September 10, 2023
Worship live on Sundays in person,
or on YouTube at 11:00 am.
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
PRELUDE
“This Is My Father’s World”
led by Cynthia
WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 104:31-34
Leader: May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
People: May the Lord rejoice in His works—
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke.
Leader: I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
People: I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
PRAYER
Almighty Father, You created the world and all that’s in it. Lord Jesus, all things came into being through You, and without You not one thing came into being.Holy Spirit, You hovered above the primordial waters, and You continue to fill us with new life. Father, Son, and Spirit, send us into Your good creation to share the blessing we have found in You. Amen.
* 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 everywhere.
This is my Father’s world:
God shines in all that’s fair;
In rustling grass I hear him pass
He speaks to me everywhere.
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.
Covenant Hymnal, #57
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Genesis 2:4-14
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no vegetation of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground, 6 but a stream would rise from the earth and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold, 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
* GOSPEL LESSON
Mark 10:6-9
6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD
The splendor of the King
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps Himself in light
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
And trembles at His voice
chorus
How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see how great
How great is our God
And age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the End
Beginning and the End
The Godhead three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
bridge
Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
© 2004 Rising Springs Music; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs; Wondrously Made Songs; Capitol CMG Publishing, Music Services, Inc.
CHILDREN’S MOMENT
Pastor Ryan
JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me! This I know
For the Bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Covenant Hymnal, #443
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
Genesis 2:15-25
In the Beginning
Pastor Ryan
LET ALL THINGS NOW LIVING
Let all things now living
A song of thanksgiving
To God our 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 things now living
Unite in thanksgiving;
To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!
Covenant Hymnal, #59
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: Nikolas Arden, Messian Burgos, Frank Coszach, Vira Coszach, Nora Deliso, James Egan, Art & Rosa Hamilton, Trevor Hanks, Mary Smith, Steve Staurseth, and Phillip, son of Iris Velez
Ministries & Mission
Jen & Minh Dao, serving in Thailand; 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 & OFFERINGS
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
OFFERTORY
led by Dana
* 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.
* GOD OF WONDERS
Lord of all creation
Of water, earth, and sky
The heavens are Your tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high
chorus 1
God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy
Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth
Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
When I stumble in the darkness
I will call Your name by night
bridge
Hallelujah (to the Lord of heaven and earth)
Hallelujah (to the Lord of heaven and earth)
Hallelujah (to the Lord of heaven and earth)
You are holy
chorus 2
God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
Precious Lord, reveal Your heart to me
Father holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy, holy, holy
chorus 3
God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
Precious Lord, reveal Your heart to me
Father holy, holy
Hallelujah (to the Lord of heaven and earth)
Hallelujah (to the Lord of heaven and earth)
Hallelujah (to the Lord of heaven and earth)
Hallelujah (to the Lord of heaven and earth)
CCLI Song # 3118757 CCLI License # 349090
Marc Byrd | Steve Hindalong © 2000 Never Say Never Songs
* BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
Moderato
Gottlieb Muffat
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. We’re asking everyone to return to our old practice of wearing nametags on Sunday morning. Blank nametags and Sharpies will be available both in the narthex and in the sanctuary.
Today is Kickoff Sunday
Today is Kickoff Sunday at Ravenswood Covenant! Today marks the return of RECC to the school-year worship calendar, with services starting at 11:00 am. There will be food and fun after the service to mark the occasion, as well as an opportunity for our Sunday School teachers and Faith Forum leaders to talk about the upcoming year.
The first day of Sunday School and Faith Forum will be the following Sunday, September 17. The Sunday school hour for this coming school year will be at 10:00 am. We are still looking for folks who are willing to help out with Sunday School. Please speak with Beth Anderson, Bekah Carlson, or Kelly Vetter if you’re interested. Also, please check with the church office to make sure that you have an up-to-date background check if you are going to work with the church’s children in 2023-24.
Lunch Bunch luncheon
The Lunch Bunch ladies are having their monthly luncheon on Wednesday, September 13, at 11:30am. We’ll be meeting at the Culver’s located at 6012 N. Albany Ave. (at the corner of Lincoln & Peterson). Phone: 773-681-0701 http://www.culvers.com. Everyone is welcome!
Church Clean-Up
We are going to hold a church clean-up this Thursday, September 14 that will focus upon a specific location in the church for a specific purpose. The back room of the church (also known as the multi-purpose room) is a large space that is currently used to some degree by the other congregations and groups that meet in our building, although we ourselves seldom use it. It needs to be cleaned so that it can then be repurposed and decorated, not only to make it more functional for our guests but so that we, too, can use it as a space for prayer, meetings, retreats, classes, etc.
The other spaces are adjacent to the back room — namely, the two small offices that formerly functioned as the church’s Sunday School office and the music office. They, too, need to be cleaned (along with their contents), and ceiling tiles need to be replaced.
There are two separate time slots for the cleaning on September 14, an afternoon time slot from 1 pm to 4 pm, and an evening time slot from 7 pm to 9 pm.
If you would like to help, please contact Marlene Henry, Maria Paulette, or Pastor Ryan, or the church office.
Faith Forum returns
Faith Forum, Ravenswood Covenant’s adult Sunday School class, will return on Sunday, September 17. The class meets Sundays at 10:00 am in the upstairs lounge. The first set of classes is entitled:
“Get a Life”
or
“The Essence of the Christian Faith”
or
“Covenant Affirmations”
Call it what you want, but it is significant and will be helpful for you and all your friends. Coffee and goodies are provided.
September 17: “We Affirm the Centrality of the Word of God” (taught by LeRoy Carlson)
September 24: “The Necessity of the New Birth” (taught by Gregory Sager)
October 1: “A Commitment to the Whole Mission of the Church” (taught by Pastor Ryan)
October 8: “The Church as a Fellowship of Believers” (taught by Paul Shaheen)
October 15: “A Conscious Dependence on the Holy Spirit” (taught by Colleen Carlson)
October 22: “The Reality of Freedom in Christ” (taught by Jim Anderson)
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
Apartment wanted
Rod Kutz, who is a part of our congregation, is seeking a two-bedroom apartment on the North Side. If you know of one that’s available, please see Rod or contact the church office.
New Covenant Home Altar available
The fall issue of the Covenant Home Altar, the daily devotional produced by our parent denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church, is now available in the narthex. Pick up a free copy!
Scripture reader sign-up
We are seeking people to read the scripture passages of the day as part of the worship services this fall. If you are willing to be a scripture reader, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the church office or contact Gregory Sager or Erin Stoel.
Pastor Ryan’s office hours
Pastor Ryan’s office hours at church are Tuesday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. If you would like to meet with Pastor Ryan during his afternoon hours, please call the church office to schedule an appointment.
Farmers market
Wednesday saw yet another successful farmers market under sunny skies, with lots of our neighbors on hand to shop and socialize, and lots of kids having fun!
The market will run until mid-October every Wednesday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in our parking lot. This year the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce has taken over locating and contacting possible vendors for the market, so we anticipate a busier and more crowded market than has been true since Covid hit.
Children’s activity supplies needed
The Ravenswood Farmers Market season is off to a great start with our highest attendance in several years! If you would like to support the market we still have multiple opportunities to be involved with set-up/take-down and children’s activities during the market. If you are unable to attend the market, we could also use your help in gathering supplies. This year we need dot markers, markers, fun stamps, baby wipes, blue Dawn dish soap and light corn syrup. Thank you all for your continued support.
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 studying the Gospel of Mark. 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.
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.”
Scripture for next Sunday
Genesis 21:1-7
Genesis 18:1-15
Mark 10:24-27
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.