The First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton

Why did God give us the Bible? Is it a tool to help us live our best life, to settle disagreements about science and politics, or is it something else entirely? The origin story of humanity resists the simplicity of a neat and orderly creation story. Instead of seeking to answer our modern questions, this scripture asks timeless questions of us. Why are we alive, how did we get here, and what do we do now?

What do we believe is happening in Baptism? What is the role of the church? And how should we honor our Baptism in daily life? These questions and their practical implications are taken up in a lesson on scripture’s witness to Baptism in the Old and New Testaments.

Every church has been given a community to love and care for. Jesus tells us that our community is closely tied to our reason for existing - to bring good news to the poor, freedom to the prisoners, and recovery of sight to the blind. When we learn to recognize the poor, prisoner, and blind within our community, we come to know our 'why'. When we live out our 'why' - our future becomes discernible and achievable.

The future of the church has always been made up of members God is calling into ministry today. The unlikely conversions of the Apostle Paul and the Ethiopian Eunuch challenge and upset our expectations regarding the identity of those who will shape the church's future. God teaches us time and again that unity in faith overcomes all kinds of division.

The four marks of the church are: teaching, fellowship, the sacraments, and prayer. Every church is called to these practices, but not every church pursues them through faith. Often times we pursue them through anxiety and miss the blessing God has in store. This week we consider how to pursue the fundamentals of the church in the future by beginning from a position of faith.

We begin a new series titled: The Future of the Church. Each week we consider how the Book of Acts depicts the ideal set by the early church. After studying the past, we discuss a future for our church defined by faith vs. anxiety. During the first lesson, we study the role children and families play in the church of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Our series on Luke ends with an empty tomb and confused disciples. Their question and our question is the same: where do we go from here? Having met Jesus, walked with him, and gazed into his empty tomb - what should we do now? Jesus meets us in the journey of life to show us the way.

During the season of Lent, we have followed Luke’s Gospel from Bethlehem to Jerusalem as Jesus has amassed a following, challenged authorities, and founded a ministry of healing. On Easter, Jesus’ message culminates in his victory over death, which brings forgiveness and new life to all. In life and death, he calls us to eternal love.

On Palm Sunday each year, we recall Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. Luke’s Gospel makes clear that Jesus entered the city for one reason: to die. Through his passion, Jesus reaffirms his call to a life defined by sacrifice for the benefit of others. To follow Jesus means to determine who needs God’s blessing, then sacrifice oneself to enact that blessing.

Jesus is Lord of the lost - whether it is a lost sheep, coin, or son. Chapter 15 of Luke recounts Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son - a story that challenges us to reconsider God’s scandalous grace toward us. This same grace allows God to call us his children and demands that we treat our neighbor as equal heirs to this title.