A Throne Unshaken February 21, 2021 Covenant Presbyterian Church of
Chicago 1st Sunday of Lent
Spear & Slingsh
from Psalm 34
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be
in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be
glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name
together! Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the
man who takes refuge in him!
Leader:
All:
Psalm 34
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I sought the e ter- nal- God and he has freed my long ing- heart
from blame.
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Psalm 34
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I sought the e ter- nal- God and he has freed my long ing- heart
from blame.
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Psalm 34, Words: , Isaac Watts, 1720, based on a Sacred Harp
tune
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All:
All:
Ocean of Mercy
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Prayer of Congregational Blessing:
Ever-living God, in your mercy you promised to be not only our God
but also the God of our children. We thank you for receiving Philip
by baptism. Keep him always in your love. Guide him as he grows in
faith. Protect him in all the dangers and temptations of life. May
he be a faithful disciple of your son Jesus Christ to his life’s
end. In Christ’s name, Amen.
All:
O Splendor of the Father’s Light, Words: St. Ambrose (340-397).
Music: mode 1, Antiphoner, 1400’s
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ness fi
that to bring
The love to- of the Christ, shore,
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stand.
O sing hal le- lu- jah!- Our hope springs e ter- nal;- O sing hal
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lu jah!- Now and e ver- we con fess- Christ our hope in life and
death.
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Christ Our Hope in Life and Death, Jordan Kauflin, Keith Getty,
Christ Covenant Church, Atlanta, GA, 2020
Silent time to pray and confess
Lenten Confession of Sin from Psalm 39
O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let
me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few
handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all
mankind stands as a mere breath!
And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me
from all my transgressions.
Leader:
All:
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3. Un to- the grave, what shall we sing? “Christ, He lives; Christ,
He
lives! ” And what re ward- will hea ven- bring? E ver- las- ting-
life with
Him. There we will rise to meet the Lord, Then sin and death will
be des-
troyed, And we will feast in end less- joy, When Christ is ours for
e- ver- more.-
O sing hal le- lu- jah!- Our hope springs e ter- nal;- O sing hal
le-
lu jah!- Now and e ver- we con fess- Christ our hope in life and
death.
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Song of Assurance
Assurance of Pardon 1 Thessalonians 5:8–10
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the
breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of
salvation.
For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, So that whether we
are awake or asleep we may live with him.
Leader:
All:
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Gospel Lesson - Luke 4.16-21 New Testament Lesson - 2 Corinthians
1.8-11
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Reader: All:
The Word
Pastor Aaron Baker Escape, 1 Samuel 21.1; 21.10-22.2
Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came
to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and
no one with you?”
And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the
king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this
David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him
in dances,
‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish
the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and
pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors
of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish
said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then
have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought
this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow
come into my house?”
David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And
when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went
down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone
who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to
him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him
about four hundred men.
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Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are
full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Leader: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and
everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, creator of heaven
and earth.
We remember as we begin our journey through Lent that you brought
all things into being and called them good. From the dust of the
earth you formed us into your image and breathed into us the breath
of life. When we turned away from you our love failed, but your
love remained steadfast.
For forty days and forty nights rain fell upon the earth, and you
saved Noah and his family on the ark and made covenant with every
living creature on earth.
For forty days and forty nights you spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai,
and gave us your commandments and made us your covenant
people.
For forty days and forty nights your prophet Elijah fled in fear to
Mount Horeb, for we killed your prophets and forsook your covenant
but still you remained faithful to us.
For forty days and forty nights your Son Jesus Christ fasted and
was tempted in the wilderness, and by his sufering, death and
resurrection you delievered us from slavery to sin and death and
made with us the new covenant by water and the Spirit.
For forty days and forty nights we remember Christ’s sacrifice.
Lead us to repentance for sin and the cleansing of our hearts, and
with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, may we
praise your name and join their unending hymn:
All:
Leader:
Leader:
Leader:
All:
All:
Celebrate the Table: The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We
lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It
is right to give Him thanks and praise.
All: Leader:
All: Leader:
All: Leader:
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Ho ly- im -mor tal- one, Have mer cy,- have mer cy- on us.
