October 6, 2024 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

October 6, 2024

Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.

PRELUDE
“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
Carl G. Gläser
led by Leslie and Cynthia

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
adapted from Psalm 111
Voice 1: Praise the Lord.
Voice 2: All you nations. All people.
Voice 3 (child): Everybody.
ALL: For great is His love toward us.
Voice 1: Unfailing love.
Voice 2: Powerful love.
Voice 3: God loves us very much.
ALL: His love has taken over our lives.
Voice 1: His faithfulness endures forever.
Voice 2: Eternally.
Voice 3: Everlasting.
ALL: Praise the Lord!

UNISON PRAYER
God of all, You have revealed Your love to all the world through Jesus Christ Your Son. On this day of celebration we ask that, by the power of Your Spirit, You gather all people to Yourself, that one mighty song may rise to the glory of Your name. Amen.

* O FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES TO SING
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread thro’ all the earth abroad
The honors of Your name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease,
’tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’tis life and health and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.

To God all glory, praise, and love
be now and ever given
By saints below and saints above,
The Church in earth and heaven.

Covenant Hymnal, #299

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Rod Kutz
Exodus 32:1-6

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” ²Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.” ³So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. ⁴He took these from them, formed them in a mold, and cast an image of a calf, and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” ⁵When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” ⁶They rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being, and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to revel.

GOSPEL LESSON: Rod Kutz
Luke 23:34

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide His clothing.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

* YOU ARE MY KING
I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again

chorus
Amazing love How can it be
That You my King would die for me
Amazing love I know it’s true
It’s my joy to honor You
In all I do I honor You

ending
You are my King, You are my King
Jesus, You are my King
Jesus, You are my King

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
Pastor Ryan

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
Exodus 32:7-14
Uncontrollable God
Pastor Ryan

* A WONDERFUL SAVIOR IS JESUS MY LORD
A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

refrain
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He takes all my burdens away;
He lifts up my life, and I shall not be moved;
He gives me new strength ev’ry day.

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns
And, filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture, “O glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!”

When clothed in His brightness transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,
I’ll shout with the millions on high.

Covenant Hymnal, #441

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden; Messian Burgos; Frank Coszach; Vira Coszach; Art & Rosa Hamilton; Trevor Hanks; Mary McKirchy; Sara Rosado; Kathy Sager; Mary Smith; Iris Velez; Lauren Vilardo; and Christian Wright

Ministries & Mission
Paul & Sheryl Noren, serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo
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
Musette
Michel Corrette
led by 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.

CALL TO COMMUNION
The Gospels tell us that on the first day of the week, the day our Lord rose from the dead, He appeared to some of His disciples and was made known to them in the breaking of bread. It is true for us as well: Christ is made known to us as we break this bread and drink this cup together.

WORDS OF PREPARATION
As we prepare to come to the Lord’s Table, we reflect on our reasons for thanksgiving and faith, and our need for forgiveness and love. In this time of silence, we remember our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who called us to share this meal together; and we thoughtfully examine the state of our faithfulness and our unity with His body.

TIME OF SILENCE

INVITATION
Sisters and brothers, this is food for the journey to which God has called us. Let our lives be nourished by the Lord Himself as we celebrate together at this table.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION
The apostle Paul tells us that on the night on which Jesus was betrayed, He took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Paul goes on to tell us that in the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” Paul then reminds us that whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the death of Jesus until He comes again.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE BREAD AND THE CUP
This is the Lord’s Table. It is Jesus Himself who invites you to this meal. The table is open to all who believe and have professed faith in Jesus Christ.

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, blest forever!

To You be praise and honor for giving Yourself, shedding Your blood, and letting Your body be broken in death for our sake, so that we might have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Bless, O God, this bread which we together eat, and the cup which we together drink. Let us through this blest bread and this blest cup become partakers of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Unite us with one another and with all Your saints in heaven and on earth. Consecrate us, body and soul, to be a living, acceptable offering to You, so that in word and deed we may continually praise and glorify Your holy name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.”

SHARING OF BREAD AND CUP

SONGS DURING COMMUNION
You are invited to join in the singing

“Taste and See”

chorus
Taste and see, taste and see,
The goodness of the Lord.
O, taste and see, taste and see
The goodness of the Lord, of the Lord.

