An adult Sunday School class meets before church
9:30 on zoom

Streaming Live
Facebook & YouTube

As many of you know, Offerfest is an annual fall tradition going back for generations at Ravenswood in which we share a special dinner, give thanks for God’s blessings, and participate financially in an offering for a special projects. Last night many of us shared in our Offerfest dinner — thank you so much, Bobby & Hannah. Welcome to today’s service of worship in which we remember God’s faithfulness and generosity together.


KIDS TIME
Music & a visit from some friends

PRELUDE
Adagio from Sonata #3 in F
by G.F. Handel
led by Cynthia & Mary

WELCOME, GREETING & COMMUNITY LIFE

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TESTIMONY
What our camps mean to us

THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD
This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world;
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas
His hand the wonders wrought

This is our Father’s world:
O let us not forget
That though the wrong is great and strong,
God is the ruler yet.
He trusts us with his world,
To keep it clean and fair
All earth and trees, all skies and seas,
All creatures every where.

This is my Father’s world:
God shines in all that’s fair;
In rustling grass I hear him pass
He speaks to me every where.
This is my Father’s world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King, let heaven ring!
God reigns; let earth be glad.

From the Covenant Hymnal, Page 57.

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OLD TESTAMENT READING
Psalm 78:1-7

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
    that our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their children;
    we will tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and the wonders that he has done.

He established a decree in Jacob,
    and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach to their children;
that the next generation might know them,
    the children yet unborn,
and rise up and tell them to their children,
    so that they should set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
    but keep his commandments;

NEVER WALK ALONE
You are my shepherd faithful forever
Your hand is strong where my faith is weak
Close as my heartbeat You won’t forsake me
You are the love that will carry me

pre-chorus
And I won’t be afraid
I will trust Your heart and say

chorus
I will never ever ever walk alone
You are with us for us always holding on
Though I wander Your love goes further
You are my hope and future
I will never walk alone

Questions may haunt us casting a shadow
Still You’re the hope and the fire in me
I will not tremble I will not stumble
You are my courage my bravery

bridge
Surely Your goodness and mercy
Will light up the way set before me
Surely Your grace will pursue me
All my days all my days

CCLI Song # 7047088 CCLI License # 349090
Rend Collective © Thankyou Music

GOSPEL LESSON
Matthew 25:1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids  got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

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.

REFLECTING ON THE WORD
Stay Ready
reflection by Pastor Erik Strom

WHERE FEET MAY FAIL
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand

chorus
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sov’reign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

bridge
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

CCLI Song # 6428767 CCLI License # 349090
Joel Houston | Matt Crocker | Salomon Ligthelm © 2012 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
Folks We Are Praying For:
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.

Church family who work in and around hospitals & nursing homes:
Alex A, Kyra A, Hannah A, Sam A, Linda C, Carl G, Katie G, Eric H, Rachel H, Chona I, Abby H, Dana J, Bryan J, Kari J, Neal J, Eric S, Don T.

(If we missed any people’s names above please let us know.)

We continue to pray for: Bob Auger, Nikolas Arden, Katie Collier, Mike Sager and family, Art and Rosa Hamilton, Shirley Nicholas, Paul Mounts, Jane Auger, Joyce Andrews, Steve Hoden, Mary Spriggs, Alice Nilsson (Nancy Popovich’s sister), the Morales/Randall family.

Ministries & Mission
Cheryll Anderson Clark & Moises Clark, serving in Ecuador; Renee Nicholas, serving local graduate students and faculty with InterVarsity.

TESTIMONY
Our Partnership with the Friendship Center

GIVING OF OUR TITHES & OFFERINGS
& PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org


Ave Maria, Piazzolla
led by AxiomBrass

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. 

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LET ALL THINGS NOW LIVING
Let all things now living
A song of thanks-giving
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 thins now living
Unite in thanks-giving;
To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!

Covenant Hymnal, page 59

BENEDICTION                             
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God

POSTLUDE
Ash Grove
led by Cynthia

INVITATION
We’ll be back here next Sunday.
We hope you can join us. Information on ravenscov.org.

SONGS AS WE GO INTO THIS WEEK:
The Clifton Trio–a reprise of their opening number from last night.
Thanks Joe and crew for being part of this weekend! You can follow Joe and his music at Joseph Clifton Music.

A word from HarborPoint Ministries
This letter recently arrived at church:

Isn’t looking ahead to next summer a wonderful thought? We think so, too. And the good news is that we are not only looking ahead, we are actively planning for summer 2021 programs at both Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point.God is leading us to provide opportunities for what your congregation desperately needs: places to connect with others, where your people can experience freedom and hope. Our aim is to offer time and space to be in community and creation with low health risks.

Planning programs
Using the health and safety best practices we have developed and built into all of our camp experiences these past months, we are planning carefully for summer 2021. We intend to run day and overnight programs for children, youth and families – and exactly what they look like is still being determined. Almost certainly, summer 2021 will not look like previous summers, but by God’s grace and wise planning, it will be a good, safe summer. 

Registration Alert
Ordinarily, we open online registration for next summer on Nov. 15. That won’t be happening this year. We are taking some extra time this fall to plan wisely so we can minimize changes that will likely be needed as summer approaches. Thank you for being patient so we can be as confident as possible in what we offer.Right now, we are planning to open summer 2021 online registration in early January. Please let your congregation know this and encourage them to stay tuned for more communication from us. We deeply desire that our Central Conference churches know that we are planning for camp and that your families have every opportunity to register as early as possible.

