September 8, 2024
Worship live on Sundays in person at 10:00 am,
or on YouTube at noon.
PRELUDE
“O Worship the King, All Glorious Above”
William Gardiner
led by Leslie and Cynthia
WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE
CALL TO WORSHIP
from Psalm 8, adapted by N.T. Wright
Leader: In the beginning, God created.
People: God, the Lord, is great and mighty.
All creation sings His song.
Even little children praise Him,
Shaming everything that’s wrong.
SINGING: With a thousand hallelujahs,
We magnify your name.
You alone deserve the glory,
The honor and the praise.
Lord, Jesus, this song is forever Yours.
A thousand hallelujahs, a thousand more.
Leader: Stars and planets, sheep and oxen,
Birds and fishes, great and small.
Human beings, sharing God’s reign.
Faithfully caring for all.
SINGING: With a thousand hallelujahs,
we magnify your name.
You alone deserve the glory,
The honor and the praise.
Lord, Jesus, this song is forever Yours.
A thousand hallelujahs, a thousand more.
People: God, the Lord, is great and mighty.
All creation sings His song.
All the earth proclaims his glory.
We will praise him all day long!
UNISON PRAYER
God who spoke creation into being, astonishing the angels with galaxies and sunsets, all Your creatures proclaim your majestic power and playful wisdom. Send forth Your renewing Spirit, that we might discover Your purpose for us and live for Your glory and delight. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Stacey Johnson
Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17
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.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
GOSPEL LESSON: Stacey Johnson
Luke 11:4
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
* O WORSHIP THE KING, ALL GLORIOUS ABOVE
O worship the King all glorious above,
And gratefully sing His wonderful love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilion’d in splendor and girded with praise.
O tell of His might and sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space;
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is his path on the wings of the storm.
Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!
Covenant Hymnal, #23
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
Genesis 3:1-8
The Fall
Pastor Ryan
* LORD, I NEED YOU
Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
And without You I fall apart
You’re the one that guides my heart
chorus 1
Lord, I need You, O, I need You
Ev’ry hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
O God, how I need You
Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
bridge
So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay
chorus 2
Lord, I need You, O, I need You
Ev’ry hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
O God, how I need You
Christy Nockels | Daniel Carson | Jesse Reeves
Kristian Stanfill | Matt Maher © 2011 sixsteps Music
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
Jen & Minh Dao, serving in Thailand
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
Moderato
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.
* THE STAND
You stood before creation
Eternity in Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand
You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand
pre-chorus
So what can I say
And what can I do
But offer this heart, O God
Completely to You
So I’ll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
My life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand
chorus
So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours
Joel Houston © 2005 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
* BENEDICTION
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God
POSTLUDE
March from Die Zauberflote
W.A. Mozart
led by Cynthia
INVITATION
We’ll be back here next Sunday. We hope you can join us. Information on ravenscov.org.
First Sunday of school-year schedule
Today we return to the school-year worship schedule, in which the service begins at 11:00 following Sunday School and Faith Forum at 10:00 am.
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.
Sunday School Kick-off
Today is Sunday School Kick-off Day! Today we 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. Today 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 next 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 next Sunday, 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!
Dog walker wanted
Joanna Bao, a friend of Ravenswood Covenant, has a daughter named Joy who lives near the church. Joy is currently in her residency as a physician and thus has only a limited amount of time available to walk and care for her dog, Gallagher. If you would like to volunteer to help with her dog-walking responsibilities, please contact the church office.
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 15:1-6
Genesis 12:1-9
Luke 3:8
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.