"Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate."
- Alan D. Wolfelt
Every item of food and loved shared counts these days.
We express our gratitude for those who shared food to help us fill the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters Food Boxes on the 4th Tuesday of the month.
We couldn't do it without you.
Keep sharing the love. Use words if necessary.
Bring your donations to our Picnic Dinner Church on Tuesday 6/27 @ Fairhaven Park.
Zine Submissions Wanted!
At Monday's Creative church we began our Pride related zine (hand made magazine) working with the theme "All Flourishing is Mutual". We would love your submissions of art, poetry, writing, photography, quotes or prose to help encourage beloveds in our community!
Send your Zine Submissions to Pastor Emma by 6/16
Please send your submissions digitally via email by 6/16 to emma@echoesbellingham.org or let us know if you would like to submit in person, bring it to any Echoes gathering!
Easter Walk 2025
“It can take billions of years for light to reach us through the galaxies, which is to say, History is ever arriving.”
-Don Mee Choi
In community, we wandered from Bellingham's City Hall along Whatcom Creek down to the Waterfront & Maritime Heritage Park to tell & retell, hear and rehear the stories of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.
Spending time in deeper awareness with nature, the ancient stories and the voices from the margins in our own community, we opened ourselves to how God is speaking to us in our own place, Today. How history is still arriving, now.
It's hard to perfectly capture the holy wandering that happens at the Easter Walk, but we are grateful for the many perspectives that help to bring this sacred time, together.
Gratitude to all who walked, wandered and noticed with us. May we continue to look for signs of resurrection and new life all around us, noticing what's often unseen as taught by Jesus.
May Peace Prevail. Blessings to ALL.
Our Holy Week, Holy Wanderings last week took to the streets of Bellingham to recall the stories of Jesus last hours in his own city juxtaposed with stories from our own place and time.
It’s hard to imagine “business as usual” still happening as the crucifixion was occurring, but it was and it does. And on Good Friday we acknowledge that many things are happening all around us without our witnessing.
How can we increase our noticing?
How can we listen for unheard stories?
How can we authentically share our stories as we seek to hear the stories of others no matter how painful?
May we carry the stories of ancient peoples in our hearts during Holy Week and beyond, remembering where our values lie and what is non-negotiable in our hearts!
We offer this blessing that we shared for your reflection:
Our Line In The Sand
Justice for the poor is not negotiable.
Protection and care for children and elders
Is not one option among many.
Compassion for the sick and suffering is not expendable.
Peace is not the default position
If power doesn’t get us what we want.
The line drawn in the sand by faith is clear.
Whatever tradition we may choose to follow
The spiritual path leads us all to the same side of that line.
We must make our stand for what we believe:
That every human being deserves to be treated with dignity
And every living thing with respect.
Our line in the sand is clear.
Love compromised is faith denied.
-Steven Charleston
Choctaw Elder & Episcopal Priest
A Healing Blessing
May our ears be open to the whispers of wisdom that are shared beyond language. May we hear not just with our ears, but with our hearts, understanding the unspoken words and the depth of emotions.
For Being Heard
May we find safe spaces where our voices are valued, our stories are honored, and our truths are acknowledged. May we be heard empathetically, knowing that our words carry weight and deserve to be received with respect.
For Being Healed
May the wounds within us find solace in the presence of compassionate listeners. May the act of sharing and being heard be a balm to our souls. May we find restoration from past harm. May our burdens lighten as we are met with support.
For Being Held in Community
May we be surrounded by community that embraces us, supports us, and uplifts us. May we find belonging and connection, knowing that we are not alone in our journey. May we offer that same embrace and support to others, creating a circle of love and understanding for ALL.
*A Blessing written for Pub Church April 2025.
"I feel a great regard for trees; they represent age and beauty and the miracles of life and growth."
― Louise Dickinson Rich
At March’s Service Church - Terrell Creek, we helped not only to plant trees, but also have great regard for them as they sheltered us from the late winter rain!
While digging, planting and blue tubing, the sounds of Terrell Creek loudly flowing could be heard from below. This creek which flows from Lake Terrell into Birch Bay is home to not only fish, but also the vital shellfish communities in the bay as well as a diverse array of waterfowl and shorebirds. These connections are why native plants, which make water cold, clean, and clear, are so important.
Together with NSEA - Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, we put 301 trees & shrubs in the beautiful soil to ensure the hillside is protected above Terrell Creek, a chum & coho salmon habitat, for generations to come.
At Service Church & Echoes we Protect what we Love!
For the Lengthening Light: A Remembering
To all who dwell in the dawning,
and to those who linger in the dusk,
on this day of dust,
Remembering….We are from the earth.
To all awaiting the light that lengthens,
for the grace that stretches,
for the strength that carries,
Remembering…We are from the water.
To all needing grace for the imperfections that make us human,
for the gratitude that fills our hearts,
for the ever-changing journey,
Remembering…We are from the air.
To all seeking the light returning,
even amidst the darkness and the burning,
Remembering…We are from the fire.
From ashes, not of perfection,
but of remnants, of our desired will to change,
new life is arising.
Remembering…We are from the spirit.
We remember you, Holy One
the One who loves us, who calls us,
who redeems us,
and who makes us new.
Help us remember ourselves.
Amen.
Written by Emma Donohew for the 2025 Ash Wednesday Service outdoors at Waypoint Park in Bellingham Washington.
Bring your donations of Love via Food to our Dinner Church on 1/27 so we can place them in the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters.
We will collect shelf stable food donations to be donated to neighbors who need it in the Birchwood neighborhood of Bellingham.
Food Donations are collected at our Dinner Church which is usually the 4th Monday of the Month and delivered to the Food Boxes on the 4th Tuesday of the month.
Times are Tough right now. You Can Help.
Disclosure
Prayer is like watching for the
Kingfisher. All you can do is
Be where he is likely to appear, and
Wait.
Often, nothing much happens:
There is space, silence and
Expectancy.
No visible sign, only the
Knowledge that he's been there
And may come again.
Seeing or not seeing cease to matter.
You have been prepared.
But when you've almost stopped
Expecting it, a flash of brightness
Gives encouragement.
-Ann Lewin
May you keep finding encouragement as you continue to stop and look.
“God did not enter the world of our nostalgic, silent-night, snow-blanketed, peace-on-earth, suspended reality of Christmas. God slipped into the vulnerability of skin and entered our violent and disturbing world.”
― Nadia Bolz-Weber
This month’s Pub Church fell on Epiphany / Three Kings Day, celebrating the time that the wise people/magi/kings followed the star and found Jesus! This story is a reminder that birth stories are messy, and we often need many perspectives to help us hear what happened.
The word epiphany comes from the Greek word meaning “to reveal”. We were treated to quite a reveal when we found our own baby Jesus in the cake!
Beyond delicious food, together in community, we discussed what is making us stop and look these days. We also were given a “star word” for the year to see how it guides us in the time ahead!
What are you following in wonder during these times?
We’re holding tight to starting 2025 by feasting on tasty Three Kings Cake & tamales, good conversation and the reminder that Jesus is everywhere!
Jesus can be found often in places we least expect it:
Even in a brewery or a cake
Keep watching, keep wondering, keep conversing!