Sunday, December 21, 2025
Sunday, December 21st
Sunday, December 21, 2025
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am
or online via YouTube at noon.
PEOPLE GET READY!
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
Leader: light print / People: bold print / * Please stand as you are able.
GATHERING MUSIC
led by Dana
GOD WELCOMES US
We share Community Life & greet each other.
Kids worship bags are available in the back.
WE DIRECT OUR MINDS TO GOD
DECLARING OUR UNITY IN WORSHIP
Psalm 145:3, 8-9
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
No one can fathom God’s greatness!
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. Amen.
PRAYER SEEKING GOD’S PRESENCE
Almighty God, Your love endures forever! Lord Jesus, You taught us to love one another. Holy Spirit, You produce abundant love in our lives. Triune God, You are three persons and one in substance which is love. Amen.
SINGING OUR LOVE TO GOD
* “O Thou Joyful, O Thou Wonderful”
hymnal #179
ADVENT READING 4: LOVE
led by Kari & Neal Johnson and family
First Reader: Today, we come face to face with the scandal of Advent: Mary, the unmarried mother; God Incarnate growing in Mary’s womb as a vulnerable baby; Joseph contemplating leaving Mary because of her pregnancy; God’s love at work in ways that society and propriety could not understand; God calling Mary and Joseph to faithfulness despite the fear of disgrace.
All: With Mary and Joseph, we choose to wait, watch, and listen for the way of Love instead of responding in fear to the world’s judgment.
Second Reader: We light this candle of love as a sign of our faithfulness as we seek, find, and follow Emmanuel, God with us.
the fourth candle of the Advent wreath is lit
SINGING OUR LOVE TO GOD
* “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
hymnal #120
(verse four only)
GOD, WE’RE LISTENING
1 John 1:1-10
read by Kari & Neal Johnson and family
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— what we have seen and heard we also declare to you so that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as He himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
SINGING OUR DESIRE TO HEAR FROM GOD
* “Noel”
Tomlin / Cash / Redman
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
Children are invited to the front.
Following the message, children are invited to children’s church in the back room. A parent from the church will teach.
MESSAGE
John 1:9-14, 16-18
God’s Word of Love
Pastor Ryan
SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “Drive Out the Darkness”
Marotta / Wardell / Swinton / Zach
GOD HELP US
Prayer
WE CONCLUDE WITH 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.
THANKING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS
We offer God a portion of our money as a way to say we love God, and desire to encourage the ministry & mission of the church.
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION
“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
Wesley / Prichard
led by the choir
SINGING OUR THANKSGIVING & ADORATION
* 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.
hymnal #48
SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “Good Christians All, Rejoice”
hymnal #173
THE LAST GOOD WORD
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
MUSIC ENDS OUR COMMUNAL CONVERSATION WITH GOD
Von Himmel Hoch
Martin Luther
led by Cynthia
GOD INVITES US TO GATHER AGAIN
We’ll be back here for the Christmas Eve service this Wednesday. We hope you can join us.
Information on ravenscov.org.
RECC 2025 holiday schedule
Wed., Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols, 6:00 pm
Christmas Carol Jeopardy! and Cookie Exchange
Two annual traditions at Ravenswood Covenant, a Cookie Exchange and a rousing game of Christmas Carol Jeopardy!, will be part of our coffee hour today, following the worship service. Once again, emcee Jim Anderson, RECC’s own Ken Jennings, will give the Christmas music answers and you provide the questions. Hang out with us after the service and enjoy the game while you partake in cookies from the Cookie Exchange! Bring your own cookies to church and leave with cookies others have brought.
Christmas Eve: Lessons and Carols
A Christmas Eve worship service of Lessons and Carols will be held on Wednesday, December 24, at
6:00 pm. Come join us for scripture reading, singing, a Christmas homily from Pastor Ryan, and the lighting of candles to “Silent Night”, as we once again celebrate God’s coming amongst us as a baby born in a stable 2000 years ago.
RC4 Giving Tree
Ravenswood Community Child Care Center has set up its Christmas tree, “the Giving Tree,” in the C.E. lobby, as it does every year, with a sign-up sheet on the table next to it. This is your opportunity to sign up to provide a Christmas present for the child of a teen mom who may not have the money to give her child the gift that that child would like. If you want to sign up to be a Giving Tree gift-giver, please bring the wrapped present to Stacey Johnson or the RC4 office no later than Tuesday, December 23.
Schedule changes
Confirmation class is canceled for this coming week. Confirmation will next meet on January 8. There will be no Bible study this week as well.
Covenant Home Altar
Free copies of the winter issue of the Covenant Home Altar, the daily devotional guide of the Evangelical Covenant Church (our parent denomi-nation), are on the back table in the sanctuary.
Sunday School
Sunday School at Ravenswood Covenant meets every Sunday, starting at 10:00 am. We encourage everyone to bring their children to Sunday School to learn about the Bible so that they can grow in faith and knowledge of God. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Faith Forum
Faith Forum, the adult Christian education class that meets during the Sunday School hour (starting at 10:00 am) during the school year, is now in session. Plan to join us each Sunday as we learn and grow in our faith as a community of believers.
Registering for 2026 summer camps
Registration for the 2026 summer camping season of both of the Central Conference’s Bible camps, Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point, began three weeks ago. For more information, go to https://covenantharbor.org/ and https://www.cpbc.com/ .
Ravenswood Winter Markets canceled
Please be advised that the Ravenswood Winter Markets have been canceled. The current plan is to begin the regular market season in mid-May, as has been the case the past two years.
Scripture for next Sunday
Isaiah 40:3-8
John 1:19-34
If you enjoy reading scripture out loud, please sign up to read scripture in worship. The sign-up sheet is on the table in the back of the sanctuary, or you can talk with Pastor Ryan or Gregory Sager.
RECC weekly newsletter
Ravenswood Covenant has a weekly newsletter that keeps you informed of all of the church’s ongoing and upcoming events and programs, as well as the church’s prayer list, calendar, giving information, and updates about Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point. If you would like to be added to the email list for the newsletter, please speak to Gregory Sager or call the church office.
Coffee hour serving committees
With the start of a new school year we are seeking volunteers to serve during coffee hour. Volunteers are divided into committees that rotate coffee-hour responsibilities between the committees on a monthly basis, with members of each committee taking charge of one Sunday coffee hour during each month that her or his committee serves.
If you would like to sign up for a coffee hour serving committee, or if you just want more information before you decide whether or not to sign up, please email Kari Johnson at karinelson88@gmail.com or contact her at 847-772-5016.
Thursday evening Bible study
The weekly Bible study meets Thursdays at 7:00 pm. We are currently studying the Gospel of Luke, to be followed by its sequel, the Acts of the Apostles. 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.
* Cynthia Arden
* Nikolas Arden
* the Binag family
* Messian Burgos
* Shirley Deliberto
* Veronica Clarke
* Frank Coszach
* Vira Coszach
* Andrea Feijoo
* Fran Fostey
* Sandra Gooden
* Art Hamilton
* Trevor Hanks
* Bud Hodgkinson
* Esther Laraya
* the Olsen family
* Maria Paulette
* Tatiana Randall
* Mary Smith
* Tom Spriggs
* Phillip Stenberg
* Dorinne Tamras
* Lauren Vilardo
* Eric Warren
* Lydia Warrens
* the family of John Weborg
* Natalia Westlind
* the Windmiller and Hodgkinson families
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.