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.
October 9, 2022
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
PRELUDE
“All Creatures of Our God and King”
led by Cynthia
WELCOME & GREETING, COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
from Isaiah 55:3, 10–13
Leader: Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
People: For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Leader: For you shall go out in joy
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
ALL: and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle,
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
ISAIAH 55 (NOTHING YOU CAN’T DO)
For you shall go out with joy
And be led out with peace
The mountains shall break forth
Into singing before you
For you shall go out with joy
And be led out with peace
The mountains shall break forth
Into singing before you
Everyone who thirsts
Come to the waters
Everyone who mourns
Come rejoice
Incline your ear
Come to the Father
Hear and your soul shall live
This is a new day
Dance and celebrate
Heaven sings over you
As the rain comes down
Watering the earth bringing seed
To the sower
So does the Word of God
Go forth to all men
Giving life and hope in the Father
CCLI Song # 3009543 Kate Wray (Spence)
© 2000 Parachute Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
GOSPEL LESSON
(Stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel.)
Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
ON EAGLE’S WINGS
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord, “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!”
chorus
And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand
The snare of the fowler will never capture you
And famine will bring you no fear
Under His wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield
You need not fear the terror of the night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come
Covenant Hymnal, #81
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Exodus 19:3-7; 20:1-17
Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the Israelites: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now, therefore, if you obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is Mine, 6 but you shall be for Me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
Then God spoke all these words,
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject Me 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses His name.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work — you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female slave, ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
CHILDREN’S MOMENT
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.
REFLECTING ON THE WORD
Covenant Keeping
Pastor Jay Catanus
EVERY PROMISE OF YOUR WORD
From the breaking of the dawn
To the setting of the sun,
I will stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
Words of power strong to save,
That will never pass away,
I will stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
And your covenant is sure
And on this I am secure,
I can stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
When I stumble and I sin,
Condemnation pressing in,
I will stand on ev’ry promise of your Word.
You are faithful to forgive
That in freedom I might live,
So I stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
Guilt to innocence restored,
You remember sins no more,
So I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
Guilt to innocence restored,
You remember sins no more,
So I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
When I’m faced with anguished choice
I will listen for Your voice
And I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
Through this dark and troubled land
You will guide me with your hand
As I stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
And You’ve promised to complete
Ev’ry work begun in me,
So I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
Hope that lifts me from despair,
Love that casts out ev’ry fear
As I stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
Not forsaken, not alone,
For the Comforter has come
And I stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
Grace sufficient, grace for me,
Grace for all who will believe
We will stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.
CCLI Song # 4642105
Keith Getty, Stuart Townend
2005 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
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, Mary Smith, and Esther Stoel
Ministries & Mission
Karl & Sue Peterson, serving in Mexico; Covenant Mountain Mission Bible Camp
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
“On Eagle’s Wings”
Michael Joncas
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.
WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE
Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty.
chorus
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.
Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all wonderful words of life;
Sinner, heed now His loving call, wonderful words of life;
All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.
Sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify forever.
Covenant Hymnal, #525
BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
Fantasia in G
J.S. Bach
led by Cynthia
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.
Harvest Festival
Our 2022 farmers market season will conclude with our annual Harvest Festival this Wednesday, October 12. We will have extra games for the kids, complete with prizes and candy; a firepit for making s’mores; pumpkin painting; and lots of other fun extras to celebrate the end of another great farmers market season.
We are looking for volunteers to help out with set-up, assisting with kids activities, and take-down at the Harvest Festival. If you can assist, please contact Bekah Carlson, Pastor Denise, or the church office.
Bags of candy needed
We will be giving out candy to the children at next Wednesday’s Harvest Festival, as we wrap up our seventh farmers market season. If you would like to donate a bag or two of candy to help out, that would be greatly appreciated! There is a box available in the narthex today for your candy donation, and you can also bring your candy donation to the church office any time up to the opening of the Harvest Festival next Wednesday at 4 pm.
MOPS
MOPS, our monthly ministry to mothers of small children, will meet this coming Saturday, October 15, in the upstairs lounge at 10:30 am. All moms with young ones are invited!The gym will be open for children and caregivers during the meeting.
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.will return for the first time since the pandemic on Thursday, October 20. Indoor Playground will be open every Thursday afternoon from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
Thursday night community dinner
Our Thursday night community dinners will resume on a semi-weekly basis beginning Thursday, October 20. The dinners are open to everyone. Suggested donation is $5 for individuals, $10 for families.
Neighborhood Yoga
Certified Yoga Instructor Deb Auger will be teaching a four-week Adult Yoga class in our community room on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:15 pm, starting October 26. The first session and the November 2 session are free; the fee for the third and fourth sessions are $15 each. To register or for more information, contact Deb at auger.deb@gmail.com.
Choir begins in October
Choir rehearsal for the Christmas season will start at the end of this month on Sunday, October 30. 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.
Neighbor seeks aid
A woman in our community is seeking someone who can assist with the care of her son, who is 34 years old and has multiple sclerosis. Her son is bedridden and needs a minimum of 40 hrs/week care. The person assisting would need to feed her son breakfast each day (not weekends) and clean him as needed (bathroom cleaning) as well as sponge baths. He is confined to bed, so there would not be the regular difficulties in moving him in and out of bed.
They live on N. Lincoln Avenue, close to Budlong Elementary School. Light cleaning and vacuuming of his room would be expected, but no cleaning of the rest of the house. Pay is $16 to $17/hour.
For more information, please contact Gregory in 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 adult Bible study
The weekly Bible study meets every Thursday 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 October
October 2: Pastor Denise
October 9: Pastor Jay Catanus
October 16: Pastor Mark
October 23: Mary Spriggs
October 30: Barb & Steve Swanson
Scripture for next Sunday
Matthew 4:8-10
Joshua 24:1-15
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.