Worship Bulletin and Announcements
for St. John's Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas
St. John's Presbyterian Church
Second Sunday After Epiphany
Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Sanctuary (and live on Facebook and church website)
Join us as we explore the challenging theme of truth coming from unexpected—and sometimes unreliable—sources. Our worship will be grounded in the question: Can God speak through the crooked and the broken?
Sermon:
The Lying Prophet.
The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
Scripture Readings:
1 Kings 13:1-32 (The Man of God and the Old Prophet)
John 11:49-52 (Caiaphas prophesies without knowing)
The Call to Worship reminds us: “Truth sometimes arrives on the lips of liars, and prophecy falls from the mouths of those who do not understand their own words.” Come with ears open, ready to hear God’s voice in unexpected places.
All are welcome! We look forward to worshipping with you.
(Note: The Caring and Fellowship Committee will meet in the Session Room immediately following the service for anyone interested in joining them.)
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 Bulletin
January 18, 2026, Second Sunday After Epiphany
Gathering
Prelude, Alina Klimaszewska, organ
*Call To Worship, The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
Leader: Truth sometimes arrives on the lips of liars, and prophecy falls from the mouths of those who do not understand their own words.
People: God speaks through the crooked and the broken, the deceiver and the deceived.
Leader: The Holy One will not be contained by our categories of worthy and unworthy, righteous and fallen.
People: Even those who scheme in darkness may carry a word that blazes with light.
Leader: Come, let us worship the God whose truth cannot be silenced, even by those who try to twist it.
People: We come with ears open, ready to hear God's voice in unexpected places.
Opening Prayer
* Hymn 463 How Firm a Foundation, 1, 2, 4 and 5
1 How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God's excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
2 "Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
4 "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
5 "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."
Prayer of Confession, Liturgist, Rev. Linda Herron
Holy God, we confess that we have spoken your name while serving our own purposes. We have twisted truth to suit our agendas and closed our ears to prophets whose lives did not match our expectations. We have lied to ourselves and called it wisdom. 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, 1 Kings 13:1-32
While Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer incense, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel and proclaimed against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘A son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who offer incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’ ” He gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘The altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’ ” When the king heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” But the hand that he stretched out against him withered so that he could not draw it back to himself. The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. The king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord; and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as it was before. Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and dine, and I will give you a gift.” But the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your kingdom, I will not go in with you; nor will I eat food or drink water in this place. For thus I was commanded by the word of the Lord: You shall not eat food, or drink water, or return by the way that you came.” So he went another way, and did not return by the way that he had come to Bethel.
Now there lived an old prophet in Bethel. One of his sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words also that he had spoken to the king, they told to their father. Their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. Then he said to his sons, “Saddle a donkey for me.” So they saddled a donkey for him, and he mounted it. He went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak tree. He said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat some food.” But he said, “I cannot return with you, or go in with you; nor will I eat food or drink water with you in this place; for it was said to me by the word of the Lord: You shall not eat food or drink water there, or return by the way that you came.” Then the other said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord: Bring him back with you into your house so that he may eat food and drink water.” But he was deceiving him. Then the man of God went back with him, and ate food and drank water in his house.
As they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he proclaimed to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the Lord: Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment that the Lord your God commanded you, but have come back and have eaten food and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, ‘Eat no food, and drink no water,’ your body shall not come to your ancestral tomb.” After the man of God had eaten food and had drunk, they saddled for him a donkey belonging to the prophet who had brought him back. Then as he went away, a lion met him on the road and killed him. His body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body. People passed by and saw the body thrown in the road, with the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the town where the old prophet lived.
When the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him according to the word that the Lord spoke to him.” Then he said to his sons, “Saddle a donkey for me.” So they saddled one, and he went and found the body thrown in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or attacked the donkey. The prophet took up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to the city, to mourn and to bury him. He laid the body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!” After he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. For the saying that he proclaimed by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
Anthem
Sermon Scripture, John 11:49-52
But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
Sermon, The Lying Prophet
The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
*Hymn 515 I Come With Joy 1, 3 and 5
1 I come with joy, a child of God,
forgiven, loved, and free,
the life of Jesus to recall,
in love laid down for me,
in love laid down for me.
