and rain,
Thro’ sorrow, grief, and pain;
Make now my pathway plain–
Teach me Your way!

Long as my life shall last, teach me Your way!
Wher-e’er my lot be cast, teach me Your way!
Until the race is run,
Until the journey’s done,
Until the crown is won,
Teach me Your way!

Covenant Hymnal, #420

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Jane Tuma, Kristine Brandel’s family, Nikolas Arden, Pastor Phil and Kerry Staurseth, Shirley Nicholas, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Esther Stoel, the Koeller family, Mary Smith, Delores and Steve Staurseth, Jane Auger, Mary McKirchy, and Barb Cannon.

Ministries & Mission
Andrew Larsen & Cari Conklin-Larsen, serving in the Middle East and North Africa; 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 & OFFERING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle^® to: giving@administrator

OFFERTORY
Andante
Gustav Mahler
led by Cynthia

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.

IN CHRIST ALONE
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The love of God was magnified*
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

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

POSTLUDE
Andantino in G minor
J.S. Bach
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 axiom.brass

Easter flower orders
This is the time of year to think about ordering flowers to decorate the front of the church on Easter Sunday while also honoring or memorializing loved ones. Although our Easter lillies have already been ordered, there will be additional flowers of other species, such as the chrysanthemums and hyacinths pictured here, that will be purchased by the church and displayed on Easter Sunday.

If you would like, you can honor or memorialize someone by giving a donation to the church to help offset the cost of these flowers. If you choose to do so, please contact the church office at 773-784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org to indicate who you would like to honor or memorialize. You may take your flowers home after the service on Easter Sunday.

Fellowship hour returns today
Fellowship hour is back! Today we will again have a chance to meet and greet each other over coffee and treats in the fellowship hall downstairs after the service. The servers will be our fellowship-hour leaders, Kari Johnson and Beth Anderson. After today, the aim is to hold fellowship hour every other week until there is a full roster of volunteers for each of the fellowship hour serving teams, at which point it will again be a weekly aspect of our community life.

We are in need of people who are willing to make coffee and set out food downstairs as well as clean up afterwards. If you would like to bake or bring treats to donate, you can also volunteer in that way. Please connect with Kari Johnson or Beth Anderson if you are willing to help out. We will teach you what you need to know for making coffee and finding what you need in the kitchen. We will pair people up so that no one has to do it all themselves. Contact Kari by email at Karinelson88@gmail.com.

Aid for Ukrainian refugees
Jeremy and Amanda Foster, who attend our church, have a direct connection to a mission that is serving refugees who have fled Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Jeremy’s parents Don and Beatrice Foster are in Hazebrouck, France as tentmaker missionaries and have prepared rooms in their home for refugees coming from Ukraine. If you would like to donate to help them pay for extra food and supplies, please give a donation to Ravenswood Covenant that is specially designated for Ukrainian refugees. If you would like to give directly, please connect with Jeremy Foster for information to donate to Youth with a Mission (Beatrice Foster account).

The Covenant denomination is also raising funds for Ukraine through Covenant World Relief. Here is the link if you would like to donate through the Covenant’s program: https://giving.covchurch.org/priorities-detail/ukraine-response .

Thursday night community dinners
We are planning to start having community dinners again on an every-other-week schedule, beginning next Thursday, March 31, at 5:30 pm. We will also need volunteers to help with preparation and clean-up. Please talk to Bobby Blase if you are available to help on Thursday afternoons or evenings.

Congregational business meeting on April 10
There will be a congregational business meeting for the purpose of creating a pastoral search committee on Palm Sunday, April 10, after the service. Please put this date on your calendar and plan to take part in this important meeting, either in person or via Zoom.

Church Clean-Up Day
On Saturday, April 9, we will hold a Church Clean-Up Day from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Show up ready to work, as we will clean the church grounds as well as the interior of the building, in preparation for the Easter season. Coffee and donuts will be available at 8:30 am, and lunch will be served at the conclusion of the clean-up.

Mark Safstrom to speak at online Waldenström atonement sermon symposium
The year 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the Rev. Paul Peter Waldenström’s sermon on reconciliation (1872), which set in motion events that led to the formation of the Covenant Churches in Sweden (1878) and North America (1885) and left an indelible mark on Covenant preaching, mission, and ecclesiology. Join four scholars and church leaders, including RECC’s own Mark Safstrom for a symposium on Friday, April 8 that will be held as a virtual conference, as they share how this crucial aspect of Covenant history remains relevant today to the Church’s calling to restorative justice, racial righteousness, global mission, preaching, and congregational life. The conference will run from 10 am to 4 pm CDT, with a lunch break from 12:15-1:15 pm. The event is co-sponsored by the Commission on Covenant History and North Park Theological Seminary.

Wanted: Church directory coordinator
Ravenswood Covenant is in the process of updating its online church directory, with the intention of eventually making paper copies of the directory available. We are seeking a volunteer who is willing to take on this project, which means gathering information and photographs and inputting them onto the church’s WordPress-based website. If you are interested in coordinating the directory update, please contact Gregory Sager in the church office at 773-784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org.

Faith Forum
Faith Forum, our adult Sunday School class, meets every week in the upstairs lounge at 9:30 am. It operates in a hybrid format; you are invited to attend in person, but if you do so, please wear a mask. As was the case last year, the class will also have a Zoom component for those who wish to attend remotely. The Zoom link can be found at the top of the online bulletin every week.

Thursday evening adult Bible study
Our weekly Bible study meets on Thursday evenings at 7 pm. We are currently studying the book of Philippians. We welcome anybody to the upstairs lounge on Thursday evenings who wants to take part in the Bible study. Please wear a mask. If you would prefer to participate remotely, or if you are out of town, the Bible study will continue to provide Zoom access as well for online participants.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95052558015?pwd=N3d1eFpUUmUwenhCSzNJNUk3WEV2QT09

The Zoom meeting ID for the Bible study: 972 871 4458
The Zoom passcode for the Bible study: 1qa3CD

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.”

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 773-784-7091 for more information.

Scripture for next Sunday
Psalm 146
John 19:1-16a

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.