“The Stand”

You stood before creation
Eternity in Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

pre-chorus
So what can I say
And what can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I’ll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
My life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

chorus
So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

* GIVE THANKS
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One;
Give thanks, because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son.
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One;
Give thanks, because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now let the weak say, “I am strong,”
Let the poor say, “I am rich,”
Because of what the Lord has done for us;
And now let the weak say, “I am strong,”
Let the poor say, “I am rich,”
Because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks!

Covenant Hymnal, #74

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

POSTLUDE
Tiento de Falsasdel Sexto Tono
Sebastian Aguilera de Heredia
led by Cynthia

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. Please wear a nametag and let visitors know who you are! Blank nametags and Sharpies will be available both in the narthex and in the sanctuary.

KICY salmon dinner and Offerfest
Today is Offerfest Sunday! We are handling Offerfest a little differently this fall. Offerfest is our church’s oldest tradition, a Sunday set aside every fall to specifically thank God for His provision in our life together by dedicating the entire morning offering that day to special projects, with the total amount announced at a sumptuous meal that follows that Sunday’s worship service. Typically, Offerfest is a stand-alone event held on the first Sunday of November, but this year it is instead held today, October 6, in conjunction with a KICY fundraiser salmon dinner. KICY is a Covenant-owned radio station located in Nome, Alaska that serves native villages in the Alaskan bush as well as the city of Nome, and which also provides on-air evangelism outreach that broadcasts for thousands of miles into the remote Russian Far East.

Lunch Bunch outing
This month’s Lunch Bunch outing will be at the Golden Nugget, 1765 W. Lawrence Ave. (two blocks from church) at 11:30 am on Wednesday, October 9. The restaurant’s phone number is 773-769-6700. All women of the church are invited, and feel free to bring friends!

Pumpkin Fest
The end of the farmers market season is here and our final market will be a Pumpkin Fest on Wednesday, October 16 from 4:00 – 8:00 pm. As many of you know, our annual last-market celebration in October always has lots of fun and free kids activities in addition to our normal activities. We are in need of extra volunteers to help provide those activities! There are many ways to volunteer, and several are not physically demanding at all. Kids activities only run from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm and even one hour of your time would be great! Talk to Bekah Carlson or Pastor Ryan, or call or email the office if you are able to help. Here are the volunteer positions we need to fill:

– Two volunteers to help Sandy at the art tent where kids will be painting pumpkins. (volunteers can be seated)
– One or two volunteers to help Roger and Cindy with the s’mores and fire pit. (volunteers can be seated)
– Two or three volunteers to help run games and hand out prizes.
– Two or three volunteers to help with clean-up, starting at 7:00 pm.

Also, any Halloween candy you would like to donate for the market would be great! There will be a box in the narthex today and next Sunday for you to leave your candy.

Congregational business meeting
Next Sunday, October 13 we will have a congregational business meeting downstairs in the fellowship hall following worship. The purposes are to give an update on the disposition of the 4928 N. Damen property next door, as well as to vote upon members for the new Mutual Ministry Committee.

Choir begins soon
On Sunday, October 20, our church choir under the direction of Cynthia Arden will once again begin rehearsing and performing. The fall/winter choir season lasts from October 20 until Christmas. Membership in the choir is open to all, regardless of experience level. Please consider joining us in choir this fall, and invite others to join as well!

Faith Forum
Faith Forum, Ravenswood Covenant’s adult Christian education class, meets at the Sunday School hour (10:00 am) during the school year. This year’s edition of Faith Forum will feature a series of teachers who will each explore a topic over a one-month period. Our teacher for October is Jim Anderson.

Treats and coffee are provided each week. Join us in the upstairs lounge every Sunday in Faith Forum!

Church parking
Do you know someone who needs a place to park in the Ravenswood neighborhood? Ravenswood Covenant Church is currently leasing space in its parking lot. Parking is $60 per space per month for non-members, and is available for day/evening, overnight, or both. For more information, please contact the church office at 773-784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org.

Scripture reader sign-up
We’re now seeking people to read the scripture passages of the day in the worship service for the fall months. If you are willing to be a scripture reader in October or November, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the church office or in the narthex on Sundays, or contact Gregory Sager or Pastor Ryan. Feel free to sign up for more than one Sunday if you like.

Pastor Ryan’s office hours
Pastor Ryan’s office hours at church are typically Tuesday thru Friday from 10:00 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 have just begun studying the Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs. 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 have Zoom available 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

Scripture for next Sunday
1 Samuel 1:9-20
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Luke 1:46-55

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.