3 As Christ breaks bread and bids us share,
each proud division ends.
The love that made us, makes us one,
and strangers now are friends,
and strangers now are friends.
5 Together met, together bound
by all that God has done,
we’ll go with joy, to give the world
the love that makes us one,
the love that makes us one.
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 New Member
Carolyn McEathron joins by Transfer of Letter from Christchurch Methodist Church in Sugar Land, Texas.
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 451 Open My Eyes, That I May See
1 Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes; illumine me, Spirit divine!
2 Open my ears, that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear.
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears; illumine me, Spirit divine!
3 Open my mouth, and let me bear
gladly the warm truth everywhere.
Open my heart, and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart; illumine me, Spirit divine!
*Benediction and Postlude
~*~
Announcements
Welcome New Member, Carolyn McEathron
The Session had the privilege of welcoming Carolyn into the life of our church. Introduced to St. John’s by her friend Gerry Jump, Carolyn has already become a familiar face, worshipping with us for months and experiencing the care of this community at recent weddings and memorial services.
She joins by Transfer of Letter from Christchurch Methodist Church in Sugar Land, Texas. She said St. John's is worth the drive because we are a mission focused church, outward facing, instead of being inward focused and offering program after program after program to church members like some other churches. We look forward to officially welcoming Carolyn during worship this Sunday. Thanks be to God!
Our Christian sympathy is with the family of Sue Benn who died this week. Memorial Service details will be shared when they are known.
Church Office will be Closed for MLK Jr. Day
Please note that the Church Office will be closed tomorrow, January 12, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Caring and Fellowship Committee Meeting, Today, January 18, Session Room (Following Service)
The Caring and Fellowship Committee is dedicated to extending Christ’s love in practical ways such as caring for our members who are sick or shut-in, and providing fellowship opportunities that foster our Christian growth as disciples of Jesus Christ. We will meet in the Session Room immediately following the service on Sunday, January 18. We invite everyone interested in putting their faith to work to join us!
Session Members Retreat: Systems vs. Goals.
Saturday, February 14, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Session Room. Lunch Included
When Luke describes the early church in Acts 2, he doesn't tell us about their goals. He tells us about their practices. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). Notice the language.
They devoted themselves. This wasn't occasional enthusiasm or seasonal campaigns. This was consistent, faithful commitment to specific practices. And what happened? "The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). Growth wasn't their goal. Growth was the fruit of their faithfulness to a way of life.
Most churches today set goals. We want more members. We want increased giving. We want better youth attendance. And then we work hard for a season, sometimes hit those targets, sometimes don't, and either way find ourselves exhausted and wondering what comes next. The early church shows us a better way.
Systems thinking asks a different question. Instead of "What do we want to achieve?" it asks "What are we willing to do consistently, week after week, month after month, regardless of immediate results?" The difference matters more than you might think. Goals create pressure and often disappointment. Systems create habits that produce results over time without the emotional rollercoaster of constantly measuring whether we hit our numbers.
Here's a simple example. If you wanted a clean house, you could set a goal to have everything spotless by Saturday. Or you could build a system where you tidy for fifteen minutes every morning before coffee. The goal creates a frantic Saturday. The system creates a consistently clean house without the stress. Churches work the same way. The believers in Acts didn't set a goal for 3,000 converts. They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. The Lord handled the growth.
At our February retreat, our Session will explore seven systems that healthy churches run on: Worship, Hospitality, Discipleship, Care, Mission, Communication, and Leadership Development. We'll honestly assess how St. John's is doing in each area. And we'll design at least one system to strengthen over the coming months. This isn't about adding more to your plate. It's about being more intentional with what we're already doing, following the pattern of those first believers who understood that faithfulness to practice matters more than fixation on outcomes.
Session members, please mark your calendars and plan to join us for this important conversation about how we can serve our congregation and community more faithfully.
