First United Methodist Church First Things First Sunday Services Worship: 8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Nursery Care begins: 9:40 a.m. Sunday School: 9:40 a.m. In this issue: Easter Totem 1 Easter Events 3 UMW Events Easter Lily Order Form Book Club; Music Machine Calendar, Birthdays, Anniversaries, & Prayer List 4 5 6 The Reverend David K. Fison is a pastor and a storyteller who has used wood to share spiritual lessons. Fison moved to Alaska in 1961 to serve United Methodist churches. A brief 1963 appointment to a congregation in the Tsimshian village of Metlakatla near Ketchikan sparked a lifetime interest in the native peoples of Alaska. Fison says he received spiritual inspiration to carve the Christmas and Easter stories in totem poles according to the traditions of Alaska's indigenous peoples. The Rev. David K. Fison, St. John United Methodist Church: I am always talking to God about it when I carve, seeking guidance. It s almost as though a tutor over my shoulder that is guiding me. Was I the carver or was I the tool that someone else was using? You never know. (Fison reading poem about totem pole) Now My friend, behold the carving! Now open up your soul, And you will hear the story Of the Easter totem pole. Now the ancient Tsimshian had books for all to see but when they wrote a story they carved it from a tree. Now I ve carved this sacred story After the ancient Tsimshian, Using only what they knew then, In terms they would understand. Smoked salmon was their bread; For grains in a rainforest will not grow. And let it be the howl of Wolf, For they had no cock to crow. Great Chief of the Heavens Was their Creator s name, And Raven was His messenger. To bring his word it seems. Eat! It s my body given for you! Berry juice is blessed and passed: Drink of this, all of you! It s my blood of a new treaty: For the forgiveness of sins you see! As oft as you do this, Do it to remember me! So keep Him as your Chief, my friend, And He will keep you whole. This fulfills the purpose of The Easter totem pole. Easter Totem Pole (Continued on page 2)
I m the Rev. David K. Fison, minister emeritus of St. John United Methodist Church in Anchorage, Alaska. The idea for my totem poles came from our experiences in southeast Alaska when I was pastor of Ketchikan 1961 through 1966. When I had the pole almost carved our pastor came by and said, Why don t you bring it to church then and I ll you do the preaching and you use the totem pole to tell the story for the sermon. So the Tuesday of Holy Week, the Methodist Men came to the house with a big trailer and we carted it down to the church. And when we arrived at the church, there were 20 Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian natives in full regalia singing, drumming and chanting totem pole, welcome to the totem pole. A totem pole had never been welcome in church before. They were quite excited about it. It was just such a beautiful experience there the native people and they offered to adopt me into Tsimshian culture. Charley Bower, Native Alaskan: The story that they tell is heartwarming for us. People like Dave Fison saw that there are natives there with their own way of telling stories and relating to our Creator. David Fison: I needed to do it. Even though I felt that I didn t know how I was going to get it done. But I just had faith, Well, I got the Christmas one done and I ll use that same faith,' I m gonna get the Easter done. If you launch off in faith, prepare yourself as best you can, but don t wait til you re perfect, but begin, make a beginning. There s a story only you can write. Nobody else ll write it. If some worthy thing you want to do, I think that there are spiritual resources to help you do it. Tag: This March 2013 blog post by Victoria Emily Jones is a good source of information on both the Easter and Christmas totems. In 2002, UMTV brought you this video story about the Christmas totem pole which Dave Fison also carved. For more information contact St. John United Methodist Church in Anchorage, Alaska at 907-344-3025 This story was first posted on April 10, 2014.
