The Transfiguration According to St. Luke by Kelly Latimore

Kindred in Christ,

This Sunday, we reflect on the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration in Luke 9:28-36. On the mountaintop, Peter, James, and John witness a dazzling vision of Jesus, standing in the company of their ancestors Moses and Elijah. It’s a breathtaking moment, filled with divine awe. Peter wants to stay, to build dwellings and remain in the brilliance of that holy space. But Jesus doesn’t let them linger—because transformation isn’t meant to stay on the mountaintop. It’s meant to move us into the world.

On April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before he was assassinated, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final speech. In it, he spoke words that turned out to be more prophetic than anyone could have imagined in that room that day. The Rev. Dr. King said:

“I’ve been to the mountaintop. I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land!”

Like Moses, who stood on Mount Nebo to see the Promised Land without entering it, like Jesus, who was transfigured on the mountain but would soon walk the road to the cross, The Rev. Dr. King saw the vision of God’s justice, the promise of an end to segregation and Jim Crow, but would physically not get there himself. And yet, like Jesus, The Rev. Dr. King knew that the vision calls all of us down into the valleys, where the work of liberation and love happens.

As a church committed to God’s kin-dom of justice and peace, we are called to be both witnesses to God’s vision and workers in the world. We are called to see clearly—to be transformed by the light of Christ—and also to act boldly, walking in his way of compassion, courage, and justice.

I hope you will plan to stick around directly after service this Sunday, for an Advocacy Sunday event led by Church and Society. Also, you are invited to attend an Ash Wednesday protest at a local Chevron Station, calling people to divest and repent from supporting companies that support genocide in Palestine. I will be distributing ashes at the protest, as well as attending the related service of lament and repentance in the evening at the Wesley Club. These events are organized by Christians for a Free Palestine.

May we be a people who do not accept the disfiguration of injustice, but rather carry the light of Christ’s transfiguration into our world.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred in Christ,

As we will explore this Sunday, Jesus’ words in Luke 6:27-38 challenge us deeply: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” These words were not meant to be easy; they were meant to transform us, by breaking the cycles of violence in our society and in our hearts. And few embodied this radical love better than Bayard Rustin, a man whose faith in nonviolent resistance changed history.

Rustin, a key architect of the Civil Rights Movement and an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., helped plan the 1963 March on Washington, and was deeply committed to nonviolence—not just as a strategy, but as a way of life. He faced immense opposition, both from those who supported segregation and even from some within the movement due to his identity as a gay man. And yet, he remained committed to the way of love. He lived out Jesus’ call to love one’s enemies, always believing that love and justice were inseparable.

At a time when so many forces seek to divide us, at a time when executive orders continue to stirp people of their rights, Rustin’s example reminds us that to love our enemies is not to surrender to injustice. It is to confront oppression with a love so powerful that it refuses to be corrupted by hatred. Love, in the way of Jesus, is not weak—it is the strongest force in the universe, capable of breaking chains and healing wounds.

Regarding nonviolent resistance, Rustin once said, “We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.” And regarding the long work of social change Rustin also said, “God does not require us to achieve any of the good tasks that humanity must pursue. What God does require is that we not stop trying.”

To love boldly, to seek justice with grace, and to meet oppression with unwavering love—this is the kind of “trouble” we are called to make as followers of Jesus.

May we, like Rustin, hold fast to the belief that love will win. And may we, in our own time, bear witness to the radical, redeeming love of God.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred In Christ,

As we will explore further this Sunday, in Luke 6:17-26, Jesus’ Beatitudes are not just words of comfort—they are a call to action. He names the poor, the hungry, and the grieving as blessed, not because suffering itself is good, but because God is near to those in pain. This week, I invite you to engage in a prayer practice that centers Jesus’ counter-cultural blessings and calls us to embody this love in the world.

Preparation

Find a quiet space. Light a candle if you’d like, symbolizing the light of Christ. Take a deep breath. Settle into stillness.

Step 1: Centering with Breath

Breathe in deeply and pray: “Blessed are those who struggle…”

Breathe out slowly and pray: “…for God is near.”

Repeat this for as long as you feel led, allowing your breath to slow and your heart to open.

Step 2: A Prayer of Solidarity

Offer this prayer, slowly and intentionally:

“God of the weary and the worn, we come before you with open hearts.

Bless those who hunger—physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Bless those who mourn, and may they know your presence in their grief.

Bless those who are cast aside, and remind them that they are seen, known, and loved.

And God, bless us with the courage to stand where Jesus stands—

with the poor, the hurting, the oppressed—

until your kingdom of justice and peace is made real among us. Amen.”