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Receiving Communion Communion (also called The Lord’s Supper or the
Eucharist) is the family meal of baptized Christians. We invite all
to partake of this sacrament who trust in Jesus Christ alone for
salvation, and seek strength to live more faithfully for him.
Distribute the Bread & Cup Please note that we serve both red
wine and white grape juice. All wafers are gluten free and
available in a single serve cup
Remembering your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we take from your
creation this bread and this wine and joyfully celebrate his dying
and rising, as we await the day of his coming. With thanksgiving we
offer our very selves to you to be a living and holy sacrifice
dedicated to your service.
Great is this mystery of faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Respond to the Table
Leader:
All:
O sing hal le- lu- jah!- Our hope springs e ter- nal;- O sing hal
le- -
lu jah!- Now and e ver- we con fess- Christ our hope in life and
death.
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Silent prayers for reflection
Prayer for those taking communion Lord Jesus, your perfect life,
your death and resurrection are the source of all blessing in this
life and the life to come. As I eat this bread and drink this cup,
renew me in the joy and glory of knowing and serving you. I come to
this table on the basis of your merit only and not my own. As you
have completely and fully offered yourself for me, I now completely
and fully offer myself to you as a living sacrifice. Amen.
Prayer for those searching for truth Lord Jesus, you claim to be
the way, the truth, and the life. If what you claim is true, please
guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are.
Grant that I might be undaunted by the cost of following you as I
consider the reasons for doing so. Give me an understanding of you
that is coherent, convincing, and that leads to the life that you
promise. Amen.
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News & Announcements Announcements in our community
Let Us Pray for You. Covenant’s staff meets remotely to pray for
the congregation throughout the week. We would be honored to pray
for you. Please send your prayer requests to Pastor Dan
(
[email protected]) who will share them with the
staff.
Midday Prayer: Every Wednesday at noon, a group from Covenant meets
on Zoom to pray for and with one another. You can find more details
on our website:
https://covenantchicago.org/events/wednesday-midday-prayer/
Lenten Prayer Guide: Lent began on Ash Wednesday, February 17, and
continues through the Saturday before Easter, Holy Saturday. This
year, we invite you to join us in praying through the Daily Prayer
Project’s Lenten Guide, which includes a liturgy for morning and
evening prayer. You can view it or download it on our website
(https://covenantchicago.org/lent). We’ll have copies available in
the back of the sanctuary as well.
Jesus Through Her Eyes: Join Larissa Bossemeyer and Olivia Stewart
Lester (professor of New Testament at Loyola University) as they
have conversations about Jesus’ interactions with women in the
Gospels. Recorded conversations are released on Wednesdays with
bi-weekly discussions on Sundays at 12:30 pm. Look for more details
on our event page:
https://covenantchicago.org/events/jesus-through-her-eyes/. The
first week on the Woman at the Well is available now.
Women’s Lenten Series: The Women’s Events Team invites you to join
us for a three-part series during Lent: “Encounters with Jesus”. As
we journey toward Easter, we will reflect on how we currently
encounter Jesus and in what ways he is asking us to follow him. We
will meet virtually on Thursdays 2/25, 3/11, & 3/25 from
7:30-9:00PM. The first two sessions will feature a full-length
testimony and small group discussion, and the third is an Easter
social where we will share our memories/items/traditions for Holy
Week and Easter. An invitation with the zoom link was sent out on
Saturday. Email
[email protected] if you did not receive
the email and want to be added to the mailing list.
Do you need help? The pandemic has impacted people in many
different ways. If you are experiencing any kind of hardship and
would like some help, please contact our deacons
(
[email protected]). Your email will go directly to the
deacons, and they’ll treat it with confidence. If you’re able, now
is a great time to contribute to the Deacons Fund to meet the needs
of others in our congregation.
Church Registration: Covenant now opens three weeks at a time for
registration. Registration is now open through March 7. We will
open the next 3 weeks on March 10 at 8:30 am. You can register
online:
https://covenantchicago.churchcenter.com/registrations/events
Children’s Ministry Transition: We want to extend a heartfelt thank
you to Sherri Bredenberg who has served our families as the
Director of Children’s Ministry for the last four years. Starting
in March, Nicole Podkulski will serve as Interim Director of
Children’s Ministry. Nicole has worked at Covenant for many years
and knows our children and families well. You can reach her at
[email protected]. If you have any questions about the
transition, please contact Pastor David Salsedo
(
[email protected]).
