St. John's Presybyterian Church in Houston
Worship Invitation
for May 3, 2026
You Are Invited to Worship This Sunday
Some situations do not resolve the way we hope. Some furnaces do not cool on our schedule. Some walls simply will not come down.
If that sounds familiar, this Sunday is for you.
We are gathering this Fifth Sunday of Easter around one of the most honest prayers in all of Scripture. It goes something like this: our God is able. But if not, we will not stop trusting.
That is not defeat. That is faith at its most courageous.
The morning will move from the fiery furnace in Daniel 3 to the quiet upper room in John 14, where Jesus says something that changes everything: "I am the way." Not a map. Not a program. A presence. The same kind of presence that showed up as a fourth figure walking around in a fire that was supposed to kill three men.
We will share the Lord's Supper together. We will sing. We will pray for one another. And we will leave reminded that God does not always remove the fire. God walks into it with us.
Worship begins at 11:00 AM. Bible Study is at 9:30 AM if you would like to come early. Children are always welcome. There is a comfortable space in the back of the sanctuary with a rocking chair and a work table for families with little ones. Sunday School for children is also available in the children's nursery during worship.
Come as you are. Bring whatever furnace you are carrying. There is room at the table for all of it.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Jon Burnham
St. John's Presbyterian Church, Houston
5020 West Bellfort Avenue Houston, TX 77035
(713) 723-6262 / stjohnspresby.org
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
May 3 2026 Fifth Sunday of Easter
Gathering
Prelude, Alina Klimaszewska, organ
*Call To Worship, The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
We come this morning carrying situations
that have not been resolved.
Furnaces that have not cooled.
Walls that have not come down.
We come with the most honest prayer we know:
our God is able.
But if not — we will not stop trusting.
God does not promise to remove every fire.
God promises to be present in every fire.
Come, then, to the God who walks with us
through the impossible.
Come to the one who says: I am the way through.
Let us worship the God of the fourth man,
the God of the open way.
Let us worship the one who is already in the furnace.
Opening Prayer Rev Burnham
*Hymn 624, I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art, 1, 3 and 5
1 I greet thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
my only trust and Savior of my heart,
who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray thee from our hearts all cares to take.
3 Thou art the life, by which alone we live,
and all our substance and our strength receive;
sustain us by thy faith and by thy power,
and give us strength in every trying hour.
5 Our hope is in no other save in thee;
our faith is built upon thy promise free;
Lord, give us peace, and make us calm and sure,
that in thy strength we evermore endure.
Prayer of Confession, Rev. Linda Herron, Liturgist
Lord, we confess that we have often let the fire have the last word — letting the impossibility of our situation convince us that you were absent or unable or no longer paying attention. We have bowed to the fear that the furnace produces rather than standing in the trust that your presence makes possible. Forgive us, and remind us that you are already in the fire before we arrive. 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, Daniel 3:19–27
Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” He replied, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them.
Anthem
Sermon Scripture, John 14:1–14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”
The Word of the Lord for us today.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon, Walking Through Walls
The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
*Hymn 816 If Thou but Trust in God
to Guide Thee, 1 and 3
1 If thou but trust in God to guide thee,
with hopeful heart through all thy ways,
God will give strength, whate'er betide thee,
to bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God's unchanging love
builds on the rock that nought can move.
3 Sing, pray, and swerve not from God's ways,
but do thine own part faithfully.
Trust the rich promises of grace;
so shall they be fulfilled in thee.
God never yet forsook at need
the soul secured by trust indeed.
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
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 507 Come to the Table of Grace
1 Come to the table of grace.
Come to the table of grace.
This is God’s table; it’s not yours or mine.
Come to the table of grace.
2 Come to the table of peace…
3 Come to the table of love…
4 Come to the table of hope…
5 Come to the table of joy…
Prayer after Communion
Welcome and Announcements Linda Herron
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 634 To God Be the Glory
1 To God be the glory;
great things he has done!
So loved he the world
that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life
an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate
that all may go in.
Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord;
let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord;
let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father
through Jesus the Son,
and give him the glory:
great things he has done!
2 Great things he has taught us;
great things he has done,
and great our rejoicing
through Jesus the Son;
but purer and higher
and greater will be
our wonder, our transport,
when Jesus we see. (Refrain)
*Benediction and Postlude
Announcements
St. John’s Friends United, May 14, 11 am, Room 203
Join us as Lisa Sparaco, LCSW, presents "Coping with Daily Living." Please bring a light sack lunch; dessert and drinks will be provided by the church.
