May 19, 2024 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

May 19, 2024

Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.

PRELUDE
led by Dana

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Leader: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
People: Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.
Leader: May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
People: The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do this.

UNISON PRAYER
Come, Holy Spirit, and open up God’s word for us.
Come, Holy Spirit, and lead us to Jesus.
Come, Holy Spirit, and unite us into a loving community that blesses the world in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.

* SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me;
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the Living God,
Move among us all;
Make us one in heart and mind,
Make us one in love:
Humble, caring, selfless, sharing.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fill our lives with love.

Covenant Hymnal, #276

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: Gregory Sager
1 Corinthians 12:1-13

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant. ²You know that when you were gentiles you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. ³Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, ⁵and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, ⁶and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. ⁷To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another the working of powerful deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

* GOSPEL LESSON: Gregory Sager
Mark 1:4-8

So John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He proclaimed, “The One who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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

* HOLY SPIRIT
There’s nothing worth more
That could ever come close
Nothing can compare
You’re our living hope
Your presence, Lord

I’ve tasted and seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
And my shame is undone
Your presence, Lord

Holy Spirit, You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence, Lord
Your presence, Lord

Let us become more aware of Your presence
Let us experience the glory of Your goodness

Cyril Garrett Neville et al © Universal Music Publishing Group,
Capitol Christian Music Group CCLI#349090

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
Acts 2:1-12
Happy Birthday, Church!
Pastor Ryan

OCEANS (WHERE FEET MAY FAIL)
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sov’reign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

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; Phillip, son of Iris Velez; and Lauren Vilardo

Ministries & Mission
Julio & Katie Isaza, serving in Colombia; Carlos & Karen Feijoo, serving in Ecuador

THE LORD’S PRAYER
You are invited this Pentecost Sunday to read the Lord’s Prayer in languages beyond English. Please use the handout in your bulletin. Let us pray together in multiple tongues like they did on the Day of Pentecost.

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

OFFERTORY
led by 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.

* BREATHE ON ME, BREATH OF GOD
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love whate’er You love,
And do what you would do.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with You I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
So that Your will is mine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with your fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with you the perfect life
For all eternity.

Covenant Hymnal, #283

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

POSTLUDE
led by Dana

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.

Benevolence Sunday
There is a box in the narthex in which you can leave a benevolence offering that will be used to help meet the needs of those in the congregation and the larger community who are currently having difficulty paying for rent, food, medicine, transportation, etc.

Upcoming congregational meeting
A congregational business meeting will be held on Sunday, June 9, following the worship service. New members of the Leadership Team and the nominating committee will be voted upon at this meeting. Please make plans to attend if you are a member of the church.

Farmers market is here!
Our farmers market has begun! We had a terrific second market this past week, with nearly a thousand adults, plus lots and lots of children, in attendance in our parking lot!

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.

Church picnic
Our annual church picnic to celebrate the end of the Sunday School year will take place today, May 19, after the worship service in the fellowship hall.

There will be organized games for the children in the playground, and plenty of fun and fellowship! The picnic will be potluck, so please bring either a side dish or a dessert to pass. Hot dogs and hamburgers fresh off of the church’s outdoor grill will be provided, as well as drinks. We hope to see you there!

A special invitation to the women of Ravenswood Covenant
The women of Ravenswood Covenant are welcome to an afternoon of fellowship on Saturday, June 1 at Janice Erickson’s house in Lake Geneva, hosted by Kari Johnson, Stacey Johnson, and Janice. Coffee will be ready at 11:30 am and lunch begins at 12:00 pm. After lunch we will spend time at the lake walking along the shore path or sitting in the park watching the boats go by. Bring walking shoes and a jacket if it is cool. Later in the afternoon we will return to Janice’s house for fika (coffee and treats) before returning home around
4:00 pm. Please RSVP by May 29 if you are coming. If you need a ride, please contact Kari, Stacey, Janice, or the church office.

We hope to see you on June 1. We will reschedule in case of rain.

Janice Erickson
N2394 Greenleaf Drive
Lake Geneva, WI
Janice.erickson@att.net
312-415-4087

Summer schedule and Cooler Sundays
Our summer schedule will begin on Sunday, June 2. On that date we will begin our worship service Sundays at 10:00 am, with no Sunday School hour, and this schedule will remain in place through Labor Day weekend. This is in order to hold worship early enough to avoid summer heat making the sanctuary uncomfortable, as well as to give people an early start to enjoying summer daylight hours on Sunday.

Additionally, 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 as we enjoy these annual warm-weather-month events!

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.

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!

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 this summer, 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
Luke 11:1-13

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.