September 1, 2024 | Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church

September 1, 2024

Worship live on Sundays in person at 10:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.

PRELUDE
led by Dana

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 23:1-4
Leader: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
People: He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.
Leader: He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
People: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

UNISON PRAYER
Almighty God, Companion of the lonely, Binder of wounds, Shepherd of lost souls, Friend of the poor, Source of all life, Forgiver of sins, Voice of the voiceless, Counselor of the confused, Shelter from the storm, Creator of heaven and earth, in all ways we worship and adore You. Amen.

* 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 every 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

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: Bekah Carlson
Romans 12:9-21

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord. ¹²Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality to strangers.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

* GOODNESS OF GOD
I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God

chorus
All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest nights You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a father
I’ve known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God

bridge
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now,
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

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
Matthew 25:31-46
Sheep and Goats
Pastor Ryan

MY SHEPHERD WILL SUPPLY MY NEED
My Shepherd will supply my need;
Jehovah is His Name:
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wand’ring spirit back,
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy’s sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk thru the shades of death,
Your presence is my stay;
A word of Your supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Your hand, in sight of all my foes,
Does still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows;
Your oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may Your house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come;
No more a stranger, or a guest,
But like a child at home.

Covenant Hymnal, #91

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; Mary Smith; Iris Velez; Lauren Vilardo; Mark Westlind; and Christian Wright

Ministries & Mission
Hannah & Jared Baker, serving in the Middle East and North Africa
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.

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

OFFERTORY
Moderato Tranquillo
J.S. Bach
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

* HE IS AMONG US (THE LEAST OF THESE)
You’ll find Me with the broken and the weak
In the spaces in between
You’ll hear My voice cry out with those who weep
Only if you’re listening

chorus
Whatever you do for the least of these
You do it unto Me

You’ll find Me with the ones without a voice
The forgotten and ignored
My blessing is on those who love the poor
Will you open up the door

bridge
Hallelujah, hallelujah
He is among us He is among us
(repeat)

By this the world will know the Father’s love
We will know the Father’s love

Andy Piercy / Isaac Wardell / John Swinton / Orlando Palmer / Paul Zach © Common Hymnal Publishing; IAMSON Productions; Integrity Worship Music; Integrity’s Alleluia! Music; Paul Zach Publishing; PG Songs And Hymns

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

POSTLUDE
Trumpet Tune
Henry Purcell
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.

Summer schedule ends today
Today ends our summer worship schedule for 2024 and with it the earlier starting time for the worship service. Beginning next week, we return to the school-year worship schedule, in which the service begins at 11:00 am, typically following Sunday School and Faith Forum, both of which begin at 10:00 am. The first day of Sunday School and Faith Forum will be September 15.

Benevolence offering
This is the first Sunday of the month, which means that the monthly benevolence offering will be taken today. The benevolence fund is used to aid those in immediate financial need within the church and community for situations such as rent, food insecurity, travel needs, medical needs, etc. There is a large wooden box in the narthex in which you can put a benevolence contribution if you feel led to do so.

Sunday School Kick-off
Sunday School Kick-off Day is fast approaching! Next Sunday, September 8, we will begin our school-year schedule by returning to an 11:00 am worship hour. We will also recognize our 2024-25 Sunday School teachers in the worship service and pray for them as they prepare to teach our children about God this coming year. That Sunday will also be the first official day of Children’s Church. (Please note that Children’s Church is only for children of kindergarten age or younger; older children are expected to remain in the sanctuary.) Following the service, a light lunch will be served downstairs, and there will be children’s activities.

The first day of Sunday School will be two weeks from today on Sunday, September15.

Faith Forum
Faith Forum, Ravenswood Covenant’s adult Christian education class that meets at the Sunday School hour (10:00 am) during the school year, is returning on September 15. This year’s edition of Faith Forum will feature a series of teachers who will each explore a topic over a one-month period. The first teacher will be LeRoy Carlson, who will lead a series in September on the theology of worship, focusing upon the Covenant Book of Worship, the worship handbook used by the Covenant’s pastors, chaplains, and worship leaders.

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

KICY salmon dinner and Offerfest
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 will instead be held on Sunday, October 6 in conjunction with a KICY salmon dinner.

