Worship live on Sundays in person,
or on Facebook & YouTube at 10:45 am.
Children’s Sunday School for ages K-7th grade at 9:30 am in-person.
Faith Forum (adult Sunday School) at 9:30 am in person and on Zoom.
November 13, 2022
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
PRELUDE
led by Dana
WELCOME & GREETING, COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 33
Leader: Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
People: Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Leader: Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
All: For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is your health and salvation!
Come. all who hear, now to His temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
Shelt’ring you under His wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
Sent by His gracious ordaining?
Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
Surely His goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriends you.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen sound from His people again;
Gladly forever adore Him. Amen.
Covenant Hymnal, #61
GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and He said to him, “Follow me.” And He got up and followed him.
10 And as He sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when He heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Micah 6:1-8
Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, the case of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has a case against His people,
and He will contend with Israel.
3 “O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer Me!
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
and to walk humbly with your God?
CHILDREN’S MOMENT
Pastor Mark
Children 6 and under are dismissed to Children’s Church in the upstairs lounge. Parents, please pick up your children from the lounge after the worship service.
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.
REFLECTING ON THE WORD
Action Verbs
Pastor Denise
ACT JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, WALK HUMBLY
verse 1
It all comes down to this
What you require of me
Love my neighbor as myself
And You above all things
chorus
Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly
With You, God
In all things, in all ways, walk humbly
With You, God
verse 2
It all comes down to this
To be Your hands and feet
Good news to all the world
The truth will set us free
bridge
It’s beauty for ashes
It’s mourning to dancing
It’s closer and closer
The Kingdom of heaven
verse 3
Years from now we’ll see
The fruit our hands have sown
Faith just like a seed
The only way it grows
CCLI Song # 7168697 Chris Tomlin | Jason Ingram | Pat Barrett
© 2021 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 349090
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden, Messian Burgos, Vira Coszach, Gloria Evenson, Pedro Gomez, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Mary McKirchy, Shirley Nicholas, our Pastoral Search Committee, Mary Smith, and Alice Westlind
Ministries & Mission
Joel & Kim Delp, serving in Ecuador; 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 CHOIR ANTHEM
“Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)”
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.
GOD BLESS YOUR CHURCH WITH STRENGTH!
God bless Your church with strength!
Wherever we may be,
Build up Your servants as we work
In common ministry.
Urge us from fledgling faith
To venture and to soar
Through open skies to sing the praise
of Christ whom we adore.
God bless Your church with life!
May all our branches thrive,
Unblemished, wholesome, bearing fruit,
Abundantly alive.
From You, one holy vine,
In freedom may we grow;
Sustain us in our mission, Lord,
Your love and peace to show.
God bless Your church with hope!
Despite chaotic days,
May we in darkness shine to light
A pathway through life’s maze.
May justice be our aim
And kindness ours to share;
In humbleness O may we walk,
Assured our God is there!
Covenant Hymnal, #580
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
We’ll be back here next Sunday. We hope you can join us. Information on ravenscov.org.
music as we go, by axiom.brass
The rose at the front of the church marks the birth of Nora Linnea Johnson to Kari and Neal Johnson, as she joins big brother Isaac and big sister Emmy in their family. Nora was born last Tuesday and weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces. We rejoice with the Johnsons on this new addition to their family and to our congregation.
Worship update
The Leadership Team of Ravenswood Covenant Church recommends mask use during services, but this is not mandatory.
Ravenswood Covenant livestreams worship each week on YouTube and Facebook, so Sunday morning worship will remain accessible to anyone who has Internet access.
Offerfest 2022
Thanks to your generosity we have raised over $10,000 for our three Offerfest projects: Lincoln Square Friendship Center, Covenant Mountain Mission Bible Camp, and our restroom revitalization project!
Thanks to each and every person who gave for Offerfest this year. Thanks as well to Bobby and Hannah Blase for the delicious Offerfest dinner, and to all of the rest of the kitchen staff, servers, and folks who cleaned up afterwards.
Take Them a Meal program for Mary McKirchy
We periodically run Take Them a Meal programs for people in our congregation who are having difficulty with preparing meals, typically due to sickness, injury, or having recently given birth. Right now our dear sister Mary McKirchy is in ill health and has agreed to allow us to create a Take Them a Meal program on her behalf. If you are not on our church’s Take Them a Meal email list and would like to provide Mary with a meal or two, please contact Gregory in the church office at office@ravenscov.org or 773-784-7091. If you are on the list already, please consider signing up for a meal date for Mary if you are able to do so.
Camp registration begins Tuesday
Registration for summer camp 2023 begins this coming Tuesday, November 15, at 7 am for both Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point. For more information, contact Covenant Harbor at 262-248-3600 or https://covenantharbor.org/ , or Covenant Point at 906-265-2117 or https://www.cpbc.com/summer/ .
Indoor Playground
Indoor Playground is back! Our weekly cold-weather opportunity to let young children run around in our gym, play with toys, and use the bounce house. has begun again.. Indoor Playground will be open every Thursday afternoon from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
Thursday night community dinner
Our Thursday night community dinners have resumed on a periodic basis. They will continue this coming Thursday, November 17. The dinners are open to everyone. Suggested donation is $5 for individuals, $10 for families.
Christmas season choir
Choir rehearsal for the Christmas season is now underway. The choir will rehearse each Sunday at 8:30 am through Christmas. This is an opportunity for everyone, not just trained singers or choir veterans, to take part. For more information, please speak to Cynthia Arden or contact the church office.
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 the Fosters 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 online, the website for the Fosters is https://ukraine.la-ferme-de-la-papote.com/ .
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 evening Bible study
The weekly Bible study meets Thursdays at 7 pm. We are currently studying the book of Romans. The Bible study meets in the lounge, and is also accessible by Zoom. For more information, please contact Gregory Sager in the church office at (773) 784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org
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.”
RECC preaching schedule for November
November 6: Pastor Mark
November 13: Pastor Denise
November 20: LeRoy Carlson
November 27: Pastor Mark
Scripture for next Sunday
Luke 23:33-43
Jeremiah 23:5-6
Colossians 1:11-20
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.