Preparing Our Hearts for Advent:
A Journey Through John’s Gospel
Sunday, 11 AM at St. John's Presbyterian Church
As we step toward Advent, I’d love for you to join us this Sunday as we begin our new worship series, Preparing Our Hearts for Advent: A Journey Through John’s Gospel.
Advent has a way of sneaking in quietly. A couple of candles. A small circle of people gathering in the early light. Hope arriving slowly instead of crashing in with noise. Every year we remember that God comes to us gently before God comes to us brightly.
This season we’ll walk through the Gospel of John together. John doesn’t begin with shepherds or a manger. He starts with the mystery behind all things. His opening lines echo the first heartbeat of creation itself, and they invite us to slow down long enough for God’s light to reach the deeper places in us.
Our first Sunday is November 30. The message is called “In the Beginning Was the Word.” When we hear John’s words beside the creation story in Genesis, something ancient stirs inside us. Advent reminds us that Christ is not only born into the world. Christ is the One through whom the world itself was born. That truth has a way of settling into your bones and steadying your spirit.
I hope you’ll come share the quiet beauty of this beginning. The candles will be ready. The sanctuary will be still. And together we’ll open our hearts to the One who brings light into every kind of darkness.
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.
Worship Bulletin
for November 30, 2025,
First Sunday of Advent
St. John's Presbyterian Bulletin
November 30, 2024, First Sunday of Advent
Gathering
Prelude Alina Klimaszewska, organ
Lighting the Advent Candle
Dan and Linda Herron and Debbie Wilkinson
*Call To Worship The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
Leader: Before the mountains rose from the deep, before the seas found their shores, the Word already was.
People: All things came into being through Him.
Leader: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never overcome it.
People: We have come to worship the Light. Let us praise God together!
Opening Prayer Rev Burnham
*Hymn 82 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
1 Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us;
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
2 Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a king,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all-sufficient merit
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Prayer of Confession, Liturgist Bill Ehrenstrom
God of light and life, we confess that we have not always welcomed your Word. We have filled our days with noise and missed your still, small voice. We have settled for artificial light rather than seeking your true radiance. We have created when we should have listened, spoken when we should have been silent. Forgive us, Lord. Rekindle in us the fire of your presence. Illuminate the shadows we have grown comfortable in, and lead us back to the path of life. Through Christ our Lord 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 Bill Ehrenstrom
First Scripture Reading, Genesis 1:1-5 Bill Ehrenstrom
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Anthem
Sermon Scripture, John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
The Word of the Lord for us today.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon, In the Beginning Was the Word
The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham
*Hymn 666 O Splendor of God's Glory Bright
1 O splendor of God’s glory bright,
from light eternal bringing light;
O Light of Light, light’s living spring,
true Day, all days illumining:
2 Come, Holy Sun of heavenly love,
rain down your radiance from above,
and to our inward hearts convey
the Holy Spirit’s cloudless ray.
3 O joyful be the passing day
with thoughts as clear as morning’s ray,
with faith like noontide shining bright,
our souls unshadowed by the night.
4 O Lord, with each returning morn,
your image to our heart is born;
O may we ever clearly view
our Savior and our God in you.
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 Rev. Burnham
Lord’s Prayer Rev. Burnham
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 Rev. Burnham
Sending
*Hymn 104 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
1 O Lord, how shall I meet you,
how welcome you aright?
Your people long to greet you,
my hope, my heart’s delight!
O kindle, Lord most holy,
a lamp within my breast,
to do in spirit lowly
all that may please you best.
2 Love caused your incarnation;
love brought you down to me;
your thirst for my salvation
procured my liberty.
O love beyond all telling,
that led you to embrace
in love, all loves excelling,
our lost and fallen race.
3 You come, O Lord, with gladness,
in mercy and goodwill,
to bring an end to sadness
and bid our fears be still.
In patient expectation
we live for that great day
when your renewed creation
your glory shall display.
*Blessing
*Postlude
Exploring Faith and Community in Houston
If you're new to St. John's or considering visiting for the first time, you might have questions about what makes a Presbyterian church different, what to expect from Bible study in Houston, or how to find a church community where you can genuinely belong. We've written extensively about these topics on our church blog.
Whether you're searching for guidance on choosing a Christian church, curious about Presbyterian worship and beliefs, or looking for a faith community in Houston that prioritizes authentic relationships over programs, our blog offers practical insights from pastoral experience. You'll find articles about what makes smaller churches create stronger community, how to evaluate a church beyond Sunday morning, and what mission-focused ministry actually looks like in southwest Houston.
We invite you to explore our blog posts and discover why adults seeking deeper faith experience often find what they're looking for at St. John's. Real stories, honest reflections, and practical wisdom about Christian community, Bible study groups, and living out faith in Houston's diverse neighborhoods.
Have questions we haven't addressed?
Call us at 713-723-6262 or
Email Pastor Jon. He is always happy to talk with people exploring faith or looking for a church home.
