The Epistle for September 17, 2025

Ongoing Grief Support Group at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Houston

Invitation to Worship December 21, 2025 Friends, On Sunday, December 21, we gather for the Fourth Sunday of Advent at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, a morning shaped by light, hope, and the quiet nearness of Christ. We will light the final Advent candle, sing familiar carols that still know how to carry a soul, and hear again Jesus’ words, “I am the light of the world.” In a season that can feel crowded and noisy, this service makes room to breathe, pray honestly, and remember that love has already come among us. Worship begins at 11:00 AM. Come as you are. Bring your weariness, your joy, your questions, and maybe a friend who could use a little light right now. There will be music, Scripture, shared prayer, and a community ready to welcome you without fuss or pressure. I would be glad to see you there and to worship alongside you as we draw closer to Christmas together. Peace, Pastor Jon St. John's Presbyterian Church 5020 West Bellfort Avenue Houston, TX 77035 (713) 723-6262 P.S. The service will be live-streamed on our church website and on our St. John's Facebook page . St. John's Presbyterian Worship Bulletin December 21, 2024, Fourth Sunday of Advent Gathering Prelude, Alina Klimaszewska, organ  Lighting the Advent Candle , Shirley Boyd & Jan Herbert *Call To Worship, The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham Leader: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! People: Though darkness covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples, the Lord rises upon us. Leader: Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. People: We lift our eyes and look around. We gather in the light of Christ! Let us worship together! Opening Prayer Rev Burnham *Hymn 113 Angels, We Have Heard on High 1 Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains, and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo! 2 Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song? Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo! 3 Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing; come, adore on bended knee Christ, the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo! Prayer of Confession, Liturgist Ann Hardy God of light, we confess that we have preferred darkness. We have hidden in shadows rather than stepping into Your revealing brightness. We have closed our eyes when Your light exposed our sin. We have dimmed our witness rather than letting it shine. We have failed to be bearers of light in a darkened world. Forgive us, Lord. Remove the scales from our eyes. Free us from fear of the light. Make us reflectors of Your glory, that others may see Your goodness through us. In the name of Jesus, Light of the World, we pray. Amen. (Silent Confession) Assurance of Pardon *Glory Be to the Father, Hymn 581 Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen. *Passing the Peace Ann Hardy The Word Prayer for Illumination Ann Hardy First Scripture Reading, Isaiah 60:1-3 Ann Hardy Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Anthem Sermon Scripture, John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." Sermon, “The Light of the World Has Come” The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham *Hymn 110 Love Has Come 1 Love has come: a light in the darkness! Love shines forth in the Bethlehem skies. See, all heaven has come to proclaim it; hear how their song of joy arises: Love! Love! Born unto you, a Savior! Love! Love! Glory to God on high. 2 Love is born! Come, share in the wonder. Love is God now asleep in the hay. See the glow in the eyes of his mother; what is the name her heart is saying? Love! Love! Love is the name she whispers. Love! Love! Jesus, Emmanuel. 3 Love has come and never will leave us! Love is life everlasting and free. Love is Jesus within and among us. Love is the peace our hearts are seeking. Love! Love! Love is the gift of Christmas. Love! Love! Praise to you, God on high! The Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Prayers of the People 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Welcome and Announcements Offering *Doxology, Hymn 609 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise God, all creatures high and low. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise God, in Jesus fully known: Creator, Word, and Spirit one. Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! *Prayer after the Offering Sending *Hymn 134 Joy to the World 1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing. 2 Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy. 3 No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found. 4 He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love. *Blessing Postlude

Latest News from St. John's Presbyterian Church in Houston (Westbury, Meyerland, Missouri City)

