Your Worship Invitation to St. John's Presbyterian Church in Houston
Friends,
This Sunday, March 1, as we continue our Lenten journey, I invite you to worship with us at 11:00 AM for a service shaped around a simple, searching question: What do you hunger for in the wilderness?
Our Scripture from Exodus tells the story of manna in the desert. The people are anxious. They are tired. They are afraid there will not be enough. And yet, each morning, God lays bread on the ground. Just enough. In the Gospel, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, hungry for something he cannot quite name. In both stories, we discover that God meets us in our emptiness.
The sermon is titled “Bread in Empty Places.” We will reflect on how God feeds us when life feels thin, uncertain, or stripped down. We will gather at the Lord’s Table and pray together, “Give us this day our daily bread,” trusting that grace is not stored up in warehouses. It is given for today.
Our hymns echo that longing. “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” gives voice to pilgrims who know they are weak and need a steady hand. “Break Thou the Bread of Life” turns our attention from information about God to communion with the Living Word.
Then, later that afternoon at 4:00 PM, we will host a special event in our Lenten Arts Series: “The Lark Ascending: Earth’s Song of Resilience.” We are honored to welcome The Polish Duo, violinist Dominika Dancewicz and pianist Alina Klimaszewska, joined by tenor Mark Swindler. The program features music by Josef Suk, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Roger Quilter, and Edvard Grieg.
“The Lark Ascending” has always felt to me like a prayer without words. A violin rising into the air, fragile and strong at the same time. In Lent, when we are honest about our hunger and our limits, that kind of music becomes a companion. It reminds us that resilience is not noise. It is quiet faithfulness. It is beauty that refuses to disappear.
Come for worship. Come for the music. Come hungry. There is bread in the wilderness, and there is a song still rising over this weary earth.
Peace,
Pastor Jon
The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
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 Bulletin
March 1, 2026, 2nd Sunday of Lent
Gathering
Prelude, Alina Klimaszewska, organ
*Call To Worship, The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
Leader: What do you hunger for in the wilderness?
People: Bread that satisfies more than the body.
Leader: What do you crave when certainty crumbles?
People: Sustenance that cannot be stored or controlled.
Leader: Come, taste and see what God provides,
People: Manna for the journey, grace enough for today.
Opening Prayer
*Hymn 65 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
1 Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but thou art mighty.
Hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more;
feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield;
be thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to thee;
I will ever give to thee.
Prayer of Confession, Liturgist, Lynne Parsons Austin
God of daily bread, we confess that we are hoarders in a world you designed for sharing. We stockpile security, afraid your provision will fail. We measure our worth by what we accumulate, forgetting that you measure it by love. We pass by the hungry, convinced there is not enough to go around, when your manna covers the ground each dawn. Forgive our greed. Forgive our fear. Teach us to gather only what we need and trust you for tomorrow. In Jesus' name, 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
The Word
Prayer for Illumination
First Scripture Reading, Exodus 16:1-18
The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’” And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.’” The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed.
Anthem
Sermon Scripture, John 3:1-17
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
The Word of the Lord for us today.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon, Bread in Empty Places
The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
*Hymn 460 Break Thou the Bread of Life
1 Break thou the bread of life,
dear Lord, to me,
as thou didst break the loaves
beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page
I seek thee, Lord.
My spirit pants for thee,
O living Word!
2 Bless thou the truth, dear Lord,
now unto me,
as thou didst bless the bread
by Galilee.
Then shall all bondage cease,
all fetters fall.
And I shall find my peace,
my all in all.
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
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.
Breaking the Bread and Communion of the People
Hymn 497 Bread of Life from Heaven, 1, 2 and 3
Bread of life from heaven,
your blood and body given,
we eat this bread and drink this cup
until you come again.
1 Break now the bread of Christ’s sacrifice;
giving thanks, hungry ones, gather round.
Eat, all of you, and be satisfied;
in Christ’s presence the loaves will abound. (Refrain)
2 Seek not the food that will pass away;
set your hearts on the food that endures.
Come, learn the true and the living way,
that the fullness of life may be yours. (Refrain)
3 Love as the One who, in love for you,
gave himself for the life of the world.
Come to the One who is food for you,
that your hunger and thirst be no more. (Refrain)
Prayer after Communion
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 516, For The Bread Which You Have Broken, 1, 2 and 4
1 For the bread which you have broken,
for the wine which you have poured,
for the words which you have spoken,
now we give you thanks, O Lord.
2 By this promise that you love us,
by your gift of peace restored,
by your call to heaven above us,
hallow all our lives, O Lord.
4 In your service, Lord, defend us;
in our hearts keep watch and ward;
in the world to which you send us
let your kingdom come, O Lord.
*Benediction and Postlude
Announcements
Today: Lenten Arts Series, The Polish Duo Presents “The Lark Ascending: Earth’s Song of Resilience,”
St. John’s Presbyterian Church is honored to host The Polish Duo for a special afternoon of music on Sunday, March 1 at 4:00 PM.
Violinist Dominika Dancewicz and pianist Alina Klimaszewska will present “The Lark Ascending: Earth’s Song of Resilience,” a beautiful and moving program featuring music by Josef Suk, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Roger Quilter, and Edvard Grieg.
They will be joined by tenor Mark Swindler for this inspiring performance. Join us for an afternoon of artistry, reflection, and music that lifts the spirit.
