This Sunday at St. John's:

Sell Everything? Seriously?

Friends,

This Sunday I'm preaching on Mark 10:17-27. A rich young man runs up to Jesus, kneels in the road, and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. He goes away grieving.

What gets me is one small line. “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” Mark puts it right before the hardest thing Jesus ever asks of anyone. The call to sell everything does not come from a stern teacher. It comes from love. Jesus is not trying to take something from him. He is trying to set him free.

Most of us would not call ourselves wealthy. But we all have something we hold too tightly. A plan. A savings account. A calendar. A sense that we are the good ones who have kept the rules since our youth. This week, notice what your hands close around. Then remember how the passage ends: for mortals it is impossible, but not for God.

Come worship this Sunday. Bill Ehrenstrom will be our liturgist and will read from Genesis 13. In that story Abram lets Lot take the green plain, walks the dry hills himself, and God meets him under the oaks. We will also take up the World Communion Offering one last time. And we will sing, “Open wide our hands in sharing, as we heed Christ’s ageless call.”

Peace,

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 Bulletin

October 11, 2026

20th Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering

Prelude,

Alina Klimaszewska, organ

*Call To Worship,

The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham

Pastor: Abram stood on a hill with his nephew and said, take whichever side you want, and I will take the other.

People: Thanks be to God, who stands with the one who lets go.

Pastor: Lot looked and chose the green and watered plain, and Abram walked the dry side, and God met him under the oaks.

People: Thanks be to God, who gives the whole land to the open hand.

Pastor: And a rich young man ran up to Jesus and knelt in the road, and Jesus looked at him and loved him and asked for everything.

People: Thanks be to God, whose love asks more than we planned to give.

Opening Prayer

*Hymn 624

I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art, 1, 2, 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.

2 Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,

reigning omnipotent in every place:

so come, O King, and our whole being sway;

shine on us with the light of thy pure day.

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,

Liturgist Bill Ehrenstrom

Gracious God, we confess that we have kept the commandments and kept our possessions and told ourselves the two were the same. We have chosen the well-watered plain and left the dry hills to somebody else. We have heard you ask for everything and walked away sad rather than walked toward you afraid. Forgive us, and make possible what we have called impossible. 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

Children’s Time,

Lindsey Sen-Roy

The Word

Prayer for Illumination

First Scripture Reading,

Genesis 13:5-18,

Bill Ehrenstrom

Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them living together; for their possessions were so great that they could not live together, and there was strife between the herders of Abram’s livestock and the herders of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

Lot looked about him, and saw that the plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward; thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Anthem

Sermon Scripture,

Mark 10:17-27

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

The Word of the Lord for us today.

Thanks be to God.

Sermon,

“Sell Everything? Seriously?”

The Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham

*Hymn 716

God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending

1 God, whose giving knows no ending,

from your rich and endless store,

nature’s wonder, Jesus’ wisdom,

costly cross, grave’s shattered door:

gifted by you, we turn to you,

offering up ourselves in praise;

thankful song shall rise forever,

gracious donor of our days.

2 Skills and time are ours for pressing

toward the goals of Christ, your Son:

all at peace in health and freedom,

races joined, the church made one.

Now direct our daily labor,

lest we strive for self alone.

Born with talents, make us servants

fit to answer at your throne.

3 Treasure, too, you have entrusted,

gain through powers your grace conferred:

ours to use for home and kindred,

and to spread the gospel word.

Open wide our hands in sharing,

as we heed Christ’s ageless call,

healing, teaching, and reclaiming,

serving you by loving all.

*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

Meditation

*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 628

Praise, I Will Praise You, Lord

1 Praise, I will praise you, Lord,

with all my heart.

O God, I will tell the wonders of your ways,

and glorify your name.

Praise, I will praise you, Lord,

with all my heart.

In you I will find the source of all my joy.

Alleluia!

2 Love, I will love you, Lord,

with all my heart.

O God, I will tell the wonders of your ways,

and glorify your name.

Love, I will love you, Lord,

with all my heart.

In you I will find the source of all my joy.

Alleluia!

3 Serve, I will serve you, Lord,

with all my heart.

O God, I will tell the wonders of your ways,

and glorify your name.

Serve, I will serve you, Lord,

with all my heart.

In you I will find the source of all my joy.

Alleluia!

*Benediction

*Postlude

Announcements

This Sunday, CE Committee and Faith in Action Committee Meet After Worship

The CE Committee and the Faith in Action Committee meet after worship this Sunday, October 11, at 12:00 p.m.

Fall Quarterly Bible Study, October 17

I hope you will join us for the upcoming Quarterly Bible Study on Saturday, October 17, at 8:30 a.m. in McPhail Hall. Three excellent teachers will lead sessions on the biblical foundations of worship, the meaning and purpose of our corporate worship practices, and ideas for personal and family worship. Children and teens will explore worship through age-appropriate activities, with plenty of time for play and creativity. We will also have opportunities to socialize and sing together. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please sign up by October 11 using the form in the Narthex or by contacting Mary Gaber, and include the ages of any children or teens attending.

Church Phone Number Restored!

Our church phone line is working again. You can reach the office at 713-723-6262.

World Communion Offering: One More Sunday

All of God’s people gather around the Table to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Part of the atonement that happens around this Table is reconciliation, which is the focus of the World Communion Offering. Experience the grace that comes from reconciling all peoples from all nations around the corner and around the globe through the ministry of this offering. We will receive the offering one more Sunday, October 11. Envelopes are on the table at the back of the Sanctuary. Please give generously, as St. John’s always does.

