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IT'S THE THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH: We look forward to seeing you for live worship this Sunday at 10 am,
complete with music and communion.

Worship Link www.fumcbellevue.org/online
Communion Link https://fumcbellevue.org/online/communion-link
Trash Clean-up, a Pentecost Celebration
Available online May 22nd and 23rd
We’ve had to cancel our Lake Sammamish Pentecost Celebration and ACT Sunday trash-collecting event because of rising Covid numbers and our desire to keep everyone safe. So, instead, we've developed an activity you can do any time and an online resource that will be available all weekend.  But, what, you might ask, could Pentecost possibly have to do with picking up trash? Check this link for more information!  It will likely be a Pentecost to remember!
Righting our Relationships with Native Americans
Lummi Totem Pole Journey
(courtesy of Earth Ministry)
Over the next few months, the House of Tears Carvers will transport a 24-foot totem pole around the Northwest, through California and the Southwest, and then back to Washington State for a ceremonial departure for Washington DC. There the totem pole will be presented to the Biden Administration, as tribal leaders call on federal officials to implement policies to protect, restore, and renew sacred places, lands, and waterways; and manage them based on tribal sovereignty and Nation-to-Nation relations.  As the totem pole travels it will draw lines of connection – honoring, uniting, and empowering communities working to protect sacred places. It carries the spirit of the lands it visits and the power and prayers of communities along the way.

Northwest Totem Pole Journey stops open to the public include:
(Please see COVID-19 safety and logistical note below)

Friday, May 14, 1-6pm – Portland, OR 
Pioneer Courthouse Square
701 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97205

Saturday, May 22, 12-3pm – Seattle, WA 
Victor Steinbrueck Park
2001 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Monday, May 24, 2-6:30pm – Bellingham, WA (event link coming)
Port of Bellingham Waterfront
Granary Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225

Tuesday, May 25, 2-4pm – Port Angeles, WA 
Location TBD

COVID-19 safety and logistical note:
Please be advised: This is a tour guided by Spirit, mindful of the pandemic. All Totem Pole Journey dates and times are subject to change, based on local health restrictions and potential unforeseen circumstances. Please check the web link for each event for the latest information before attending. The House of Tears Carvers are committed to public safety – all events are outdoors, masks and social distancing are required, and sanitizer will be available. Consider your own health and safety as well as those around you if you choose to attend, and vaccination is recommended.



Billy Frank Jr. Statue Approved by WA Legislature to Replace Marcus Whitman Statue in Washington D.C.
On April 24, Gov. Inslee signed legislation that will place a statue of tribal leader Billy Frank Jr. in the National Statuary Hall.  Billy Frank Jr., a member of the Nisqually Tribe, was an environmental leader and treaty rights activist who led a grassroots campaign for fishing rights in Washington State in the 1960s and 1970s.  Frank promoted cooperative management of natural resources and hosted a series of “fish-ins” through which his actions culminated in the Boldt Decision which affirmed that Washington state tribes’ were entitled to half of each year’s fish harvest.

 “Billy Frank Jr.’s legacy should inspire Washingtonians to reaffirm certain truths...That the environment is not just a resource; it is our home, and we must protect it," Inslee said when signing the bill.  Frank’s statue will replace Marcus Whitman as one of Washington’s two statues represented in the U.S. Capitol. 

When his statue was placed in statuary hall, Whitman was praised as a “dynamic man of boundless energy” who "brought thousands into the region beyond the old frontier.” He was considered the noblest of the pioneers colonizing the West, contributing to our national expansion.  But Whitman's statue in D.C. embodies Whitman's place in the mythology of the West, not the realities of his life.


In 1836 Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa established a Presbyterian mission among the Cayuse in Oregon. The purpose of the mission, like other Protestant missions of this era, was to convert the Cayuse to Christianity and to "civilize" them by requiring them to live in the American fashion. They sought to introduce European medical practices, partially to discredit the Indian medicine people and partially to ingratiate themselves with the Indian people, but their work backfired.

"Like many other missionaries of this era, the Whitmans were intolerant of Indian culture and believed it to be basically evil and under the influence of Satan. They fanatically demanded total conversion to Presbyterian ways-that is, to be a Presbyterian meant wearing American style clothing, living in a rectangular house, eating food in European style, and prepared to European taste. The Indians viewed the Whitmans as arrogant. They felt that the paternalism of Marcus Whitman was brusque and judgmental. They saw Narcissa Whitman as being cold, self-centered, and aloof. The Whitmans divided Indians into two groups: the devout (meaning Christian according to their definition of Christian) and the heathen. They often failed to understand that there were cultural differences between the different tribes."