Your Invitation to Worship and the Worship Bulletin

The Epistle December 10, 2025 St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Houston Produced by Pastor Jon Burnham Message from Pastor Jon Dear St. John's Family, There is a moment in Advent when the sanctuary feels like it is holding its breath. The candles flicker, small but steady, as if they know more than they are willing to say. The season is full of promise, yet the fulfillment has not arrived. Everything in us leans forward. We want the moment to be here already so we can move on to the next thing on our list. We want the satisfaction without the stillness. We want the baby in the manger without the long night of waiting. That hurry lives deep in us. It shows up in lines at the grocery store, in conversations where our minds race ahead, in our longing for the next milestone so we can feel settled again. Advent is the one season that gently puts its hand on our shoulder and says slow your step. Notice what God is doing before it becomes obvious. Let the light grow at its own pace. Let hope stretch out inside you without demanding a conclusion. The hard truth is that waiting exposes the very places God is trying to heal. The places where our hurry keeps us from paying attention. The places where our need for control pushes past the quiet work of the Spirit. Advent invites us to sit with the uncomfortable space between promise and fulfillment. It asks us to stay awake to the holy patience of God who never rushes us and never rushes redemption. So as the candles grow brighter each week, let that slow light be your teacher. Let it remind you that God does not skip steps. Christ comes in God’s time, not ours. And in that time there is room for peace to rise, one small flame at a time. In Christ, Pastor Jon What is the Gospel? If someone asked you to explain the Gospel, what would you say? As Peter encourages us in 1 Peter 3:15, are you always prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in you? The CE Committee is offering an in-depth study of the Gospel on 13 Dec that will address the following topics: the reality of sin and the certainty of judgment; the incredible gift of forgiveness and mercy found in Christ; how we should respond to the gospel personally; and how we can be equipped to share this good news with others. It is a time to grow in understanding, deepen faith, and be strengthened for evangelism, so that the message of God’s grace may reach hearts in need. The class will start at 8:30 am and end at 2 pm. Lunch will be provided. Please sign up on the sign-up sheet in the narthex so we know how much food and study materials to prepare. Hope to see you there! A Morning of Service with St. John’s Men’s Group On December 6th, the St. John’s Men’s Group helped Cub Pack 8 put together 83 gift boxes for the Seamen’s Center. The men arrived early to set up McPhail Hall and then did a good bit of the wrapping. Gift boxes were delivered to the Seamen’s Center later that day. The following men participated: Allen Barnhill, Michael Bisase, Franklin Caspa, Bill Ehrenstrom, Dan Herron, Ken Kreuger, Tad Mulder, Glen Risley and Robert Sanford. Thanks to all who participated. Fun was had by all! Christmas Joy Offering Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we lift up past, present, and future leaders of the church. God has blessed the church with incredible leadership in every time and place, but those leaders often need to be supported by their communities as well. This Offering provides support for Presbyterian church workers and their families in their time of need and leadership development and education for communities of color at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. Envelopes are at the back of the Sanctuary. Honoring Our Elders Completing Their Service Barm Alsbrook has resigned from the Session due to his family's impending move away from Houston. During his two year tenure, Barm taught the Session how to do annual self audits of our church finances and reorganized our annual Stewardship Season and church budget planning by months. He also brought some needed clarity to several areas of our church budget that made it easier for the elders to understand and use. Shirley Boyd , who has served as Co-Moderator of the Christian Education Committee alongside Jan Herbert, has offered outstanding leadership over the past three years. Under her guidance, our education ministry has flourished with programs for all ages, the launch of new quarterly Adult Bible Study events, and many quiet improvements that have strengthened our life together. We are deeply thankful for Shirley’s dedication and faithful service. Virginia Krueger and Léonie Tchoconté have been a remarkable team in leading our Fellowship and Caring Committee. Their energy and compassion helped launch the Men’s Group, host special gatherings such as the Knitting Group, and organize monthly home communion for our shut-in members, along with many other quiet acts of care. We are grateful for their faithful service. Thank you, Virginia and Léonie. Advent Poinsettias Starting this Sunday, you can order poinsettias for $12 each. These plants serve three purposes at once. First, they support Brookwood, a facility in Brookshire that provides education, housing, and jobs for adults with disabilities. We've partnered with them for years, and buying these plants directly helps their mission. Second, they'll decorate our sanctuary through Advent and Christmas, adding color and life to our worship space during the season when we prepare for Christ's coming. Third, after the Christmas Eve service, you take them home. Simple as that. A sign-up sheet is in the narthex. Write your name, how many plants you want, and whether you're dedicating them in memory or honor of someone. We'll print those dedications in the Christmas Eve bulletin. The poinsettias will arrive in time to decorate the sanctuary for the first Sunday of Advent. You can pick them up after the Christmas Eve service ends, or we'll save them for you to collect later if you need to leave early. Twelve dollars. Good cause. Beautiful sanctuary. Flowers for your home. That's the deal. Prayer List With hearts united in hope, we lift these names into the healing presence of God. Nijel Bennet-LaGrone, health Summer Pavani, Deena Ghattas and Chris Hanneken, Health concerns (friends of Lisa Sparaco) Mike Swint in the loss of his sister, Chris Borton Family and friends of Christine Perci (friend of Pete and Grace Sparaco) Tom Edmondson, recovering from spinal surgery Mary Hughes, recovering from shoulder surgery Holly Darr, health concerns Karen Alsbrook, health Kelsey Wiltz, health concerns Glen Risley, health concerns Madalyn Rodgers, Kathleen Captain's sister Joe Sanford, Scott Moore and Alice Rubio Those looking for a job St. Johns College Students Raina Bailey and the families in our PCHAS homes One Hope Preschool families and staff Want to Go Deeper? If you're drawn to exploring Presbyterian faith more deeply, I've written several books that might help: The Open Church: Faith that Welcomes Questions from my Thoughtful Faith series addresses how Presbyterian churches can be communities where honest questions strengthen rather than threaten faith. Rooted in Christ: A Journey Through Colossians from my Bible Studies series explores how mature Presbyterian faith stays grounded in Christ's sufficiency rather than chasing spiritual trends. Stewardship: Faithful, Fruitful, and Flourishing from my Christian Spirituality series unpacks what it means to live as faithful stewards of God's gifts, a core Presbyterian conviction. These books aren't substitutes for church community. They're companions for the journey, meant to deepen the faith you're living out with actual people in actual congregations. Because Presbyterian faith isn't just about believing the right things. It's about becoming certain kinds of people together, shaped by worship that honors God, teaching that challenges us, relationships that sustain us, and mission that transforms our city. That's what Presbyterian really means. Not a political affiliation or demographic category, but a lived faith that makes real difference in Houston and beyond. Peace, Pastor Jon Burnham 713-632-6262 St. John's Presbyterian Church in Houston 5020 West Bellfort Avenue Houston, TX 77035

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