Oil for Our Lamps: A Tuesday Zoom Group

A small group of women at St. John’s has met to study and pray together for fourteen years. The group grew out of our churchwide Unbinding the Gospel study in 2012. It began meeting at the church on Tuesday afternoons, moved to Zoom when COVID struck, and has stayed there since. After a recent sermon, the group took a new name: Oil for Our Lamps.

The group now meets on Zoom on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. By November they hope to begin a study of the book of James, using the Life Change Bible Study Series book and study guide. New members are warmly welcome.

To learn more, speak with any member of the group: Libby Adams, Shirley Boyd, Alvina Hamilton, Ann Hardy, Gerry Jump, Pat Ragan, or Fran Urquhart. Or contact Shirley at 713-598-0818 or saboyd2@att.net to receive the Zoom invitation and order a book.

Greeters and Ushers Needed

Calling all smiling faces to serve the Lord as greeters and ushers! The Worship Committee is looking for volunteers to enter the ministry of greeting and ushering during our Sunday morning Worship services. It is a great way to meet folks in the church and to practice your gifts of hospitality and friendship. Participation is on a rotating basis and the schedule will accommodate those times that you will not be able to serve due to a conflict. Contact Lynne Parsons Austin for more information. Your energy and smiling face is needed.

Current Sermon Series

Generous Trouble:

When Kingdom Economics Interrupt Our Plans

We began a new sermon series for the stewardship season. Scripture keeps circling back to money, and it rarely leaves us comfortable. A widow gives her last coin. A rich man walks away sad. A whole community gathers only what it needs and no more. Nine weeks, nine stories, one question underneath all of them: what happens when God’s economy interrupts ours?

We’ll move from the Jubilee’s reset button, through widows and rulers and a tax collector who gives away half of everything he owns, to All Saints’ Sunday and the Reign of Christ. Along the way, expect a few sermons that unsettle before they comfort. That’s the trouble worth having. Mark your calendar and come ready to be interrupted.

One Hope Harvest Festival, November 7

One Hope Schools invites the whole community to its free Harvest Festival on Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to noon on the One Hope Preschool campus, 5020 West Bellfort Ave. There will be a bounce house, games, a petting zoo, and food, with fun for all ages. Bring the grandkids and the neighbors.

Men’s Group Meets October 14

The Men’s Group meets Wednesday, October 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the Session Room. All men of the church are welcome.

Prayer List

With hearts united in hope, we lift these names into the healing presence of God.

• Miri Upton, health
• Kelly McDowell and family, Shirley Boyd’s nephew, health
• Family of Betty Robinson
• Linda Dobbin, health
• Mary Hughes and family, in the loss of Mary’s brother Fred
• Family of Brad Urquhart
• Lisa, health
• Sandy, health
• Patti, health
• Randy Finfrock, health
• Alice’s grandson, Marc, health
• Gayle Morales, friend of Alice Rubio, recovering from hip surgery
• Jessica Ivete Robles, friend of Alice Rubio, awaiting a kidney transplant
• Phyllis Freeman, receiving hospice care in the Dallas area
• Tom Edmondson and Kristi, his caregiver
• Kelsey Wiltz, health
• Scott Moore
• Alice Rubio
• St. John’s college students
• Raina Bailey and the families in our PCHAS homes
• One Hope Preschool families and staff

How Can We Pray for You?

If you would like to add a name to the prayer list or keep a current name listed, please reply to this email and let us know. Thank you for helping us care for one another through prayer.

Happy Birthday

Dave Muanza (Oct 1)

Virgil Fisher (Oct 2)

Christine Nelson and Amy Caraballo (Oct 7)

Barm Alsbrook (Oct 9)

Alice Rubio and Jeffery Herbert (Oct 10)

Stewart Hall (Oct 14)

Brendan Mulder (Oct 15)

Elizabeth Ragan (Oct 16)

Atillio Ator (Oct 19)

Fran Urquhart and Jonathan Hughes (Oct 24)

James Adams (Oct 25)

Joene Moore and Nathan Herbert (Oct 28)

Happy Anniversary

Dan and Linda Herron (Oct 11, 60th)

Barm and Karen Alsbrook (Oct 15)

Calendar

• Sunday, October 11, 20th Sunday after Pentecost
• 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 meets
• 1:30 pm Book Study, Zoom
• 4:30 pm Pack 8 meeting, McPhail Hall
• Tuesday, October 13
• 5:00 pm Exercise Group, Building 2
• 7:00 pm Session Meeting
• Wednesday, October 14
• 6:30 pm Men’s Group, Session Room
• 7:00 pm Healing Hearts, Room 202
• Thursday, October 15
• 11:00 am Friends United Luncheon, McPhail Hall
• 5:00 pm Exercise Class in Building 2
• 6:30 pm Gift of Empathy Class
• Saturday, October 17
• 8:30 am Quarterly Bible Study, McPhail Hall
• Sunday, October 18, 21st Sunday after Pentecost
• 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 Fellowship and Caring Committee Meets
• 1:30 pm Book Study on Zoom
• 3:30 pm Girl Scouts

Coming Events

• Monday, October 26, Healing Hearts, 11 am
• Wednesday, October 28, Men’s Group
• Sunday, November 1, All Saints’ Service
• Saturday, November 7, One Hope Preschool Harvest Festival
• Sunday, November 8, Holiday Gift Market