September 3, 2023
Worship live on Sundays in person,
or on YouTube at 10:00 am.
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
PRELUDE
Variation on St. Denio
Welsh melody, arr. Carile Schnabl
led by Cynthia
WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 118:1-4
Leader: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
People: His love endures forever.
Leader: Let Israel say:
People: His love endures forever.
Leader: Let the house of Aaron say:
People: His love endures forever.
Leader: Let those who fear the Lord say:
People: His love endures forever. Amen.
PRAYER
Abba Father, thank You for giving us the Spirit of Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive us for the times we have quenched Your Spirit with anger, quarrels, and envy. Empower us with Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Amen.
* GOD OF GRACE AND GOD OF GLORY
God of grace and God of glory,
On Your people pour Your pow’r;
Crown Your ancient Church’s story,
Bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.
Lo, the hosts of evil ’round us
Scorn your Christ, assail His ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.
Cure your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
Lest we miss your kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss your kingdom’s goal.
Save us from weak resignation
To the evils we deplore;
Let the search for Your salvation
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
Serving You whom we adore,
Serving You whom we adore.
Covenant Hymnal, #608
NEW TESTAMENT LESSON
Romans 13:8-14
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
* GOSPEL LESSON
John 8:31-40
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do You mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham, yet you look for an opportunity to kill Me because there is no place in you for My word. 38 I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.”
39 They answered Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did, 40 but now you are trying to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to You we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.
For the wonder of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light:
Lord of all, to You we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.
For the worth of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight:
Lord of all, to You we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above;
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to You we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.
For Yourself, best gift divine,
To the world so freely giv’n,
For Your love, beyond all time,
Peace on earth and joy in heav’n:
Lord of all, to You we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise. Amen.
Covenant Hymnal, #56
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
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Where Is It Written?
Mary Spriggs
COME, SHARE THE LORD
We gather here in Jesus’ name,
His love is burning in our hearts like living flame;
For through His loving Son the Father makes us one:
Come, take the bread, come drink the wine,
Come, share the Lord.
No one is a stranger here,
Ev’ryone belongs;
Finding our forgiveness here,
We in turn forgive all wrongs.
He joins us here, He breaks the bread,
The Lord who pours the cup is risen from the dead;
The One we love the most is now our gracious host:
Come, take the bread, come drink the wine,
Come share the Lord
We are now a family
Of which the Lord is head;
Though unseen He meets us here
In the breaking of the bread.
We’ll gather soon where angels sing;
We’ll see the glory of our Lord and coming King;
Now we anticipate the feast for which we wait:
Come, take the bread, come drink the wine,
Come, share the Lord
Covenant Hymnal, #568
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
Patrick & Tip Boonrang, serving in Thailand; Barb & Steve Swanson, serving in Sweden
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
“But We All”
Paul Shaheen
led by Paul and 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
Welcome to the Lord’s Table! Christ Himself is the host of this table. The Covenant Church teaches that the Lord’s Supper is for all who are in Christ. Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ is welcome at the table. We do not come to the table to show off our righteousness, but because our love for Jesus inspires us to become His true disciples. All who hear Christ’s call; all who want to express their love for God; all who desire to feast on the Word of God are welcome to share in this sacrament.
INVITATION TO THE LORD’S SUPPER
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, invites us anew to Holy Communion, through which He will give Himself to us and lead us into a deeper fellowship with one another. Jesus says: “Come to Me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
CONFESSION OF SIN
The proof of God’s amazing love is this: while we were sinners Christ died for us. Because we have faith in Him, we dare to approach God with confidence. In humility and faith let us confess our sin to God.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
Hear the good news! The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Amen!
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ as they are delivered by the apostle Paul: “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
SONG
His dying we proclaim. Alleluia! Amen!
His rising we declare. Alleluia! Amen!
His coming we await, now as these gifts we take.
Glory to God on high! Alleluia! Amen!
BREAKING THE BREAD AND POURING THE CUP
Here the pastor breaks the bread and says:
Is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
A moment of silence follows. Then the pastor pours wine into the cup and says:
Is not the cup that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ?
A moment of silence follows. Then the pastor says:
The gifts of God for the people of God—take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on Him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Eternal God, heavenly Father, You have graciously accepted us as living members of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and You have fed us with spiritual food in the sacrament of His body and blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and “courage to love and serve You with gladness and singleness of heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
SENDING
As therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in Him. Let us go forth in the name of Christ.
* BREATHE ON ME, BREATH OF GOD
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love whate’er You love,
And do what You would do.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with You I will one will,
To do and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
So that Your will is mine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Your fire divine.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with You the perfect life
Of Your eternity. Amen.
Covenant Hymnal, #283
* BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
Gravé
J.S. Bach
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.
Worship hour schedule change
Today will be our final 10:00 am summer worship hour of the year. Starting next Sunday, September 10, we will begin our school-year worship schedule at the new hour of 11:00 am. We will continue to meet at 10:00 for Sunday school, and we encourage everybody to come!
Church Clean-Up
We are going to hold a church clean-up on 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.
Lake County Symphony Orchestra concert
The Lake County Symphony Orchestra, featuring our own Cynthia Arden as concertmaster, will present “Broadway & Hollywood Blockbusters” this evening at 7:30 pm at Gurnee Community Church, 4555 Old Grand Ave. in Gurnee. For ticket information, please go to www.lakecountysymphonyorchestra.com .
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.
September 10 is Kickoff Sunday
Next Sunday will be Kickoff Sunday at Ravenswood Covenant! That Sunday will mark the return of RECC to the school-year worship calendar with services starting at 11:00 am, and 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.
North Park van drivers needed
This fall we would like to bring back our long-dormant ministry of offering van rides to North Park University students so that they can attend services on Sundays at Ravenswood Covenant. Does this sound like something with which you’d be willing to help? You don’t need to own a van to do this, just a valid driver’s license. If you’re interested, please contact Gregory Sager or Pastor Ryan.
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!
Last week’s set of Covenant Home Altar devotionals were written by former Ravenswood Covenant pastoral intern Chris Wall, who is now the associate pastor for youth and congregational life at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Attleboro, MA.
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’s farmers market had another strong attendance in the 650-750 adult visitor range, with the usual great turnout of kids having fun as well.
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.
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’s farmers market had another strong attendance in the 650-750 adult visitor range, with the usual great turnout of kids having fun as well.
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.
If you are interested in the farmers market and would like to be a part of this way for us as a church to interact with our surrounding community and provide a valuable service to them as well as a place to meet and greet neighbors every Wednesday during the warm-weather months, please contact the church office or our market director, Bekah Carlson.
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 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 2:4-14, 15-25
Mark 10:6-9
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.