Your Invitation

to All Saints Day Sunday

at St. John’s

Presbyterian Church

in Houston

Dear friend in Christ,

This Sunday, we gather for one of our most meaningful services of the Christian year: All Saints Day.

In worship, we will remember those who have died in the past year and give thanks for the light of their lives among us. As part of the service, we will light candles in their memory and ring a bell to honor the clarity of their witness to Christ in our midst.

You are also invited to come forward during the hymn “For All the Saints” to light a candle in memory of your own loved ones who now rest in God’s eternal care.

As we sing together—

“O blest communion, fellowship divine!

We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;

Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.”

—may this be a time of healing, gratitude, and hope, as we remember that love is stronger than death and that, in Christ, we are one communion of saints.

All Saints Sunday Worship

St. John’s Presbyterian Church

5020 West Bellfort Avenue, Houston

Sunday, November 3, at 11:00 a.m.

All are welcome to this service of remembrance, light, and song.

Peace,
Pastor Jon

P.S. Can't make it this Sunday? We livestream our worship services. Visit our website for the link, or better yet, plan to visit in person soon. There's something about worshiping together in the same room that you just can't replicate online.

The service will be live-streamed on our church website at

https://www.stjohnspresby.org/watch

And on our St. John's Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/stjohnshouston

St. John's Presbyterian Bulletin

November 3, 2024, All Saints Sunday 

Gathering

Prelude, David Dietz, cello, and Alina Klimaszewska, organ

*Call To Worship, The Rev, Dr. Jon Burnham

Pastor: Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

People: We remember the saints who trusted God with their tomorrows.

Pastor: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

People: The saints will inherit the kingdom forever and ever.

Pastor: Consider the birds, the lilies, the faithful who have gone before.

People: We are blessed to bless; we receive to give.

Opening Prayer 

* Hymn 326, For All the Saints, 1, 2, 3 and 5

1 For all the saints who from their labors rest,

who thee by faith before the world confessed,

thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!

2 Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;

thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;

thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light. Alleluia! Alleluia!

3 O blest communion, fellowship divine! We feebly struggle; they in glory shine;

yet all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleluia! Alleluia!

5 From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,

through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,

singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia! Alleluia!

In Remembrance of the Saints 

George Dobbin

Christopher Hall

Wilbert Harris

Bob Hughes

Bob Jump

Laverne McCluskey

Evie Nielson

Martha Rawlinson

Prayer of Confession, Lynne Parsons Austin, Liturgist

God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we confess we worry more than we worship. We seek security more than Your kingdom. We have forgotten the witness of the saints who gave everything for the gospel. Forgive our anxious hearts, our small faith, our failure to trust Your provision. Teach us to live like those who know tomorrow is Yours. Amen.

(Silent Confession)

Assurance of Pardon

*Glory Be to the Father, Hymn 581

*Passing the Peace

The Word

Prayer for Illumination

First Scripture Reading, Daniel 7:18, 27

But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever-- forever and ever.

The kingship and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them."

Anthem

Sermon Scripture, Matthew 6:25-34 

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? 

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.

Sermon

Seeking First the Kingdom: The Legacy of the Saints

The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham

*Hymn 14 For the Beauty of the Earth,

Verses 1, 2, 4 and 5

1 For the beauty of the earth,

for the glory of the skies,

for the love which from our birth

over and around us lies:

Refrain: Lord of all, to thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise.

2 For the wonder of each hour

of the day and of the night,

hill and vale, and tree and flower,

sun and moon, and stars of light: (Refrain)

4 For the joy of human love,

brother, sister, parent, child,

friends on earth, and friends above,

for all gentle thoughts and mild: (Refrain)

5 For thyself, best gift divine

to the world so freely given;

for that great, great love of thine,

peace on earth and joy in heaven: (Refrain)

The Lord’s Supper

The Great Thanksgiving 

Lift up your hearts!

We lift them up to God!

Celebrate God's love!

It is right to give God our thanks and praise!

As we walk this journey of life, we remember these gifts as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died, Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

Prayers of the People and Lord’s Prayer 

Breaking of the Bread

Communion of the People

Special Music,

David Dietz, cello, and Alina Klimaszewska, piano

Prayer after Communion 

Welcome and Announcements

Minute for Stewardship

Offering 

*Doxology, Hymn 609

*Prayer after the Offering 

Sending

*Hymn 260 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus, 1, 3 and 4

1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;

his the scepter, his the throne;

Alleluia! his the triumph,

his the victory alone!

Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion

thunder like a mighty flood:

"Jesus out of every nation

has redeemed us by his blood."

3 Alleluia! Bread of angels,

here on earth our food, our stay;

Alleluia! here the sinful

flee to you from day to day.

Intercessor, friend of sinners,

earth's redeemer, hear our plea

where the songs of all the sinless

sweep across the crystal sea.

4 Alleluia! King eternal,

Lord omnipotent we own;

Alleluia! born of Mary,

earth your footstool, heaven your throne.

As within the veil you entered,

robed in flesh, our great high priest;

here on earth both priest and victim

in the eucharistic feast.

*Blessing and Postlude 

...

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