November 14, 2021
Adult Sunday School convenes at 9:30 on Zoom and in-person
Children’s Sunday School for ages 3-12 meets at 9:30 am at church
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
led by Cynthia
PRELUDE
led by Dana
WELCOME, COMMUNITY LIFE, & GREETING
(A Camp Song)
I’VE GOT A RIVER OF LIFE
I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me.
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see
Opens prison doors sets the captives free.
I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me.
Spring up, O well (gush gush)
Within my soul.
Spring up, O well (splish splash)
And make me whole.
Spring up well (gush gush gush gush)
And give to me
That life abundantly!
ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING
(verses 1, 3, & 5)
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia!
O burning sun with golden beam,
And silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him, O praise Him,
Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia! Al-le-lu-ia !
Cool flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for your Lord to hear,
Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia!
Fierce fire so masterful and bright,
Providing us with warmth and light,
O praise Him, O praise Him,
Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia! Al-le-lu-ia !
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him, al-le-lu-ia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One:
O praise Him, O praise Him,
Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia! Al-le-lu-ia !
Amen.
Covenant Hymnal, #55
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Amos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24
The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
2 And he said:
The Lord roars from Zion,
and utters His voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds wither,
and the top of Carmel dries up.
…
14 Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
just as you have said.
15 Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
…
21 I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD NEVER CEASES
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new ev’ry morning, new ev’ry morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness
Music & Words, Edith McNeill, Copyright 1986
Celebration Services Ltd. CCLI#349090
GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
John 7:37-38
37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me, 38 and let the one who believes in Me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”
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.
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.
REFLECTING ON THE WORD
Spring Up, O Well
Pastor Phil
IN THE RIVER
There is a river where goodness flows
There is a fountain that drowns sorrows
There is an ocean deeper than fear
The tide is rising, rising
There is a current stirring deep inside
It’s overflowing from the heart of God
The flood of heaven crashing over us
The tide is rising, rising
Bursting, bursting
Up from the ground we feel it now (x2)
chorus
We come alive in the river
We come alive in the river
We come alive in the river
We come alive in the river
Break open prison doors
Set all the captives free
Spring up a well, spring up a well
Spring up a well in me
Nothing can stop this joy.
We’re dancing in the streets.
Spring up a well, spring up a well
Spring up a well in me. (chorus)
CCLI Song # 7054537 CCLI License # 349090
Chris Quilala | Joshua Silverberg | Mark Alan Schoolmeesters |
Ryan Williams © 2015 Capitol CMG Amplifier
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Kari Hutson, Ernesto Galaviz, Kristine Brandel’s friend Terrie, Nikolas Arden, Katie Collier, Chuck & Shirley Nicholas, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Esther Stoel, Carol Koeller’s mother Barbara, Joyce Andrews, Brianna Randall, Mark Erickson’s sister Sue Kelly and family, the Figved family.
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.
OUR OFFERFEST OFFERING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
OFFERTORY
“For the Beauty of the Earth”
led by Erin and 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.
LET ALL THINGS NOW LIVING
Let all things now living
A song of thanksgiving
To God the Creator triumphantly raise;
Who fashioned and made us,
Protected and stayed us,
Who guides us and leads to the end of our days.
God’s banners are o’er us
And light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night,
Till shadows have vanished
And darkness is banished,
As forward we travel from light into light.
God’s law he enforces;
The stars in their courses
And sun in its orbit obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains,
The rivers and fountains,
The deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.
We too should be voicing
Our love and rejoicing;
With glad adoration a song let us raise,
Till all things now living
Unite in thanksgiving:
To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!
Covenant Hymnal, #59
BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
“Now Thank We All Our God”
J. Crueger
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
Covid restrictions for in-person worship
Chicago is now requiring the use of masks for indoor public gatherings, so Ravenswood Covenant has reinstated safety protocols for Sunday morning worship. This means that within the building masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status; seating is socially distant; and handshakes and hugs are avoided.
We are still observing precautions regarding children, specifically with regard to the cry room. As was the case before, if you and your family would like to worship in the cry room, please reserve it in advance by contacting Gregory Sager at office@ravenscov.org or 773-784-7091. One family may choose to use the cry room upon arrival if it hasn’t already been reserved. Children of all ages are always welcome to be in the sanctuary with their parents for the worship service!
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.
Offerfest 2021
We are pleased to be celebrating Offerfest in person once again this year with a meal following today’s worship service. This year’s offering will support the Lincoln Square Friendship Center, our 2021 general budget, and our Multi-Purpose Room rehab project.
We understand that in-person celebrations are important, but we also wish to balance our desire to fellowship in person with our wish to respect concerns for safety as the pandemic continues. To that end, we have elected to present Offerfest in a slightly different format.
The Ravenswood Covenant family will be gathering in three separate spaces within the church building to allow for greater physical distancing. Diners will gather in the Fellowship Hall, the Lounge, or the Multi-Purpose Room, where tables will be limited to six people per table. At this Offerfest, we will ask that you continue to follow local safety guidelines and wear masks unless you are actively eating or drinking.
The gym will be open for kids during Offerfest, and Pastor Denise will be making the bounce house available as part of this special celebration.
Congregational business meeting
Ravenswood Covenant will hold a congregational meeting on Sunday, December 5, following worship. One of the items for discussion and action on the agenda will be the 2022 budget. Please make plans to attend this meeting if you are a member of RECC.
Budget information meeting
In advance of the December 5 congregational business meeting, Ravenswood Covenant will hold a budget information meeting on Sunday, November 28 after worship. This meeting will give the church’s Leadership Team the opportunity to explain in detail the current status of the church’s finances, and the 2022 budget that the Leadership Team will be bringing to the congregation at the meeting the following Sunday, to all who are interested.
Sankta Lucia festival
On Sunday, December 12, Ravenswood Covenant will have a shortened Lucia program upstairs in the sanctuary at the end of the worship service. If you would like your child to participate, please bring them to church during the Sunday School hour so that we can give them instructions. All kids will wear masks for the program, unless city guidelines change. Lucia buns and treats will be served afterwards in the gym. Please RSVP to Pastor Denise if you would like your child to participate in the Lucia parade/program.
Axiom Brass Quintet concert
One of our enduring Ravenswood Covenant holiday traditions, the annual concert in our sanctuary by the world-renowned Axiom Brass Quintet, will take place on Sunday, December 12 at 7 pm. Admission is free. Invite your friends and family to join us for this marvelous evening of music that is sure to be a highlight of our Christmas season!
Children’s Christmas program
The children will have a special time in the service on Sunday, December 19. Please RSVP to Pastor Denise if you would like your child to participate in the program. There will be no rehearsals; just come early on the day of the program to get a costume to wear.
MOPS
Our next meeting for moms of young kids is this coming Saturday, November 20, at 10:30 am. We will meet in the lounge and the kids and dads/grandparents can play in the gym. Hope you can join us!
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 continues with Galatians
Our adult Bible study is currently on a chapter-by-chapter journey through the book of Galatians. The adult Bible study meets on Thursday evenings at 7 pm.
We are now welcoming anybody to the 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.
General fund giving:
October 24: $3,490
General fund giving:
October 31: $2,196
Scripture for next Sunday
Isaiah 9:1-7
John 8:12
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.