KICY is a radio station in Nome, Alaska that is owned and operated by our Covenant denomination. It serves as a key institution in the Alaskan bush for bringing news, information, and special events and announcements, as well as the Word of God, to outlying Native Alaskan villages. It is also the primary means by which the Gospel is brought to the Russian Far East, via KICY’s powerful signal that can reach thousands of miles into eastern Siberia. KICY is a mission of our denomination that, like other missions, is supported directly by the missions budgets of local churches. But in addition, every fall the station’s program director visits the lower 48 states and hosts salmon dinners in various Covenant churches. Fresh Alaskan salmon is shipped in and served at the churches, and the KICY program director gives an audiovisual presentation of the radio station’s ministry. The donations from dinnergoers help keep the radio station up and running.

Ravenswood Covenant has important ties to KICY; the radio station was co-founded back in the 1950s by a Ravenswood Covenant member named Art Zylstra, and in the 1970s another member of Ravenswood Covenant, Dave Oseland, served as the station’s program manager. We have hosted numerous KICY salmon dinners in the past, but it’s been a decade or so since our last one.

After booking a KICY salmon dinner for October 6, the church’s Leadership Team felt that it would be easier for our congregation to combine the salmon dinner with Offerfest. Therefore, Sunday, October 6 will be Offerfest Sunday this year. As usual, all of the morning offering on that day will go towards special projects rather than to the church budget; this year half of the Offerfest money will go to KICY, and the other half will be used for an as-yet-undesignated improvement or repair project for our church building. The Offerfest meal will be the salmon dinner (with alternatives provided for those who don’t eat salmon), the KICY presentation will be provided by KICY program director Patty Burchell, and there will be people present from other Covenant churches that will be invited to take part in supporting KICY’s ministry. At the same time, our Offerfest tradition of announcing the amount raised through the offering in the worship service will take place as usual.

This event will require a lot of work to make it run smoothly, so stay tuned for announcements as to how you can help out!

Symphonic Exploration!
The Lake County Symphony Orchesta, featuring our own Cynthia Arden as concertmaster, will begin its 2024 -25 season with a family concert entitled “Symphonic Exploration!” The concert will be held at the James Lumber Center For The Performing Arts at the College of Lake County, located at 19351 W. Washington St. in Grayslake, on September 14 at 7:30 pm!

This concert is family-oriented and can act as a wonderful introduction into the world of classical music. The main work being featured is English composer Benjamin Britten’s iconic work, “The Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra”. This work starts with the theme in the entire orchestra and then moves from instrument family to instrument family (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion), so you and your child can learn more about the various instruments. Do not be fooled by the educational nature of the work. This work is as beautiful and timeless as any of the composer’s other major works!

During intermission there will also be an “instrument petting zoo” in the lobby of the James Lumber Center. There will be a wide variety of instruments set up with LCSO musicians demonstrating them so that you and your children can learn more about the various instruments you just heard onstage.

For ticket information, go to https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/71732235/lcso .

Save your cardboard rolls!
Please save your empty paper towel and toilet paper cardboard rolls, as Bekah Carlson needs them for a kids project at the science table of our farmers market. There is a box in the lobby of the C.E. wing for you to leave your rolls.

Confirmation class
We are beginning a new Confirmation class this month. Confirmation is a two-year period of study in which middle-schoolers learn the story of the people of God as told in the Bible and in the history of the Christian Church; develop deeper understandings of faith, doctrine, commitment to God, and the meaning of Christianity; and begin to make the faith that has been taught to them their own. At the conclusion of the second year of Confirmation, students are confirmed in their personal faith in Jesus Christ in worship after giving their testimonies. They are then given the opportunity to join our church as fully-fledged members.

The Confirmation class will meet on Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm and on selected Sundays after worship as necessary. Please remember to pray regularly for our Confirmation students and for their teacher, Pastor Ryan, as they embark upon this very important phase of their faith journeys!

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 September, 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.

Farmers market
Our farmers market continued on Wednesday with another great day in which our neighbors came to our parking lot to shop, browse, eat, and enjoy the market experience. Plenty of kids were on hand to enjoy all of our children’s activities as well.

The farmers market continues to have openings for children’s art tent staff and bounce house monitors, as well as people who can help to set up and/or take down the market.

This is not necessarily a commitment to the full span of the market; whenever you can help out would be great! For more information, please contact Bekah Carlson or leave your name and contact info at the church office.

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 are currently studying the book of Ecclesiastes. 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
Genesis 3:1-8
Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17
Luke 11:4

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.