Easter As hard as it is to believe, it is already that time of year. Time to get ready for Easter. We will be having our annual EASTER EGG HUNT On Easter Sunday, 16th, the children of Kids Celebration will have an Easter Egg Hunt in lieu of their regular program. So start bringing in your treat-filled plastic eggs today so that they ll have ITS ALMOST THAT TIME AGAIN!!!! FSUMC is inviting everyone to join in the 3rd annual Easter Family Camp! This year we will be at Birchwood Camp. We will be doing service projects, playing games, worshipping, making new friends, and so much more! Sign up is in the Narthex on the podium Egg Hunt Easter Camp! lots to find on Easter Sunday! You may leave them in the Church Office. Thank you in advance for your donations. All ages are welcome to spend the weekend together!! There are form to sign up in the Narthex. If you have any questions, please talk with Steve Maga or Jenn Miller. Palm Sunday April 9 Maundy Thursday, April 13 Good Friday, April 14 7PM April 16 8:30 am - Easter Service of Early Light 9:30 am - Breakfast Fellowship 11:00 am - Easter Service with Baptism & Communion
United Methodist Women April events: (All women of the Church are warmly invited to attend these activities.) 11th Hope Circle Meeting~7:00 p.m.~ Church~ Kaprice Zuke 12th Executive Board Meeting-6:30 p.m. Church 13th Sunny Friends Circle Meeting~ 12:30 p.m.~ Nina Watsjold May Retreat Our anxiously awaited Annual Retreat will be on May 20th at the Girdwood Chapel, from 10 AM to 2 PM. This year, Bonnie Miller, the Presient of the Alaska UMW, will be leading the retreat. We are ALL asked to bring a medium sized salad to share for lunch. Due to the limited area for parking we will have to car pool. If you are planning to attend please call Eleanor at 272-0601 or Alice at 561-0492. It is NOT too early to call so that your name can be placed on the list of riders and/or drivers. ALL WOMEN are most welcome! You need not belong to UMW to attend. You will return to your homes with a revitalized spirit for the arrival of spring/summer and all of the activities that arrive with that time of the year! EASTER IS SUNDAY, APRIL 16TH!! If you would like to order Easter Lilies for the church, please fill out this form; The deadline for placing orders is April 9th. The cost is $15.00 each. Make your checks payable to FUMC and designate "Easter Lilies" on the check. After you have filled out the information, return it to the church, place it in the offering plate or put it on the desk in the church office. If you would like to designate the lilies "in honor, or in memory of someone special, or simply dedicate them to the glory of God, please indicate so on the lines below. Your Name: Your Phone Number: # of Easter Lilies @ $15.00 each: In Honor of: In Memory of: To the Glory of God:
We had a great meeting as we discuss Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel. We had a great discussion on this book! In April we will be discussing Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm and into Edgar's mother's affections. Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward. David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in Upcoming Book: Book Club the falling rain create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic. Do you have a book you would like to discuss with others? We are always looking for new books to read! Join us at the home of Ann York 1435 F St. (call 272-0601 for directions) on April 25th at 7:00 p.m. April: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski May: The First Wave by James Benn The Music Machine, directed by our own Janet Carr-Campbell offers summer workshops in Musical Theatre and Dance for children, ages 6-18. Classes will begin June 26th and culminate in performances August 2-5th at ACPA s Discovery Theatre. Auditions are May 6th from 1:30-5:30 pm at the Anchorage Music & Dance Center (9210 Vanguard Drive) Any student interested in the performing arts is sure to enjoy our summer classes. Mini Music Machine classes for ages 3-6 are also available, June 12-22, or July 6-21. Call Janet Carr-Campbell at 345-9039 or 227-0509 for an appointment, or e-mail themusicmachine@live.com. Visit our website for details Themusicmachineanchorage.com
Prayer List Our thoughts and prayers are extended to: Burl & Marian Stephens Fred Stassell Our military personnel Our Church Community HAVE WE MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY OR ANNIVERSARY? PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE AND LET US KNOW! April Wedding Anniversaries Rob & Nancianna Shaaper ~ 13 years Wayne Campbell & Janet Carr-Campbell 28years Angel & Elsa Tutaan 38 years Congratulations to the happy couples!! Jamie Linxwiler 9 Aimee Rathbun 9 Bob Raymond 10 Chrystal Reese 10 Jordan Cash 11 Kaprice Zuke 13 April Birthdays Kristina Villamor 17 Kasey Zuke 18 Ari Schablein 21 Elena Snyder 23 Chipp Leibach 24 Eva Damrill 26 James Damrill 27 Rhonda Warren 27 Elizabeth Linxwiler 30 Jerry Moore 30