November 19, 2023
Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
PRELUDE
“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
led by Erin and Cynthia
WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
adapted from Revelation 22:16-17
Leader: Jesus sent His angel to give us this testimony for the churches.
People: I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.
Leader: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
People: Let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending the prophets, particularly Isaiah, who prepared the way for Christ the Lord. Come, Holy Spirit, come and fill us with the water of eternal life! May our eyes be opened again to the light of Christ, the true and righteous morning star. Amen.
CHOIR ANTHEM
“I Will Give Thanks”
Craig Courtney
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Rod Kutz
Isaiah 5:1-7
I will sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
he expected it to yield grapes,
but it yielded rotten grapes.
3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
and people of Judah,
judge between Me
and My vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for My vineyard
that I have not done in it?
When I expected it to yield grapes,
why did it yield rotten grapes?
5 And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a wasteland;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah
are his cherished garden;
he expected justice
but saw bloodshed;
righteousness
but heard a cry!
* GOSPEL LESSON: Rod Kutz
Mark 12:1-3
Then He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went away. 2 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.”
* KING OF KINGS
In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope, without light
’til from Heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfil the law and prophets
To a virgin came the Word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt
chorus
Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of Glory
Majesty
Praise forever to the King of kings
To reveal the kingdom coming
And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation
You did not despise the cross
For even in Your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus, for our sake You died
And the morning that You rose
All of heaven held its breath
Till that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs
And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come
To the Father are restored
And the Church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this Gospel truth of old
Shall not kneel shall not faint
By His blood and in His Name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me
Brooke Ligertwood, Jason Ingram, Scott Ligertwood © 2019 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia; Fellow Ships Music; So Essential Tunes Essential Music Publishing LLC, Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CHILDREN’S MOMENT
Pastor Ryan
JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me! This I know
For the Bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Covenant Hymnal, #443
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
Isaiah 11:1-10
The Righteous Branch
Pastor Ryan
IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish — but naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render, O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.
Covenant Hymnal, #10
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden, Messian Burgos, Frank Coszach, Vira Coszach, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Trevor Hanks, Kathy Sager, Mary Smith, Steve Staurseth, and Phillip, son of Iris Velez
Ministries & Mission
Julio & Katie Isaza, serving in Colombia; Renee Nicholas, serving as the national director for InterVarsity’s Graduate Healthcare Ministries
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 & OFFERINGS
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
OFFERTORY
“Jesus, Lover of My Soul”
arr: Ken Medema
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.
* LIGHT OF THE WORLD (SING HALLELUJAH)
Light of the world, Treasure of Heaven
Brilliant like the stars in the wintery sky
Joy of the Father, reach through the darkness
Shine across the earth, send the shadows to flight
Light of the world from the beginning
The tragedies of time were no match for Your love
From great heights of glory You saw my story
God, You entered in and became one of us
chorus
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah for the things He has done
Come and adore Him
Bow down before Him
Sing hallelujah to the Light of the World
Light of the world, crown in a manger
Born for the cross, to suffer, to save
High King of Heaven, death is the poorer
We are the richer by the price that He paid
Light of the world, soon will be coming
With fire in His eyes He will ransom His own
Through clouds He will lead us straight into glory
And there He shall reign forevermore, forevermore
CCLI Song # 7163734 Andrew Bergthold | Ed Cash | Franni Cash | Martin Cash | Scott Cash © 2020 Angie Feel Good Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Bay19 (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Scott Cash Publishing Designee (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) We The Kingdom Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
Third Mode Melody
Thomas Tallis
led by Cynthia
please remain seated during the postlude
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.
Retiring offering
A retiring offering will be taken today to support the work of our sister churches in Argentina. Mark and Alice Westlind will take this money with them to those churches on their upcoming trip to the country in which they once served as Covenant missionaries.
Thank you
This is the last day of Dana Jackson’s service as Ravenswood Covenant’s praise & worship director. Dana and Erin Stoel, who has filled in so ably whenever Dana has been absent, are both stepping away from their responsibilities leading the praise team. Be sure to thank them for all of their years of helping us praise God through song at Ravenswood Covenant!
Thanksgiving Eve worship and pie
On Thanksgiving Eve (this coming Wednesday, November 22) we will be holding an informal worship service in the fellowship hall at 7:00 pm. This is a chance to take time out from the start of the busy holiday season to thank God for all of the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. Please plan to bring a pie with you; either homemade or store-bought is fine. After the service, all that delicious pie will be served, so … come for the worship, stay for the pie!
Sunday School and Faith Forum
Sunday School and Faith Forum will meet at 10:00 am every week, unless otherwise noted. We are still looking for folks who are willing to help out with Sunday School. Please speak with Beth Anderson, Bekah Carlson, or Kelly Vetter if you’re interested. Also, please check with the church office to make sure that you have an up-to-date background check if you are going to work with the church’s children in 2023-24.
Choir returns for fall/winter season
Calling all singers! The Ravenswood Covenant choir has started rehearsals for our fall and winter choir season. It’s not too late to join!
Choir rehearsal is at 9:00 am Sunday mornings in the sanctuary. Anyone with a heart for singing is welcome to join the choir. Please speak to our organist and choir director Cynthia Arden if you’re interested in joining.
Scripture reader sign-up
We are seeking people to read the scripture passages of the day as part of the worship services this fall. If you are willing to be a scripture reader, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the church office or contact Gregory Sager or Pastor Ryan.
Covenant Harbor is hiring
Covenant Harbor is still looking for some kitchen staff and volunteers. All inquires can be made to Sandy Wendtland at swendtland@covenantharbor.org .
Summer staff applications for 2024 are now open on the Covenant Harbor website as well. They are already hiring for next year’s summer camp positions. If you have any questions, please contact Emma Mueller at emueller@covenantharbor.org.
All of these details can also be found on the camp’s website at www.covenantharbor.org.
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
2 Kings 22:11-20
2 Kings 22:1-10
Luke 24:30-32
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.