BIM Gala Rescheduled to October 30
The Braes Interfaith Ministries (BIM) Gala has been rescheduled to October 30th. While specific details about the rescheduled event, including the time and location, have not yet been released, more information will be shared as the date approaches. You can monitor the official Braes Interfaith Ministries website for future updates.
Supporting BIM in a Critical Season
Many of BIM’s programs are facing funding challenges right now, which makes this moment especially important. We invite you to consider a cash donation to support their work in advance of the gala or shortly after. Checks can be made payable to Braes Interfaith Ministries, with “BIM” noted in the memo line. This is one of those quiet ways the church makes a real difference. No spotlight. Just steady care for people who need it. Thank you for being part of that work.
Want To Go To The Alley?
Houston’s Alley Theater of course! St. John’s seniors, as well as the wider senior community, have the wonderful opportunity to attend 8-9 performances per season. In addition to those performances, a Christmas tour is planned and possible other excursions in the greater Houston area. Transportation to and from the performances is free.
There is a seasonal cost for the productions themselves. The bus leaves from St. John’s, usually on the 3rd Thursday of the month, drops off at The Alley and picks up from there as well. After picking up from St. John’s, the bus stops at Luby’s or another restaurant for a meal, and from there, on to The Alley. The minimum age to participate is 50. For additional questions or to sign up, you can contact Ruth Roach at 832 922-2747. See you in the Alley!
Men of the Church
The next meeting of the Men of the Church will be May 27 at 6:30 PM in the Session Room. The Men's Group will not meet on May 13.
Myrtis McPhail Scholarship
Attention all high school seniors, undergraduate college, and/or technical/trade school students! St. John’s is once again ready to accept applications to the Myrtis McPhail Scholarship Fund. These funds are available to any church member or relative of a church member who will be enrolled full time in undergraduate college or a technical/trade school in the Fall of 2026. You must reapply for the scholarship each year, and you may apply for a maximum of 5 years. Applications are available by email request to Kathy Barnhill (jabarnhill@comcast.net) or Mindi Stanley (mstanley@bcm.edu) or click on this link: Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2026 and we hope to distribute funds to recipients in June.
The Scholarship Fund also is open for donations! If anyone would like to donate, please indicate the McPhail Scholarship Fund on a check or via Zelle. Thanks for Your Support.
Happy Birthday
Tad Mulder (May 2)
Josh Barnhill (May 3)
Michelle Byron Williams (May 6)
Ben Carrettin (May 9)
Wright Williams (May 10)
Sabrina Sen-Roy (May 13)
Mindi Stanley (May 19)
Ryan Abyiah (May 19)
Pauline Hall (May 23)
Sally Shaw (May 23)
Steffan Kwende (May 25)
Claire MacAdam (May 25)
Ender Jump (May 29)
Kay Swint (May 31)
Happy Anniversary
Bill and Mindi Stanley (May 14)
Prayer Concerns
Rebecca Crawford, hip surgery
David Wintersgill, hip surgery
Jessica Ivete Robles,
a friend of Alice Rubio, awaits a kidney transplant
And Jessica’s sixteen-year-old son, who is recovering from surgery
Glen Risley, recovering from hip surgery
Nyjel Bennett-LaGrone and his family, health concerns
Family of Sue Benn
Tom Edmondson, health
Holly Darr, health
Karen Alsbrook, health
Kelsey Wiltz, health
Madalyn Rodgers, Kathleen Captain's sister
Joe Sanford,
Scott Moore
Alice Rubio
St. Johns College Students
Raina Bailey and the families in our PCHAS homes
One Hope Preschool families and staff
Calendar
Sunday, May 3, Fifth Sunday of Easter
- 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 Committee Meeting, Session Room and Fellowship Committee meeting
- 1:30 pm Book Study, Zoom
- 4:30 pm Pack 8 Meeting, Exercise Room
Tuesday, May 5
5:00 pm Exercise Group, Building 2
Thursday, May 7
- 5:00 pm Exercise Class in Building 2
Sunday, May 10, Sixth Sunday of Easter and Mother’s Day
- 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 Committee Meeting
- 1:30 pm Book Study on Zoom
- 4:30 pm Pack 8 Meeting, Exercise Room
Coming Events
- Tue, May 12, Session Meeting
- Wed, May 13, Men’s Group 6:30 pm
- Wed, May 13, Healing Hearts, 7 pm
- Thursday, May 14, 11 am, Friends United Lunch
- Fri, May 15, McPhail Scholarship Applications due
- Thurs, May 27, 11 am Healing Hearts
- Wed, May 27, 6:30 pm Men’s Group
- Sun, May 31, CE Brunch: Senior Sunday and Teacher Appreciation
- Sat, June 20, Quarterly Bible Study (new format for all ages)
