November 21, 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
CALL TO WORSHIP from Revelation 1:4-5
Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
A READING FROM THE PSALMS
Psalm 95:1-7a
Leader: O come, let us sing to the Lord;
People: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
L: Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving;
P: let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!
L: For the Lord is a great God,
P: and a great King above all gods.
L: In His hand are the depths of the earth;
P: the heights of the mountains are His also.
L: The sea is His, for He made it,
P: and the dry land, which His hands have formed.
L: O come, let us worship and bow down,
P: let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
L: For He is our God,
P: and we are the people of His pasture,
and the sheep of His hand.
COME, THOU ALMIGHTY KING
Come, thou almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise:
Father all glorious, o’er all victorious,
Come, and reign over us, Ancient of Days!
Come, Thou incarnate Word,
Gird on thy mighty sword,
Our prayer attend:
Come, and Thy people bless,
And give Thy Word success;
Spirit of holiness, on us descend!
Come, Holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour:
Thou who almighty art,
Now rule in ev’ry heart,
And ne’er from us depart, Spirit of pow’r!
To thee, great One in Three,
Eternal praises be hence, evermore:
Thy sov’reign majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity love and adore!
Covenant Hymnal, # 101
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Isaiah 9:1-7
9:1But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before You
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
4 For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
You have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE
(verses 1-3 only)
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.
Covenant Hymnal, # 10
GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
John 8:12
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
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
Light of the World
Pastor Denise
HERE I AM TO WORSHIP
Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes let me see
Beauty that made
This heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You
chorus
So here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
And You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came
To the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor
bridge
And I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
And I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
CCLI Song # 3266032 CCLI License # 349090
Tim Hughes © 2000 Thankyou Music
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: the family of 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
Julio & Katie Isaza, serving in Colombia; Carlos & Karen Feijoo, serving in Ecuador
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.
RECEIVING OUR TITHES & OFFERINGS
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
OFFERTORY
Gavotte in G minor
J.S. Bach
led by Leah 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.
NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD
Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom His world rejoices;
Who, from our mothers’ arms,
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns
With them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God,
Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.
Amen.
Covenant Hymnal, # 31.
BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
Largo
Gilles Julien
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!
Offerfest 2021
Thank you to all who gave generously to our annual Offerfest projects! Over $12,000 was raised for our annual budget; the Lincoln Square Friendship Center; and the upgrading of the Multi-Purpose Room. A wonderful Offerfest dinner was shared among the congregation in a celebratory but municipally-compliant manner. A special thanks to Bobby, Hannah, Marlene, and everybody else who made the dinner possible.
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.
Faith Forum to study “Music of Advent”
Jim Anderson will teach Faith Forum, RECC’s adult Sunday School class, next Sunday on the subject “Music of Advent”. Faith Forum meets during the Sunday School hour (9:30 am) each Sunday, and meets in a hybrid format, both live in the upstairs lounge and via Zoom. The Zoom link is at the top of the online bulletin each week.
Budget information meeting
In advance of the December 5 congregational business meeting, Ravenswood Covenant will hold a budget information meeting next 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.
We are also looking for bakers for the Lucia festival. If you are willing to bake something, please sign up with Carol or Janice Erickson this Sunday or email them at rece1@juno.com . You can also let the church office know via office@ravenscov.org , and we will make sure to get your name to Carol or Janice.
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!
Thursday evening adult Bible study to study Nativity texts
Our adult Bible study will not meet this week, due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but will resume on December 2 as it will study the Nativity texts during Advent season. 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
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.
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
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14
John 14:27
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.