Sunday, September 28, 2025
Sunday, September 28th
Sunday, September 28, 2025
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am
or online via YouTube at noon.
JESUS IN THE BEGINNING
“The Name of God”
John 8:58
Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I Am.”
Leader: light print / People: bold print / * Please stand as you are able.
GATHERING MUSIC
“Holy Forever”
led by Leslie and 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
Psalm 29:1-2, 10
Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings,
Honor the Lord for His glory and strength.
We honor You, Lord, for the glory of Your name.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.
We worship You, Lord, as the King who reigns forever.
PRAYER SEEKING GOD’S PRESENCE
Holy God, receive our worship.
Jesus Christ, may Your name be glorified.
Holy Spirit, empower our voices to sing “Glory”
with the angels and all of creation.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
SONG
* “Holy Forever” / “How Great Is Our God”
GOD, WE’RE LISTENING
Exodus 3:11-15
read by Eric Hillabrant
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:
“This is My name forever,
and this My title for all generations.”
SINGING OUR DESIRE TO HEAR FROM GOD
* “Bless the Lord, My Soul” [Taizé]
GOD, WE ARE SORRY
Gracious God, You have given the law of Moses and the teachings of Jesus to direct us in the way of life. You offer us Your Holy Spirit so that we can be born to new life as Your children. Yet, O God, we confess that the ways of death have a strong attraction and we often succumb to their lure. Forgive us for our choices.
silent reflection
Give us the vision and courage to choose. And nurture life that we may receive Your blessing. Amen.
WE ARE FORGIVEN!
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 supervise.
MESSAGE
John 8:48-59
The Name of God
Mark Westlind
SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “And Can It Be”
hymnal #306
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
“O, How I Love Jesus”
Frederick Whitfield
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
SINGING OUR DESIRE FOR GOD’S REIGN
* “Salvation Belongs to Our God”
THE LAST GOOD WORD
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
MUSIC ENDS OUR COMMUNAL CONVERSATION WITH GOD
Postlude from Symphony No. 1
Johannes Brahms
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.
Sunday School
Sunday School at Ravenswood Covenant has begun! It 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. This month’s topic is “Listen to the Prophets Today”. Plan to join us each Sunday as we learn and grow in our faith as a community of believers.
Confirmation
Confirmation is a two-year course of study for students around 7th-9th grade. We studied the Old Testament last year. This year we will study the New Testament. Confirmation classes will take place at 7:30 pm on Thursday evenings, starting on September 18. Students, please pick up your copy of the New Testament workbook from the church office.
Scripture for next Sunday
Exodus 16:1-2
John 6:35-51
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.
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.
Farmers market
Just three more weeks to go in the farmers market season! As we approach our last few weeks, and especially our Harvest Fest season finale on October 15 that winds up the 2025 farmers market season, there are a few new supplies that are needed:
– Dawn dish soap
– Corn starch
– lots of Halloween candy to be used as prizes at Harvest Fest
– non-candy prizes for Harvest Fest, such as fall- or Halloween-themed stickers, temporary tattoos, erasures, pencils, light-up rings/necklaces/bracelets, etc.)
We also need lots of extra volunteers on October 15 to run Harvest Fest. If you can volunteer anywhere from two to four hours to run a game, help with the pumpkin-painting tables, or help with the s’mores station, please reach out to Bekah Carlson or the church office. We are going to need at least six extra volunteers to make Harvest Fest a success. Thank you for your continuous prayers and support.
2025 Advent/Christmas choir season
The annual Advent/Christmas choir season at Ravenswood Covenant, which will continue for ten weeks, begins on Sunday, October 19. The choir meets at 9:00 am on Sundays in the sanctuary to rehearse. All are welcome to join, regardless of experience or music-reading ability. For more information, please contact the church office or speak to our church’s organist, Cynthia Arden, who also serves as our choir director.
Biking for Congo Challenge
Help support the Paul Carlson Partnership’s medical and developmental work in the Congo by joining the Biking for Congo Challenge. The Biking for Congo Challenge is Paul Carlson Partnership’s annual peer-to-peer fundraising event to support healthcare in DR Congo. The goal is to ride your bike 31 miles (50 km) during the month of October. Get friends to sponsor your ride to raise money to support the Paul Carlson Partnership.
Glenn Kaiser concert at Ravenswood Covenant
Glenn Kaiser will play a Gospel and Blues concert after church on Sunday, October 26. Please invite your friends! If the weather is warm and dry, we would love to have the concert in the parking lot. If the weather is cold and wet, we will move the concert to the sanctuary.
Offerfest 2025
This year’s Offerfest will take place on Sunday, November 16. More details to come. Offerfest is a generations-old tradition at Ravenswood Covenant in which one Sunday each fall is set aside to celebrate and give thanks for God’s providence in our lives, and on that Sunday all giving is devoted to specific projects chosen by the church’s Leadership Team. This year there are two projects, an external one and an internal one. Our external project will be to support the new Covenant Harbor Dining Commons and Welcome Center. Our internal project is to raise money for a new bounce house for the farmers market.
Covenant Home Altar
Free copies of the fall quarter issue of the Covenant Home Altar, the denominational daily-devotional magazine of the Evangelical Covenant Church, are available in the narthex. Please help yourself to this resource for your prayer life.
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.
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
* the Olsen family
* Maria Paulette
* Brianna Randall
* Mary Smith
* Dorinne Tamras
* Lauren Vilardo
* Eric Warren
* 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.