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Supper at Emmaus by the Chinese artist He Qi

Kindred in Christ,

“When have you said, we had hoped…?”

This Sunday, we continue our Eastertide series, Signs of New Life, as we step onto the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35), a road marked by grief, confusion, and dashed hopes. And yet it is precisely there that the risen Christ draws near. At first unrecognized, he walks alongside, opens their eyes, and reveals new life in the breaking of bread.

There is a striking detail in the story. When Cleopas, one of the disciples, speaks to Jesus, Luke’s Gospel uses the Greek word παροικεῖς (paroikeis), a word that carries the sense of being a foreigner, an outsider, one who does not fully belong. Jesus is addressed as the stranger in their midst. And yet it is precisely as the one treated as outside that Christ is revealed, reminding us how often resurrection appears among those who are pushed to the margins or made to feel as though they do not belong.

This opens a deeper invitation for us. If Christ meets us in the outsider, then we are also called to recognize Christ in those whom our world treats as outsiders today, including migrants, refugees, and those who live with the vulnerability of being undocumented. Resurrection is not only something we witness, but something we participate in through how we welcome, protect, and stand in solidarity with those whom society too often overlooks.

Alongside Peter’s bold words in Acts 2, we will reflect on what it means to turn away from systems of harm. We will consider not only where hope has faded, but also where we are invited into transformation, justice, and participation in God’s unfolding new creation.

This is resurrection work. It is learning to see again, to trust again, and to notice the signs of new life already stirring among us.

I am also excited that Pastor Anna Shin will be with us in worship this Sunday. She will serve as our Interim Pastor while I am on paternity leave in May and June. This will be a wonderful opportunity to begin getting to know her. She will be staying after the service, and I encourage you to take a moment to say hello and offer a warm welcome.

I hope you will join us this Sunday as we continue the journey together on the road to something new.

Alongside you,
Pastor Paul

Christ Appears to Thomas, mosaic by Rowan and Irene LeCompte in the Resurrection Chapel, Washington National Cathedral

Kindred in Christ,

What a joy it was to celebrate Easter Sunday together. Thank you to everyone who showed up, served, sang, brought food, welcomed others, and helped create such a meaningful and energy-filled day. It truly felt like a glimpse of resurrection life in our midst.

This Sunday, we begin a new Eastertide series called Signs of New Life. Together we will explore how resurrection is not just something we celebrate once a year, but something we learn to notice and live every day. We notice the signs of new life around us and join in God’s work of justice, healing, and change-making in the world.

We’ll begin with John 20:19–31 and 1 Peter 1:3–9. In the Gospel reading, the disciples are behind locked doors and Thomas wrestles with what feels impossible to believe. It is a story about fear, questions, and the surprising ways Christ meets us right where we are.

As we begin this journey, the invitation is simple and profound. To become people who stay open to the signs of new life around us. To trust that God is still at work. And to grow together into a resurrection people who embody hope, courage, and love in the world.

May we open ourselves to new life together this season!

Alongside you,

Pastor Paul Ortiz

Mary Magdalene and Christ the Gardner by Kelly Latimore

Kindred in Christ,

Death and injustice do not have the final word!

Resurrection bursts into the world. It overturns death, oppression, and exclusion. Inspired by John 20:1–18 and Acts 10:34–43, we will remember Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the early followers who witnessed God breaking expectations and widening the circle of belonging. No empire, policy, or prejudice can stand against God’s love.

Join us for a joyful, status-quo-breaking celebration. Our choir will lift their voices. A special brass ensemble will fill the air with triumphant music, all a reminder that life refuses to be contained.

After worship, stay for a potluck meal and Easter egg hunt, a chance to break bread, build community, and share stories of hope. Bring friends, neighbors, anyone seeking renewal and joy.

This Easter, we are also called to justice. On Saturday, a group from our community will stand in solidarity with migrants outside the Northwest Detention Center. God breaks the rules that divide and oppress. We follow, daring to cross boundaries, advocate for the vulnerable, and embody joy in unexpected places.

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, alleluia! Come celebrate, proclaim, and live resurrection with us.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Graphic by Illustrated Ministries

Kindred in Christ,

Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem with dominating force. He came to show another way. And that way still surprises us today.

This Holy Week begins with palms and hosannas, but the story does not end there. In Matthew 21:1–11, Jesus enters Jerusalem on a humble donkey, more like a street protest than a royal parade. While empires rely on spectacle and power, Jesus shows nonviolence, humility, and radical love. That very disruption leads to his arrest and crucifixion. God’s love is not passive. It is courageous. It challenges injustice and invites us to imagine a different world.

This Sunday, we will gather for Palm Sunday worship, waving palms and joining the procession. We will then continue the movement by heading down to the lake for the baptism of M Bredl. In baptism, we encounter holy disruption: a letting go, a dying and rising, and an opening to the unexpected work of God.

Holy Week calls us to move from expectation into wonder and notice how God moves in quiet, surprising, and deeply subversive ways. That movement is not just something we remember—it is something we live together.

On Saturday, our wider community will gather for the No Kings Protest, standing against systems of domination and lifting up justice, dignity, and shared humanity. This echoes Palm Sunday, a public witness to another way of being in the world. You are invited to join me and others, see below for more information.

May we have the courage to follow Jesus this week—not only in celebration, but in the costly, beautiful work of love that transforms the world.

Alongside you,

Pastor Paul Ortiz