Anchorage First Presbyterian Church

A Note from Danna for this Easter Season

Be Fearless, Be Joyful, Be Renewed: Living the Spirit of Easter

I read this article yesterday and want to summarize it for you as a way to encourage you to live out the 50 days of Easter.

The season of Easter began on Easter Sunday and continues for 50 days – until Pentecost. The Easter season is an opportunity for us to cultivate a spirit that defines who we are as Christians. So what does living the spirit of the Easter season mean in practical terms? Here are three concrete suggestions:

1. Live with Joy: Joy is a deep-down gladness that cannot be taken away, even in the midst of sorrow. The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus teach us that suffering is transformed through faith in the Risen Christ. With this faith, we are able to hold on to the enduring sense of joy even in the midst of the sadness we experience from the loss of a loved one, a failure at something, or a setback.

2. Live without Fear: The Resurrection teaches us that God can overcome anything, even death. When Christ appears to the women at the tomb and later to his disciples, his first words are Do not be afraid! (Mt. 28:5, 10). Our faith allows us to trust that God can overcome our most serious problems. 

3. Live with New Eyes: Easter means to live with a sense of newness. Just as the return of spring lifts our spirits and makes us feel the whole world is new, the Resurrection of Jesus makes “all things new.” The Easter spirit is a spirt of renewal; one that enables us to see the world through new eyes – God’s eyes.

I invite you to use these 50 days to cultivate an Easter spirit that enables us to be truly Christian: embracing joy, living without fear, and seeing the world again—as if for the first time.

One Great Hour of Sharing

We participate in the PC(USA) special offering, One Great Hour of Sharing, received during the season of Lent.

The three programs supported by One Great Hour of Sharing – Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People – all work in different ways to serve individuals and communities in need. From initial disaster response to ongoing community development, their work fits together to provide people with safety, sustenance, and hope.

You may send a check to the church (see address above) and designate it One Great Hour of Sharing, or you may give online here.

Stewardship & Justice through Palm Branches

We were unable to gather together in person for Palm Sunday, but our Palm branches order arrived in the mail right on schedule! Danna’s efforts last week made it possible for many of us to still celebrate Palm Sunday with palms!

Did you know that we purchase our palms from EcoPalms? Environmental stewardship and social justice are priorities for this company and you can learn more about Eco-Palm harvesting and the benefits of eco-palm premiums for small farmer communities in Guatemala and Mexico:

Thanksgiving Blessing 2019

Thanksgiving Blessing: First Presbyterian partners with other faith communities, the Food Bank of Alaska, and other community organizations to provide a Thanksgiving meal to our neighbors in need. 

You can help:

  • Food Box Build at the Food Bank – THIS THURSDAY, November 21, we will meet at the Food Bank (2121 Spar Ave.)at 5:30 pm and pack 300 boxes for homebound deliveries. This is a fun service project and we need 25 volunteers (ages 10 and older).
  • Homebound Deliveries – Help deliver the Thanksgiving Blessing food boxes to people who cannot leave their homes. Drivers pick up the food between 11am-1pm at the Food Bank and deliver to 3-5 families. It takes about 1-1.5 hours. More information at www.foodbankofalaska.org.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2019

It’s time for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner! Next Sunday, November 24, we will gather at 6pm, along with the Anchor Church and the Sudanese Fellowship. 

JOIN US in this fun opportunity for fellowship and please bring a side dish to share.

WE ALSO need helpers to cook turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. The deacons will provide these items – if you can help cook them, please find the sign up table in the lobby after church this Sunday, or contact Susan Schnering.