St. John’s Raises Record-Breaking $21,540 for Mission.
It is with great joy and gratitude that we celebrate a historic milestone for St. John’s. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, this year’s Holiday Gift Market raised a record-breaking $21,540, marking the largest amount of mission support ever generated by this event. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and deepest thanks to Moderator Omar Ayah and the entire Faith in Action Committee for their tireless leadership and vision in orchestrating this resounding success. This achievement is a powerful testament to our shared commitment to service, and we are profoundly grateful to everyone who contributed to making a difference in the lives of others this season.
Score a Victory Against Hunger: Souper Bowl of Caring, Sunday, February 8.
While many will be filling their bowls with snacks during the big game this Super Bowl Sunday, far too many neighbors in our community are struggling just to fill their bowls with a meal. This year, the need is greater than ever. Join our youth on February 8 as we turn the excitement of the Super Bowl into a powerful movement to feed the hungry. We are collecting cash and food donations, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to local hunger relief efforts through our Braes Interfaith Ministry food pantry. Let’s come together to make sure everyone wins on Sunday, February 8.
Master Your iPhone with Friends United! Thursday, February 12, 11 am.
The group formerly known as Keenagers has a new name—Friends United—and they are kicking things off with a fantastic event! Join us on Thursday, February 12, for a helpful session titled "How to Use Your iPhone." Whether you're struggling to find your apps or just want to learn some new tricks, this is the perfect opportunity to learn in a relaxed, supportive setting.
After we master our technology, we’ll enjoy a delicious lunch and wonderful fellowship. For more information or to sign up, please see Virginia Krueger or Marie Kutz. Don’t miss this chance to get connected—both with your phone and your church family!
Men’s Group, This Wednesday,
Jan 21, 6:30 pm, Session Room.
Come join the men of the church for a time of Bible study and mission projects around the church such as changing the light bulbs.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Communication is key to any organization, and that includes St. John’s! Has anything changed in your life? Have you moved, gotten rid of your home phone, changed your cell number or gotten a cell phone?
Please let Virginia Krueger, Marie Kutz, or the St. John’s office (713 723-6262) know so we can correct your contact information and Directory.
Remember, you can put the Church Directory on your cell phone! No more scratching out info on a paper Directory! We try very hard to keep the on-line Directory up-to-date. See Virginia or Marie to put it on your phone. Happy New Year and Thank You! (And Linda Herron adds: if you need a paper copy because your cell phone is not your friend, call the church office and let me know!)
Healing Hearts: A Ministry of Care and Encouragement.
Healing Hearts will meet in the church office building in the Prayer Room of the church office building. Healing Hearts is a grief and bereavement support group. Led by Lisa Sparaco, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and member of our church, this group will provide a safe and faith-filled space for sharing stories, receiving encouragement, and walking together through seasons of loss. This is not a therapy group, but a ministry of care and prayer for all who grieve.
2026 Calendar for Healing Hearts.
Monday, January 26th, 11:00AM to 12:00 Noon
Happy birthday
Suzanna Deng (Jan 1)
William Ator (Jan 2)
Samantha Jump (Jan 2)
Megan Edmonsond Trevino (Jan 3)
Tom MacAdam (Jan 4)
Ellen Stowell and Karen Aslbrook (Jan 7)
Connie Brown (Jan 11)
Kathy Barnhill (Jan 17)
James Ragan and David Rainwater (Jan 19)
Lynne Fisher (Jan 20)
Jana Burnham (Jan 22)
Margaret Glover and Jade Noons Adams (Jan 23)
Katie Hartzog (Jan 26)
Addie Carrettin (Jan 28)
Nicolas Dzeukou and Nnaji Bennett LaGrone (Jan 28)
Nyjel BennetLaGrone (Jan 29)
Doris Beetem and Ronan Carrettin (Jan 30)
Prayer Concerns
Family of Sue Benn who died this week.
Memorial Service details will be shared when they are known.