Support for Senasia: Food Train Sign-Up
The Caring and Fellowship Committee has set up a food train to assist Senasia Jones.
We have included a link below to sign up.
If you have any issues using the link, you can just bring something by without signing up, or contact Tina Jump for assistance.
[Link to Support of Senasia Jones]
Men of the Church
The next meeting of the Men of the Church will be March 4 at 6:30 PM in the Session Room. Come for a time of study and service projects that benefit the church.
CE Committee Meeting, Next Sunday, March 8, after Worship
All committee members and teachers are invited.
Healing Hearts for March
Wednesday, March 11, 7:00 pm and Monday, March 30, 11:00 am. St. John’s is proud to support this healing ministry.
St. John’s Friends United, March 12 at 11 am
Master Gardener, Mary Gaber, will be presenting “Gardening 101” and giving us a tour of St. Johns gardens. Please come out to hear Mary’s informative presentation.
March 28, Quarterly Bible Study: Salvatio
Perhaps the most important question we can ask ourselves is whether we are saved. Paul tells us: “5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5). And Peter tells us: “. . . be even more diligent to make your call and election sure . . .” (2 Peter 1:10). But saved from what? What does it mean to be saved?
The Christian Education Committee is offering a time for us to explore what is meant by biblical salvation. We will cover the following topics:
What is salvation? How are we saved? Can we have assurance of our salvation? Can we lose our salvation? How should salvation manifest itself in our lives?
The class will be on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30am to 2:00pm. Lunch will be provided. A sign up roster is in the narthex. If you can’t sign up in person, email the church office at office.sjpc@gmail.com. Please sign up so we know how many people for materials and lunch. Hope to see you there!
Important Notice: McPhail Hall Temporarily Closed
All events scheduled in McPhail Hall are canceled until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide updates as soon as we know more.
New Lenten Book Study on Forgiveness
Jesus commanded us to forgive. Yet many times this process is a difficult one to commence: whether it is forgiveness of another, forgiveness of self, or seeking forgiveness from someone.
We stumble and find ways to circumvent Jesus’ desire for us. Beginning February 22, 2026 at 1:30pm, the Sunday Book Study group will step into our Lenten journey by studying Adam Hamilton’s book entitled: Forgiveness; Finding Peace Through Letting Go. Renowned author and theologian, Hamilton has tackled this topic with grace and compassion offering direct and biblically based wisdom and advice in his book.
Everyone is encouraged and welcome to join this gathering for lively discussion and meaningful connection - all from the comfort of your home via Zoom. Contact Lynne Parsons Austin at lynnep@sbcglobal.net for the link to join. Books are available at Amazon.com, christianbook.com or local bookstores.
Confirmation Class
The Christian Education Committee is offering a Confirmation class for interested teens between the ages of 13 and 18.
The purpose of this class is to equip students for Confirmation and full membership in the church. Instruction will cover topics such as Christian theology, the Bible, and the Presbyterian tradition.
The course consists of approximately twelve two-hour sessions, which will be scheduled based on the availability of both teachers and participants.
The class will be led by Bill Ehrenstrom and Mary Gaber.
Those interested are encouraged to contact Mary Gaber at 713-204-1613 via phone or text for more information.
Happy Birthday
Layla Pennycuff (March 1)
Laith Assad (March 3)
Offiong Glover (March 5)
Kyra Noons-Adams (March 6)
Mark Swindler (March 14)
Gloria Glover (March 17)
Madeline Graeter (March 29)
Olive Mfobujong (March 30)
Happy Anniversary
Jim and Lynne Austin (March 10)
Kerry and Mary Gaber (March 22)
Tad and Andra Mulder (March 25)
Calendar
Sunday, March 1, 2nd Sunday in Lent
9:30 am Sunday School for Adults, Systematic Theology, Session Room
11:00 am Worship Service, live in sanctuary and on Facebook
1:30 pm Book Study on Zoom
4:00 pm First Lenten Arts Series, The Polish Duo, Sanctuary
4:30pm Pack 8 Meeting
Tuesday, March 3
5:00 pm Exercise Group, Building 2
Wednesday, March 4
6:30 pm Men’s Group, Session Room
Thursday, March 5
5:00 pm Exercise Class in Building 2
Sunday, March 8, First Sunday in Lent
9:30 am Sunday School for Adults, Systematic Theology, Session Room
11:00 am Worship Service, live in sanctuary and on Facebook
12:00 pm CE and Fellowship and Caring Committees Meetings
1:30 pm Book Study, Zoom
4:30 pm Pack 8 Meeting
Coming Events
Tues, March 10, Session Meeting, 7 pm
Wed, March 11, Healing Hearts, 7 pm
Thurs, March 12, Friends United Luncheon, 11 am
Sun, March 15, Lenten Arts Concert, 4 pm
Wed, March 18, Men’s Group, 6:30 pm
Sat, March 28, Quarterly Bible Study: Salvation, 8:30 am
Sat, March 28, One Hope Easter Party, Courtyard, 10 am
Sun, March 29, Palm Sunday, Lenten Arts Concert, 4 pm
Mon, March 30, Healing Hearts, 11 am
Wed, April 1, Men’s Group, 6:30 pm
Thurs, April 2, Maundy Thursday Service, 7 pm, Sanctuary
April 5, Easter Sunday
Sun, May 31, CE Brunch: Senior Sunday and Teacher Appreciation
Sat, June 20, Quarterly Bible Study (new format for all ages)
