OCTOBER 31, 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 & SONG OF PRAISE
based on Psalm 121
Leader: I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
People: My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
L: The Lord will not let your foot be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
P: He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
PRAISE THE FATHER, PRAISE THE SON
O sov’reign God, O matchless King
The saints adore, the angels sing
And fall before the throne of grace
To You belongs the highest praise
These sufferings, this passing tide
Under Your wings I will abide
And ev’ry enemy shall flee
You are my hope and victory
(Oh) praise the Father, praise the Son
(And) praise the Spirit, Three in One
Clothed in power and in grace
The name above all other names
To the valley for my soul
Thy great descent has made me whole
Your word my heart has welcomed home
Now peace like water ever flows
bridge
Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the power
Yours is the glory forever
Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the power
Yours is the glory forever
Praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, Three in One
Clothed in power and in grace
The name above all other names
The name above all other names
CCLI Song # 5203251 CCLI License # 349090
Chris Tomlin | Ed Cash© 2008 sixsteps Music
L: The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
P: The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
L: The Lord will keep you from all evil;
He will keep your life.
P: The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
1 Kings 5:1-5; 8:1-13
Now King Hiram of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father; for Hiram had always been a friend to David. 2 Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 3 “You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 So I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’
…
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the ancestral houses of the Israelites, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2 All the people of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the festival in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests carried the ark. 4 So they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering above the ark and its poles. 8 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside; they are there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses had placed there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
12 Then Solomon said,
“The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.
13 I have built you an exalted house,
a place for you to dwell in forever.”
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 2:19-22
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
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.
Covenant Hymnal, #423
REFLECTING ON THE WORD
It’s a Big House!
Pastor Phil
GREAT I AM
I wanna be close, close to Your side
So Heaven is real and death is a lie
I wanna hear voices of angels above
Singing as one
chorus
Hallelujah, holy holy
God Almighty, great I Am
Who is worthy none beside Thee
God Almighty, great I Am
I wanna be near, near to Your heart
Loving the world, hating the dark
I wanna see dry bones living again
Singing as one
bridge
The mountains shake before You
The demons run and flee
At the mention of Your name, King of majesty
There is no pow’r in hell or any who can stand
Before the power and the Presence of the great I Am
The great I Am (5X)
CCLI Song # 5881491 CCLI License # 349090
Jared Anderson © 2011 Integrity Worship Music
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Katie Gieseke, 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, Paul Mounts, Brianna Randall, Mark Erickson’s sister Sue Kelly and family, the Figved family, and Steve Hoden
Ministries & Mission
Serve Globally Team of the Evangelical Covenant Church; Renee Nicholas, serving local graduate students and faculty with InterVarsity
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
& PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
OFFERTORY
Vocalise
Sergei Rachmaninoff
led by Carol Carpenter 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.
A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD
A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper, He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe
His craft and, pow’r are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing,
Were not the right one on our side,
The one of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He-
Lord Sabaoth his name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And tho’ this world, with devils filled
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him-
His rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure:
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly pow’rs,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also
The body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still:
His kingdom is forever.
Amen.
Covenant Hymnal, #464
BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
Sicilienne, from Pelleas et Melisande
Gabriel Faure
led by Carol Carpenter and 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
We welcome guest flutist Carol Carpenter to our worship service today. Carol sings professionally with the choir at Fourth Presbyterian Church.
The rose at the front of the church marks the birth of Charlotte Genevieve Gieseke, daughter of Carl & Katie, on October 27, 2021. Charlotte weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz., and is 22.5″ long. We rejoice at God’s gift of new life to the Gieseke family and our congregation!
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.
Daylight Savings Time ends next Sunday
Next Sunday at 2 am marks the end of Daylight Savings Time. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour (if you still own any mechanical clocks or watches, that is) and enjoy an extra hour of sleep!
Offerfest 2021
This year’s Offerfest celebration will be held on Sunday, November 14. Offerfest is an annual tradition at Ravenswood Covenant that goes back many decades. It is a celebration of God’s goodness and generosity in which we share a meal and give back to God through a special offering that is directed towards one or more specific ministries. Further details about this year’s Offerfest will be forthcoming.
Fed With Grace food & toy drive
Edgebrook Covenant Church is hosting a drive-by food and new toy drive to benefit the Fed With Grace food pantry, a ministry of Grace Covenant Church. The drive-by is on Saturday, November 6, from 10 am to 1 pm at Edgebrook Covenant Church, 6355 N. Spokane Ave., in Chicago. Please bring your donations of food or new toys (in original packaging) to Edgebrook Covenant Church during those hours. A volunteer will receive your donations from your car and see that they are brought to the Fed With Grace Pantry at Grace Covenant Church.
Accessible to All? A Faithful Response to Disabilities (A virtual conference)
On Saturday, November 6, 2021, from 10 am to 3:30 pm, a virtual symposium will be held to discuss issues related to accessibility for the disabled in the church setting.
Join others to imagine how the well-being of everyone in the church would be strengthened and better reflect the kingdom of God by being fully welcoming of persons of all abilities. The keynote speaker is Benjamin Conner, Ph.D., Professor of Practical Theology and Director of the Center for Disability and Ministry at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI and author of Disabling Mission, Enabling Witness: Exploring Missiology through the Lens of Disability Studies (IVP Academic, 2018). Plenary sessions and workshops will provide the opportunity to explore how congregations and healthcare professionals can collaborate in responding faithfully to the challenge of disabilities, considering what can be done together that neither can do alone.
This fourth faith and health symposium is offered by North Park Theological Seminary and North Park University School of Nursing and Health Sciences, with the support of the Good Shepherd Initiative.
Registration is now open. For more information go to: https://www.northpark.edu/event/accessible-to-all-a-faithful-response-to-disabilities/
Faith Forum continues with Ephesians
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.
Pastor Phil is taking us through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians for the first few weeks of Faith Forum. Join us next week!
Thursday evening adult Bible study returns
The Thursday evening Bible study will return this week. The 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 17: $1,507
General fund giving:
October 24: $3,490
Scripture for next Sunday
1 Kings 19:1-18
John 12:27-28
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.