Sunday, July 27, 2025
Sunday, July 27th
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Worship live on Sundays in person at 10:00 am
or online via YouTube at noon.
SUMMER IN THE PSALMS:
“How to Talk with God”
Lament
Psalm 7
I come to you for protection, O Lord my God.
Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!
If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion,
tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
New Living Translation
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
from Psalm 130:1-5
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
so that You may be revered.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in His word I hope.
PRAYER SEEKING GOD’S PRESENCE
Almighty Father, save us from trouble in this world. Lord Jesus, redeem our pain and suffering. Holy Spirit, fill us with faith and confidence when we struggle. Father, Son, and Spirit, turn our mourning into dancing. Amen.
GOD, WE LOVE YOU
* “Abide with Me”
hymnal #757
GOD, WE’RE LISTENING
Lamentations 1:1-7
read by Rod Kutz
How lonely sits the city
that once was full of people!
How like a widow she has become,
she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the provinces
has become subject to forced labor.
She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers,
she has no one to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
they have become her enemies.
Judah has gone into exile with suffering
and hard servitude;
she lives now among the nations;
she finds no resting place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.
The roads to Zion mourn,
for no one comes to the festivals;
all her gates are desolate;
her priests groan;
her young girls grieve,
and her lot is bitter.
Her foes have become the masters;
her enemies prosper
because the Lord has made her suffer
for the multitude of her transgressions;
her children have gone away,
captives before the foe.
From daughter Zion has departed
all her majesty.
Her princes have become like stags
that find no pasture;
they fled without strength
before the pursuer.
Jerusalem remembers all the precious things
that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy
and there was no one to help her,
the enemy looked on;
they mocked over her downfall.
Mark 15:32-38
read by Rod Kutz
Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with Him also taunted Him.
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, He is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
SINGING OUR DESIRE TO HEAR FROM GOD
* “At the Cross”
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
Children are invited to the front.
Following the message, children are invited to play in the gym. A parent from the church will supervise.
MESSAGE
Good Grief
Pastor Ryan
SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “It Is Well with My Soul”
hymnal #451
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
Nimrod
Edward Elgar
led by Cynthia
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 DESIRE FOR GOD’S REIGN
* “Wood and Nails”
THE LAST GOOD WORD
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
MUSIC ENDS OUR COMMUNAL CONVERSATION WITH GOD
Andantino in G minor
J.S. Bach
led by Cynthia
GOD INVITES US TO GATHER AGAIN
We’ll be back here next Sunday. We hope you can join us.
Information on ravenscov.org.
Summer worship schedule
We are now in our summer worship schedule, which means a 10:00 am worship hour. Sunday School and Faith Forum are now on summer hiatus. Sunday worship will return to the 11:00 am hour the Sunday after Labor Day.
Hand fans available
We now have hand fans available for your use to help make Sunday mornings more comfortable during these hot summer months. They are on the table in the back of the sanctuary. Please do not throw away the fans or take them home, as they are meant to be cleaned and re-used. Please put them in the yellow accordion folder as you exit the sanctuary.
Summer Book Club
You are invited to take part in the Summer Book Club, led by Pastor Ryan, which will meet two Thursday evenings in each of the three summer months, at 7:00 pm in the upstairs lounge. The book is The Great De-churching by Jim Davis and Michael Graham. The remaining sessions of the Summer Book Club are August 7 and August 21. Participants are asked to please read pages 164-198 before the August 7 session.
Cooler Sundays
The fourth Sunday of each month of summer — June 22, July 27, and August 24 — is a Cooler Sunday, which features grilled hot dogs and hamburgers during the fellowship hour downstairs. The burgers, hot dogs, and drinks are provided. Please plan to join us downstairs for Cooler Sunday today, as we enjoy food and fellowship after the service!
Scripture for next Sunday
Psalm 38
Philippians 4:6-7
Matthew 7:7-12
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.
Farmers market
Sweltering and humid plus-90-degree weather seemed to keep down attendance at this week’s Ravenswood Community Farmers Market, as 380 adult visitors came to the market. Sure seems that the weather, which was so ideal last year on Wednesdays during farmers market season, has really worked against us this year. But at least the church provided fun at the market for the neighbor-hood’s children via the church’s playground, the bounce house, the art tent, and the water play area. Pastor Ryan also manned the church tent that provided free bottles of water to those who braved the very hot day to come to the market.
The market runs every Wednesday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the church parking lot until the middle of October. The church not only hosts the market, it also operates the children’s activities that are a part of the market — and this year we are also going to reinstate our greeting tent on select Wednesdays, so that our neighbors visiting the market can get to know the church that hosts it a little better
How you can contribute:
* Pray for the community, the vendors and those from the church who volunteer.
* Purchase the following needs:
– Baby Wipes
– Blue Dawn Dish Soap
– Corn Starch
– Baking Soda
– White Vinegar (1/2 to 1 gallon size)
* Help with set-up and tear-down
* Help facilitate activities for the kids
See Bekah Carlson or the church staff if you’d like to join us to help on Wednesdays.
Ravenswood Covenant T-shirts
If you have ordered a new Ravenswood Covenant t-shirt but haven’t picked it up yet, plan to do so today. If you have not yet paid for your t-shirt, please bring your $10 to purchase the shirt.
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.
The Bible study will not meet this summer on the Thursday evenings in which the Summer Book Club meets.
We have Zoom available for those who would like to take part in the Bible study but cannot be physically present. The Zoom link is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83923376849?pwd=YUlYVXBmOVdwV0d5L20ySng3aHU3Zz09 .
Meeting ID: 839 2337 6849
Passcode: 318853
Danny Martinez and Friends concert
Central Conference Superintendant Danny Martinez, who is a recording artist as well as a Covenant pastor, is going to be in concert with his salsa band at North Park University’s Anderson Chapel (at the corner of Foster and Spaulding avenues) on August 2 at 6:00 pm. Admission is $15 at the door, and all of the money goes to aid the children of Guatemala.
* Cynthia Arden
* Nikolas Arden
* the Binag family
* Messian Burgos
* Shirley Deliberto
* Veronica Clarke
* Frank Coszach
* Vira Coszach
* Art Hamilton
* Trevor Hanks
* Lidija Jagustin
* the Olsen family
* Maria Paulette
* Brianna Randall
* Mary Smith
* Mary Spriggs
* Dorinne Tamras
* Lauren Vilardo
* Lydia Warrens
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.