Cayuse children enrolled at Whitmans’ mission school came down with the measles and started an epidemic. Within two months about half of the Cayuse died from measles or from accompanying dysentery. The Cayuse blamed the missionaries. Why?  Because in Cayuse culture, as in many other indigenous cultures, there was a tradition that if a medicine man’s patient should die while under the care of the medicine man, the patient’s relatives had a right to seek revenge by killing the medicine man. From a Cayuse perspective, there was no question of their right to dispose of Dr. Whitman. First, patients had died under his care. More importantly, they felt that he had deliberately withheld the cure from his Cayuse patients. They reasoned that Whitman was an American healer and that measles was an American disease and therefore he would know the cure for the disease. It was felt, therefore, that he was killing Indians through an application of evil spells. As was the accepted cultural practice of the Plateau area tribes, it was necessary to protect the people from this evil by killing the practitioner.  A total of 14 people were killed in the attack and 53 others, primarily women and children, were taken captive.

This story, like many others we've been told, has many different perspectives. And, the men, like all, are neither wholly perfect nor wholly evil.  By replacing Marcus Whitman's statue with that of Billy Frank Jr., Washington State is recognizing the work of an environmentalist working for the common good over that of a man who insulted and mistreated and even killed Native Americans in his misguided attempts to do the right thing.  

Mother Joseph Pariseau, a Canadian religious sister, who led a group of the members of her congregation to the Northwest where they established a network of schools and healthcare to service the American settlers in that new and remote part of the country, is the other person recognized with a statue representing Washington State in the U.S. Capitol. Mother Joseph’s statue was placed in 1980. Replicas of both statues are in the Washington State Capitol Building in Olympia.  
It is Spring in the Garden!
Sugar snap peas, spinach, kale, and swiss chard are growing like crazy!  We sent in a soil sample for testing to the King County Conservation District, which is free for everyone in King County, and found that our soil needed nitrogen.  Added that, and voila!  Vegetables!  This summer the garden will again be a neighbor's garden-fresh produce for whoever wants it! The Nextdoor App proved to be a successful way to let people know what was ripe and many people took advantage of our offer. If you would be willing to help weed the garden, please email Laurie Edwards. All that nitrogen added to the soil is also going to make the weeds grow! It would be great to have help for an hour or two every week and if each person only had to do it once every few weeks. Your choice when you come to weed, and you can help yourself to whatever is ready to be picked!

Book Group
The next meeting of the FUMCB Book Group will be held on Wednesday, May 19th, 2021, at 1 pm via Zoom. Darlene P will host the meeting. The selection for May is a non-fiction book published in 2017 by Jason Fagone. It is entitled: “Woman Who Smashed Codes; a True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies. If you have questions, please contact Phyllis B or Darlene H.

Lectio Divina
Mondays from 4 - 5:30
Join here. Lectio Divina is a contemplative method of reading the Bible with ‘the ear of the heart’ so as to be transformed, more than simply informed, by the text. We hope this group will help us focus on how the Bible can help to navigate this cultural moment and uplift us with needed hope in this season of upheaval.
Farewell, Aya!

After 3 years on staff as our Office Administrator, Aya Sato will be leaving at the end of the month. She’ll be moving to New York City to start a new chapter and will be working on staff at HA:N United Methodist Church in Manhattan. Aya has been a constant source of support, advocacy, and deep thinking, and we know that she will continue to bless those she partners with in the future. We are so grateful for the work Aya has done with us and wish her all the best. Aya’s last day will be May 27th. 

SPRC is in the process of searching for a new person to fill the admin position. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please refer to this link: https://fumcbellevue.org/employment
STAFF:  We're here for you!
  • To sign up for a time to meet with Pastor Phil, click here. 
  • To sign up for a visit with Laurie, click here. 
  • To leave a message for any of us, call the church office! We check messages remotely.
  • For other needs email Aya in our office: Changes in your contact information, emergency contact information (if you would like to provide that), opting out to receive reminder texts on Sundays, a paper copy of the directory, your Care Circle list, etc. 
For Your Prayers
Consider spending some time this week in a moment of quiet reflection or prayer. Consider praying for the following:
  • Prayers of Thanks that baby Marlow is home from the hospital. Marlow is the premature baby of Marcia’s nephew, Josh.  She had been in a NICU for weeks. Her parents are grateful, happy, and tired
  • Please pray for the members of the Duwamish Tribe, as well as all those whose ancestors lived on these lands from time immemorial.
  • Please pray for all of our LGBTQ neighbors.
  • Please pray for the protestors.
  • Please pray for our country to be less divided
  • Please pray for the health of our community and those affected by COVID-19.
  • Please pray for Pastor Joe and his LGBTQ+ friendly medical clinic and church in Kenya
  • Please pray for Pastor Phil for wisdom, strength, and vision
  • The mission and vision of our Church 
  • Our church family and friends
  • The local community and our neighbors 
  • The United Methodist Church
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