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BenedictionLeader:
Romans 15:5–7 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you
to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ
Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Go With Joy, from Psalm 91
All:
Leader: As we enter this Lenten season, journey with us, O holy
God, on our way to the Cross. Sharpen our focus, that our attention
may center on you and your sacrifice. Lead us through the shadows
of darkness and spiritual emptiness of the wilderness and prepare
our hearts for the sorrow of your crucifixion and the joy of your
resurrection. May we rest in the shadow of your might and sing with
the Psalmist:
You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Psalm 91, Music: Paul van der Bijl, Lent 2014
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re fuge,- my for tress,- my God in whom I trust, my I trust.
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Jeff Schneider Church Planting Pastor,
[email protected]
Support Staff
Sherri Bredenberg Director of Children’s Ministries:
[email protected]
Michele Dillon Director of Care and Counseling Ministry (CCM):
[email protected]
Your email inquiry will be promptly answered.
Gene Pierson Director of Finance & Property:
[email protected]
Ian Troll Director of Youth Ministries:
[email protected]
Paul van der Bijl Director of Worship and Music:
[email protected]
Session
Aaron Baker (Moderator), Dan Adamson, David Dillon, Kevin Jones,
Brad Lewis, Steve Lehmann, David Salsedo, Ryan Von Drehle. Please
direct correspondence for the Session to
[email protected].
Diaconate
Rich Lane, Andrew Dykstra, Jonathan Ellison, Phil Koerner, Paul
Leo, Joel Miller, Shane Rector, Jenny Smith, Deb Van Der Molen,
Matt Ver Steeg Treasurer: Ben Meyer
If you’re in need or wish to speak with a deacon, you can email us
at
[email protected].
We encourage everyone to get connected to the life of the church in
these three ways:
Worship Together. We believe that humans are worshiping beings,
made for communion with the Triune God, and that ordering our
common worship around the Gospel on Sunday has a profound,
formative effect on every part of our lives. The rhythm of Sunday
worship is the rhythm of the whole Christian life and it stands
counter to lots of other rhythms that clamor for our attention and
allegiance in this world. Ordering ourselves together around it
strengthens our appetites, imaginations and abilities to live as
followers of Jesus wherever we find ourselves. Come to church on
Sunday!
Grow and Learn Together. We believe that learning about our faith
and growing together in it are necessary for flourishing in the
Christian life. The goal of Christian learning is to form us into
human beings who are fully swept up into the work God is doing in
his world. Learning is more than simply knowing; it is the
internalization of truth that leads to mature thinking and
acting.
We’d like for everyone to take two core classes while you’re here:
the Covenant Life Class, an introduction to Christianity and to our
church, and The Story of Scripture, which traces themes through
Scripture and applies them to our everyday lives. After those
classes, consider joining a more intimate Discipleship Cohort that
meets with a mentor. For information about these opportunities,
contact Pastor David Salsedo (dsalsedo@ covenantchicago.org).
We’d like for everyone to consider joining a small group which
meets together regularly to build meaningful relationships and live
out the Christian life together. They’re one of the most important
ways of getting care and being connected at Covenant. To find out
more about small groups, or to join the small group that meets at
church on Wednesdays at 6.30pm, contact Pastor Dan Adamson
(
[email protected]).
Serve Together. We believe the natural outcome of receiving and
experiencing grace is to be propelled outward into mission and
service. Every one of us has been given gifts to use for the good
of our common life and for the good of the broken world around us.
We’re called to give of ourselves because we’re part of the story
of God’s reconciliation of all things. Every week there are
numerous opportunities to serve at Covenant and elsewhere listed in
the order of worship. We encourage everyone to regularly use their
gifts in service. To learn more about opportunities to serve,
contact Pastor Dan Adamson (
[email protected]).
Covenant LifeCovenant Life worship | worship | grow and learn |
grow and learn | serveserve