Summer staff applications
Additionally, I invite you to alert your congregation that applications for summer staff will be available for both Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point on Nov. 15. Thank you for helping us spread this word. 

A note about winter programs
We also are planning winter opportunities. Please check out Covenant Harbor’s and Covenant Point’s websites for more information and watch the camps’ social media platforms for updates.

Grateful for our partnership
Finally, thank you for praying for us as we plan. As it is with your congregation, flexibility and discernment are key. Everything is new. What is not new, however, is God’s call that we remain in service to you and in ministry with you. Thank you for your partnership. Please reach out with any questions. May God be present to you as you navigate your own pathways forward. 
Grateful for you,

Beth Fredrickson, Executive Director
HarborPoint Ministries

Book discussion
This Tuesday, November 10, at 7 pm there will be a group discussion via Zoom of the book Rediscipling the White Church, From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity by Rev. David W. Swanson, pastor of New Community Covenant Church in the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago. “In this simple but powerful book, Pastor Swanson contends that discipleship, not diversity, lies at the heart of our white churches’ racial brokenness. Swanson proposes that we rethink our churches’ habits, or liturgies, and imagine together holistic, communal discipleship practices that can reform us as members of Christ’s diverse body.” 

Please contact Pastor Denise (denise@ravenscov.org) if you have questions or would like help getting a copy of the book.

Thursday night Bible study
This week the Thursday night Bible study will continue a four-week look at the book of Jonah. The Bible study meets every Thursday at 6:30 pm via Zoom, and if you are not conversant with Zoom, don’t let that stop you! We can teach you how to activate Zoom so that you can take part. There are also a limited number of spaces available for those who wish to attend the Bible study in person in the lounge using social-distancing protocols. If you’re interested, please contact Gregory Sager in the church office at office@ravenscov.org or at 773-784-7091.

The Zoom link for the Thursday night Bible study is https://zoom.us/j/95052558015?pwd=N3d1eFpUUmUwenhCSzNJNUk3WEV2QT09

Meeting ID: 950 5255 8015
Passcode: 141628

Prayer meeting time change
The church’s weekly prayer meeting that gathers every second and fourth Monday night each month has moved up the meeting time
from 7 pm to 6:30 pm. This is a permanent change in meeting time. The next scheduled date for the prayer meeting is Monday, November 8, at 6:30 pm in Nelson Lounge. Current health protocols (masks and social distancing) are required.

Reopening the sanctuary for worship
The Leadership Team of Ravenswood Covenant recently decided to reopen the sanctuary for a small group of people to join in person for worship. Reservations are required, so if you would like to be a part of this group, contact the church office by phone (773-784-7091) or email (office@ravenscov.org) each week that you would like to attend. 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.

We will be able to accommodate up to 25 individuals in the sanctuary, and will follow all of the current local and state safety protocols, including: temperature checks when you arrive, masks required at all times, sitting socially distant, avoiding handshakes and hugs, changes to communion and offering, discouraging singing, and restricting access to certain parts of the church used by the daycare.

There will be no nursery, and all Sunday School classes will remain virtual at this time.

Faith Forum update
Faith Forum, Ravenswood Covenant’s adult Sunday School class, is back in session! The class meets via Zoom at the traditional meeting time of 9:30 am on Sunday. This is the Zoom link for Faith Forum. The link is also provided at the top of the bulletin every week.

Thursday night dinners
Chef Bobby, Hannah, Marlene, and Mary are once again providing our church’s Thursday night community dinners on an every-other-week basis. The dinners are sign-up-and-pick-up only. The next dinner will be a week from this Thursday. Contact the church office to be put on the sign-up email list, and follow the prayer email and the Sunday bulletin on the church’s website at www.ravenscov.org for more details.

Prayer requests
A group of women in our church are meeting every night at 7 pm via phone calls and texts in order to keep our various needs before God in prayer. They are asking the congregation to bring their needs to them to be lifted up in prayer as part of this evening prayer time. If you have any needs that you would like to have added to their prayer list, please contact the church office.

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 773-396-6175 for more information.

We need your (in worship) videos and pictures
As part of our ongoing efforts to stay connected with each other during this time of physical separation, we’re asking members and friends of the church to send us pictures of themselves as they take part in online worship. You can, if you choose, accompany the picture with a short (one or two sentences) greeting, or a brief video of no more than ten seconds, so that we can share them as a part of Sunday morning worship. Please be aware that they may have to be edited for space reasons. You can send them as downloadable files to office@ravenscov.org.

Our response to the current health crisis
As a community of faith we continue to pray for the health and welfare of our church and community as we resist the temptation to fall prey to fear. We do, however, want to continue to look out for the welfare of our friends and neighbors. We are doing our best to stay current with best practices for this unique time — please stay tuned as these may change. Our primary place for timely communication will be our website, ravenscov.org. We will also offer reminders and notes on our Facebook page and by email. We are livestreaming our Sunday morning worship on Facebook Live and YouTube so that you may continue to be a part of our worship. Do not, however, become isolated. If you need any help there are folks in our church who can do so. Call the office (773-784-7091) or email the office (office@ravenscov.org).

General fund giving:
October 25: $2,068

General fund giving:
November 1: $1,743

Scripture for next Sunday
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
Psalm 90:1-12
Matthew 25:14-30

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.

"With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." (Mark 4:30-32 NRS)