Step 3: Closing Prayer

Prayer is not just about words—it is about action. Take a moment to ask yourself:

• How is God calling me to stand with the marginalized this week?
• Is there someone in my life who needs encouragement, practical help, or solidarity?
• What systems of injustice do I need to challenge in my community?

Choose one concrete action—whether it’s reaching out to someone in need, supporting an advocacy effort, or making space for someone’s story—and commit to it as a lived prayer.

Closing Blessing

As you end this time of prayer, place your hand over your heart and receive this blessing:

“Blessed are you when you hunger for justice.

Blessed are you when you feel weary from the fight.

Blessed are you when you stand with the poor and the grieving.

For God is with you, now and always. Amen.”

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred in Christ,

We are excited to share with you the Merger Exploration Team’s findings and report (download PowerPoint HERE and detailed report HERE). These items are in preparation for our upcoming presentation and discussion this Sunday, at 9:30 AM at Green Lake UMC in-person or online (please note that we will not host a service at our regular time this Sunday). You are invited to remain after the meeting to participate in Sandwich Makers, as we prepare food for those experiencing hunger in our area. We hope you will join us this Sunday, and come ready to listen, speak, and discern together where the Spirit may be leading our communities in this time and place for the sake of the U District, the Green Lake neighborhood, and beyond.

Along with discernment and discussion, you are invited into a season of deep prayer. Prayer is an act of openness to God. There are three modes of prayer that I want to offer you during this season: the Ignatian prayer of holy indifference, listening prayer, and silence.

Holy indifference invites us into a special, positive form of indifference, where we begin to let go of attachments that keep us from love and justice, trusting in God’s presence. Listening prayer helps us attune to God’s voice—through scripture, emotions, community, or silence. Silence allows us to sit with God, discerning what is truly of the Spirit. In releasing, listening, and resting, we make space for transformation.

Here is an example that you are welcome to use or adapt as you pray:

A Prayer of Openness

Holy Indifference

Loving God, I release my need for control, my attachments to certainty, and my fears of the unknown. Free me from anything that keeps me from fully embracing your love and truth. May I desire only what brings life, justice, and wholeness to others. Let your will, not mine, guide my heart.

Listening

Speak to me, O Spirit, in whatever way I am ready to hear. In words or in stillness, in clarity or in mystery—help me to be present to your voice. Open my heart to your wisdom, whether it comes through scripture, community, creation, or the quiet stirrings of my soul.

Silence

Now, I rest in your presence. I set aside my need for quick answers and simply rest in you. In this sacred silence, reveal what is true. Shape me, renew me, and draw me deeper into love… [*remain in silence for a moment].
Amen.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred in Christ,

Last week, Rev. Judy Schultz kicked off our new series reflecting on what scholars refer to as Jesus’ “inaugural address” of brining good news to the poor, liberation to the captives, sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free, and declaring God’s favor (Luke 4:21-30). And this week I will preach on the second half of this story. We will explore how Jesus suggests that this political platform is good news for more than just the people of Nazareth, and this angers his hearers so much that they attempt to throw him off a cliff (Luke 4:14-21).

As we will see this coming week, Jesus crosses a social border, by insisting God’s mercy includes people from other countries and different religions, and this upsets the border-based politics of the Nazareth community so much that they wish to throw Jesus off a border that he cannot return from!

Sadly, more and more it seems we do our politics by creating boundaries, building walls, establishing borders. We separate and divide ourselves against each other so that border control now defines our relationships with each other.

And border control is at the heart of the conflict between Jesus and the people of Nazareth, and it seems to be at the heart of our own political conflicts in today’s world at every level.

Our recent presidential election further revealed the clear boundaries built and strengthened between Republicans and Democrats, and even within those groups’ lines are further drawn over who is a real Democrat and who is a true conservative. A border stands at the center of the debate concerning immigration, Syrian refugees, Palestinian Refugees, and all displaced people from Latin America. The terrorizing of immigrant communities in our country, through increased ICE raids, is justified in the name of border control. Wherever you find racism, prejudice, or discrimination you will find walls. Our economic system has created a stark separation between the rich and the poor. Within our own United Methodist Church, we remain divided over worship purity and a desire for correct interpretation of scripture and inclusion. And when it comes to our personal relationships, I’ll bet each of us can name the walls and barriers that have stood at the center of our families, friendships, and communities.

Whether our borders are geographical, physical, ideological, religious, or emotional, they first exist and arise from within us. We project the borders of our hearts onto the world and each other.

And as we will explore further this Sunday, there simply is no room for that in the politics of Jesus. To the contrary border crossing is a hallmark of Jesus’ politics. Jesus is the Border Crossing Christ, brining healing, companionship, and redemption to all people, regardless of what side they land on any given border. And Jesus calls us to embody these politics as disciples today.

I hope to see you in person or online, as we seek to adopt Jesus’ political platform our own.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz