The First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton

On the third Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist warns his followers that the life of faith does not end with forgiveness, it begins here (Luke 3:7-14). When we are baptized and receive God’s forgiveness, we are given the choice to walk a new path that follows the steps of Jesus. When we begin with forgiveness, we can take the sacrificial journey toward Christ in the knowledge that good works are blessings for our neighbor and not justification before God.

Focusing on Luke 3:1-7, Pastor Jon walks through the narrative structure of Luke to show the evangelist’s emphasis on Jesus’ historical, political, and religious context. Through this short prologue, we learn that God has sent Jesus on a journey that covers the full spectrum of human existence. And on this journey, fear is met by joy.

Pastor Jon introduces our series for the season of Advent by surveying the evolving meaning of Advent throughout the history of the church. From the time of ancient Israel, through Jesus’ ministry, the Apostolic Age, and now in the Age of the Church - Advent is rife with meaning no matter what time we live in. One thing remains true: waiting for Jesus does not mean standing still. Over the course of this series, we will join the Wise Men of scripture and journey toward the light of Christ.

On Christ the King Sunday, Pastor Jon challenges us to consider whether we treat Jesus like a politician, rather than our King. Do we live life as though we have no king, or as though we are our own king. Following Jesus as King means sacrificial submission that mirrors the sacrificial submission of Jesus.

For Stewardship Sunday, Pastor Jon explores the idea of holy dissatisfaction in the story of Hannah found in 1 Samuel 1:4-20. Hannah models the life of faith that takes seriously God’s generosity, while meeting it with sacrificial giving. Her story teaches that we may be recipients of God’s gift, but we are not always the only ones blessed by God’s gifts.

This week Pastor Jon continues our stewardship series with 1 Kings 17:8-16. In this text we are introduced to God’s prophet Elijah and a foreign widow who saves his life. This scripture challenges us to see generosity as a non-transactional and costly discipline that ultimately finds its fullest expression in the cross.

This week Pastor Jon studies Deuteronomy 6:1-10 to explain how we are claimed as children of God. God’s covenant faithfulness from Israel into today is defined by his selfless generosity. When we practice this same generosity, we come to resemble our father’s love for the world.

This week Pastor Jon studies John 6:56, 60-69 and reflects on one of the greatest dangers in Christian life: the belief that God isn’t powerful enough to forgive our sins. The scandal of grace, which we experience in our liturgy every Lord’s Day, reminds us that God’s love overcomes all sin once and for all on the Cross.

This week Pastor Jon studies John 6:51-58 to answer the question: what happens when Christians gather for worship? From the early church into today, leaders and governments have feared what might happen when Christians gather around the table and worship the God whose life is poured out on the Cross and celebrated in the bread and wine at communion. Why do we fail to gather regularly and how might weekly communion with Jesus help us?

This week guest speaker Rev. Chesna Hinkley explores what it means to spend time with Jesus as a friend. Drawing from John 6:41-51, we learn that the sacraments offer a visible means of God’s invisible grace, and that we experience God in a new and different way every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. If we are to grow in Christ, we must commit to doing what it takes to build our relationship with him in our daily life.