Sunday, August 3, 2025

Sunday, August 3, 2025
Eighth 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”

Petition

Psalm 38

O Lord, don’t rebuke me in Your anger
    or discipline me in Your rage!
My guilt overwhelms me—
    it is a burden too heavy to bear.
I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.
You know what I long for, Lord;
    You hear my every sigh.
Do not abandon me, O Lord.
    Do not stand at a distance, my God.
Come quickly to help me,
    O Lord my Savior.

New Living Translation

Leader: light print / People: bold print / * Please stand as you are able.

GATHERING MUSIC
“Worthy of Worship”
led by Cynthia

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
God is here inviting us to rejoice and give thanks.
We will sing a song to the One who fills our lives with joy.
Jesus is here inviting us to share our concerns.
We will sing a song to the One who hears our words and silence.
The Spirit is here inviting us to open our lives to His work.
We will sing a song to the One who graces us with a peace
we cannot begin to understand.

PRAYER SEEKING GOD’S PRESENCE
Lord, the eyes of all look to You in hope; and You give them what they need. You open Your hand and satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. We, too, turn to You again, longing to be filled — to eat of the Bread of Life, to drink from Your life-giving streams, to taste Your goodness and live. We worship you for You alone are God, the Source and Sustainer of life. Amen.

GOD, WE LOVE YOU
* “Worthy of Worship”     

GOD, WE’RE LISTENING
Philippians 4:6-7
read by Jim Stoel

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 7:7-12
read by Jim Stoel

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for bread, would give a stone? Or if the child asked for a fish, would give a snake? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

SINGING OUR DESIRE TO HEAR FROM GOD
* “Open Our Eyes”

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
Help Prayers
Pastor Ryan

SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “What Wondrous Love”
hymnal #226     

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
“Open My Eyes, That I May See”
Clara Scott
led by Leslie and 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

You do not need to be a member of Ravenswood Covenant Church to participate in Holy Communion.
All that is required is personal faith in Jesus Christ.

SINGING OUR DESIRE FOR GOD’S REIGN
* “Trees” (verses 3, 4, and 5)      

THE LAST GOOD WORD   
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

MUSIC ENDS OUR COMMUNAL CONVERSATION WITH GOD
March from Die Zauberflöte
W.A. Mozart
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.

Benevolence offering
Ravenswood Covenant takes a retiring benevolence offering on the first Sunday of the month to give people a chance to aid those in our congregation and community who are experiencing immediate financial needs, such as rent, food, transportation, medical issues, etc. You are welcome to add your contribution to the monthly benevolence offering by placing it in the gray wooden box in the narthex as you leave the sanctuary.

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 for Cooler Sundays, as we enjoy food and fellowship after the service!

Scripture for next Sunday
Psalm 40
Isaiah 12:1-6
1 Thessalonians 5:16-27

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
Unfortunately, a rainstorm last Wednesday forced the cancellation of the Ravenswood Community Farmers Market. We shall reconvene next Wednesday, however, undaunted in our task to bring fresh produce, high-quality products and services, and a pleasant afternoon spent in our parking lot to our community!

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 downstairs after church. 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

* 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.