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 20, 2022
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
PRELUDE
led by Dana
WELCOME & GREETING, COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 47
Leader: Clap your hands in praise, all people;
People: Shout joy to God!
Leader: How awesome is the Lord most High, for He is the great King over all the earth!
People: He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loved.
Leader: As we shout joy to God, He has ascended.
People: In the midst of the trumpet blasts, it has become apparent: He is Lord!
Leader: For God is the King of all the earth.
People: Sing to Him: sing praises, sing praises, sing psalms and songs of praise.
Leader: For God reigns, God is seated on His Holy throne, the kings of the earth belong to God.
All: Our King is exalted! Alleluia! Amen!
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
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
GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
Luke 23:33-43
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on His right and one on His left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide His clothing. 35 And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Messiah of God, His chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding Him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come in your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Jeremiah 23:5-6
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”
CHILDREN’S MOMENT
Pastor Denise
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.
NEW TESTAMENT READING
Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, 16 for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers — all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the Church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through Him God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.
REFLECTING ON THE WORD
The King and the Kingdom of God
Pastor LeRoy Carlson
KING OF KINGS
In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope, without light
Till 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
CCLI Song # 7127647 Brooke Ligertwood | Jason Ingram | Scott Ligertwood © 2019 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Fellow Ships Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
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, Gloria Rankin, Mary Smith, and Alice Westlind
Ministries & Mission
Jochy & Tammi Hernandez, serving in the Dominican Republic; 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 & OFFERING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@administrator
OFFERTORY CHOIR ANTHEM
“Brother James’ Air”
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.
REJOICE, THE LORD IS KING!
Rejoice, the Lord is King!
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Our Savior, Jesus, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains,
He took his seat above;
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
His Kingdom cannot fail,
He rules both earth and heav’n;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus giv’n:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Rejoice in glorious hope
For Christ the Judge shall come
To gather all His saints
To their eternal home:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Covenant Hymnal, #271
BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
“Rejoice, the Lord is King!”
led by Dana and Cynthia
POST POSTLUDE
Hallelujah Chorus (recorded), from Messiah
G.F. Handel
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
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.
Thanksgiving Eve service
There will be a Thanksgiving Eve service this coming Wednesday at
6:30 pm. You’re invited to attend and share in this opportunity to give thanks to God as we approach this special holiday.
Leaf-Raking Day
Next Saturday, November 26, is Leaf-Raking Day at church. From
10 am to noon, come help clear up the church grounds as we prepare for winter by clearing the dead leaves and other debris from our outside space. Our supply of rakes is limited, so BYOR — bring your own rake!
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 began last Tuesday
Registration for summer camp 2023 begans this past 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.
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
Matthew 26:36-38
Habakkuk 1:1-7; 2:1-4; 3:3b-6, 17-19
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.