Rodney Dodson, friend of Donna Fraser, health
Shirley Boyd and her family in the death of her sister Audrey Moore Maley
Jennifer and Gareld, Family of Christina
Nijel Bennet-LaGrone, health
Summer Pavani, Deena Ghattas and Chris Hanneken, Health concerns (friends of Lisa Sparaco)
Mike Swint in the death of his sister, Chris Borton
All those missing loved ones this Christmas
Family and friends of Christine Perci (friend of the Sparacos)
Harriet Harper, in hospice care
Tom Edmondson, recovering from spinal surgery
Mary Hughes, recovering from shoulder surgery
Holly Darr, in her wonderful recovery
Karen Alsbrook, health and success in her new career
Kelsey Wiltz, health concerns
Glen Risley, health concerns
Madalyn Rodgers, Kathleen Captain's sister
Joe Sanford
Scott Moore
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
Calendar
Sunday, January 18, Second Sunday after Epiphany
9:30 am Sunday School for Adults, Lectionary, Session Room
11:00 am Worship Service, live in sanctuary and on Facebook
12:00 pm Caring and Fellowship Committee Meeting after Worship,
Session Room.
3:30pm Girl Scouts in Session Room and Room 203
Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King Day; Church office closed
Tuesday, January 20
1:30 pm Spiritual Development Class, Zoom
5:00 pm Exercise Group, Building 2
7:00 pm Session Meeting, Session Room
Wednesday, January 21
6:30 pm Men of the Church, Session Room
Thursday, January 22
5:00 pm Exercise Class in Building 2
Saturday, January 24
10:00 am Girl Scout Brownie Troop Meeting, McPhail Hall
Sunday, January 25, Third Sunday after Epiphany
9:30 am Sunday School for Adults, Lectionary, Session Room
11:00 am Worship Service, live in sanctuary and on Facebook
12:00 pm Fellowship and Caring Committee Meeting, Room 203
4:30 pm Pack 8 Meeting, McPhail Hall
Coming Events
Mon, Jan 26, 11 am, Healing Hearts, Room 202
Fri, Feb 6, Pinewood Derby Set-Up, McPhail
Sat, Feb 7, Pack 8 Pinewood Derby
Sat, Feb 14, Session Retreat in Session Room
Epiphany Sermon Series
"Wisdom's Holy Fools:
Unexpected Teachers in Scripture"
- January 18 – Second Sunday after Epiphany. "The Lying Prophet." OT: 1 Kings 13:1-32 (The old prophet who lies but speaks truth). NT: John 11:49-52 (Caiaphas prophesies unknowingly)
- January 25 – Third Sunday after Epiphany. "The Reluctant Messenger." OT: Jonah 3:1-10 (Jonah preaches doom, gets grace instead). NT: Acts 9:1-19 (Paul's inconvenient calling)
- February 1 – Fourth Sunday after Epiphany. "The Boundary-Breaker." OT: Ruth 3:1-18 (Ruth's bold midnight encounter). NT: John 4:1-26 (The woman at the well teaches Jesus' followers)
- February 8 – Fifth Sunday after Epiphany. "The Truth-Teller in Disguise." OT: 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (Nathan's parable trap for David). NT: Matthew 21:28-32 (Tax collectors and prostitutes entering the kingdom first)
- February 15 – Transfiguration Sunday. "The Glory No One Expected." OT: Exodus 24:12-18 (Moses on the mountain, glory cloud). NT: Matthew 17:1-9 (Transfiguration of Jesus)
2026 Session Members and Roles
Class of 2026
Ann Hardy: Stewardship and Finance
Michael Bisase: Buildings and Grounds
Jan Herbert: Christian Education
Class of 2027
Lynne Parsons Austin: Worship
Omar Ayah: Faith in Action
Marie Kutz: Personnel and Administration
Class of 2028
Mary Gaber: Christian Education
Tina Jump: Fellowship and Caring
Ann Hardy: Finance and Stewardship
Peter Sparaco: Faith in Action
Other Session Leaders and Support Staff
Jon Burnham: Moderator of Session
Lynne Parsons Austin: Clerk to Session
Tad Mulder: Church Treasurer
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