September 24, 2023

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

PRE-SERVICE MUSIC

PRELUDE
“How Great Thou Art”
led by Erin and Cynthia

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 46:7, 10-11
Leader: The Lord Almighty is with us.
People: The God of Jacob is our fortress.
Leader: He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
People: I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Leader: The Lord Almighty is with us.
People: The God of Jacob is our fortress.

PRAYER
Almighty God and Loving Father, we are in awe of your power and overwhelmed by your tenderness. You are not content to be distant from your people. You have chosen an intimate relationship with your children. Thank you for your constant willingness to westle with us in prayer. Amen.

* HOW GREAT THOU ART
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

refrain
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

refrain

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:

refrain

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great Thou art!

refrain

Covenant Hymnal, #8


OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Genesis 32:9-13

And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness that You have shown to Your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him; he may come and kill us all, the mothers with the children. 12 Yet You have said, ‘I will surely do you good and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted because of their number.’ ”

13 So he spent that night there, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau.

* GOSPEL LESSON
John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him about whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, He said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did You get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

MY LIGHTHOUSE
In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won’t walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea, whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

In the silence You won’t let go
In the questions Your truth will hold
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea, whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

chorus
My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse
Shining in the darkness
I will follow You, oh
My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse
I will trust the promise
You will carry me safe to shore
Safe to shore, safe to shore, safe to shore

I won’t fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I’ll rise and sing
My God’s love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea ,whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

bridge
Fire before us
You’re the brightest
You will lead us
Through the storms (hey)
(repeat 3x)

© 2013 Thankyou Music, Capitol CMG Publishing CCLI #7002032

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 32:22-30
Wrestling Match
Pastor Ryan

I WILL FOLLOW
Where You go, I’ll go
Where You stay, I’ll stay
When You move, I’ll move
I will follow
Oh oh oh

All Your ways are good
All Your ways are sure
I will trust in You alone
Higher than my sight
High above my life
I will trust in You alone

chorus
Where You go, I’ll go
Where You stay, I’ll stay
When You move, I’ll move
I will follow You
Whom You love, I’ll love
How You serve, I’ll serve
If this life I lose
I will follow (You)

Yeah, I will follow You, yeah

Light into the world
Light into my life
I will live for You alone
You’re the One I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in You alone
In You alone

chorus

bridge
In You there’s life everlasting
In You there’s freedom for my soul
In You there’s joy, unending joy
And I will follow

ending
Yeah, I will follow You, yeah
I will follow You, yeah
I will follow You, yeah

Chris Tomln/Jason Ingram/Reuben Morgan © 2010 Rising Springs Music; SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs; Spirit Nashville Three; So Essential Tunes; Spirit Nashville Three

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
Anna & Peter Kim, serving in Taiwan; 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
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.

* IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish — but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render, O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.

Covenant Hymnal, #10

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

POSTLUDE
“Simple Gifts”
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.

Sunday School and Faith Forum
Sunday School and Faith Forum will meet at 10:00 am every week, unless otherwise noted. 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.

“Covenant Affirmations” Faith Forum series
Faith Forum, Ravenswood Covenant’s adult Sunday School class, meets Sundays at 10:00 am in the upstairs lounge. Last Sunday began a series of Faith Forum classes centered around the six primary teachings of our denomination, better known as the “Covenant Affirmations”.
  
September 17: “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)
 
Coffee and treats are provided each week at Faith Forum, Please join us!                   

Choir to return for fall/winter season
Calling all singers! The Ravenswood Covenant choir will begin rehearsals on Sunday, October 8, as we begin our fall and winter choir season. The choir will not plan to sing or rehearse on December 24 or November 26. That leaves 10 weeks for this choir season.

Choir rehearsal is at 9:00 am Sunday mornings in the sanctuary. Anyone with a heart for singing is welcome to join the choir. Please speak to our organist and choir director Cynthia Arden if you’re interested in joining.

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.

New update from the Fosters
Dear faithful partners,

We’re having a going away party Saturday, 16 September. It’s going to be bittersweet, but we couldn’t be happier. We mentioned that Kate had good news that we couldn’t share a couple of weeks ago.

Kate is going to Kyiv on 17 September to reunite with her husband. She, her daughter, and her husband will all be moving to Brazil for her husband’s new job. Vlad is a chauffeur for diplomats and asked to be moved to Brazil. In this way, he will be in a safe country where the entire family will be together. He’s been trying to get a move for 1 1/2 years, and finally got a positive response.

Although her absence will leave a real hole in our hearts, we rejoice that we met her and have established a deep relationship since April 2022. We are so happy that this family will be together again. 

I (Don) will fly with Kate to Krakow, Poland on the 17th to help her with her daughter and her heavy suitcases (which we’ll put on the bus), and she’ll leave that evening. I’ll fly back to Lille on the 18th.

Please pray for Kate’s safety during the bus trip to Kyiv with her daughter and for the couple of months they’ll have to wait for her diplomatic passport before she and the family leave for Brazil. Bombing is very “hot” in Kyiv at this time as well as in Lviv (between Krakow and Kyiv).

Thank you all for being part of this adventure.

Please continue to pray for the 3 families (7 people) remaining in our home. They have lost so much, and they miss their families.  They struggle with depression. All 4 families (I’m including Kate) have opened up to us about spiritual things. Kate told us that she prayed this summer that God intervene and she hasn’t prayed in 1 1/2 years. Pray that Christ reveal Himself to all of them in a real way and that He draw them to Himself.

Also, please continue to pray for our financial needs which continue to increase.

God bless,

Don for the Fosters

Operation Christmas Child
Samaritan’s Purse is currently looking to hire approximately 150 Christian men and women to fill paid positions for a three-week project with Operation Christmas Child, an annual relief ministry that Ravenswood Covenant has supported in the past.
 
Their seasonal positions include a wide variety of customer service positions, such as team coaches, greeters, and floor coordinators. There are also a variety of warehouse positions, including dockworkers, quality/inventory control, class A CDL drivers, and forklift drivers. The ideal candidates for these positions will have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, align with the mission of Samaritan’s Purse, work well with volunteers, be flexible, and be able to function well in a fast-paced environment. 

If you know anyone who would be interested and matches this description, please feel free to share this information with them. 

God is so amazing. Last year Operation Christmas Child packed around 10.5 million shoeboxes, and each shoebox can impact around 10 people for Jesus.
 
If you have any questions or would like Samaritan’s Purse to send you more information, please contact Philip King at Samaritan’s Purse, 331-271-3917 or at pking@samaritan.org . Their website is https://www.samaritanspurse.org/ .

Covenant Harbor is hiring
Covenant Harbor is still looking for some kitchen staff and volunteers. All inquires can be made to Sandy Wendtland at swendtland@covenantharbor.org .

Summer staff applications for 2024 are now open on the Covenant Harbor website as well. They are already hiring for next year’s summer camp positions. If you have any questions, please contact Emma Mueller at emueller@covenantharbor.org.

All of these details can also be found on the camp’s website at www.covenantharbor.org. 

Pastor Ryan’s office hours
Pastor Ryan’s office hours at church are Tuesday thru Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 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
The numbers are a bit down for the farmers market, as school now being in session is decreasing the number of families bringing their children to the parking lot. But there are still kids enjoying the activities there, and still plenty of shoppers perusing the vendors at the market.

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.

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
Exodus 3:1-15
Exodus 1:8-14
Mark 12:24-27

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.

"With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." (Mark 4:30-32 NRS)