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Friends,

One of the first things people ask when a baby is born is, “What’s their name?”

It’s a curious question, because at that point you know almost nothing about them. You don’t know what they’ll love, what gifts they’ll discover, or what their story will become. And yet, we give them a name. We speak hope, identity, and possibility over a life that is still unfolding.

As many of you know, Kim and I recently welcomed our daughter, Zoe. Her name means “life,” and becoming a parent has reminded me that some of the most important things in life are received before they are fully understood.

That insight feels especially meaningful as I return from paternity leave and as our congregations continue discerning a shared future together.

This summer, we’ll begin a new worship series, The Journey of Becoming, exploring what it means to walk with God through seasons of growth, change, and discovery. Scripture reminds us that faith is rarely about having everything figured out. More often, it is about trusting God in the midst of becoming, learning who we are, who our neighbors are, and who God is calling us to be together.

Our first sermon, based on Romans 7:15–25 and Matthew 11:16–30, is titled “When We Don’t Know What to Call Ourselves.” Together, we’ll reflect on how faith invites us to embrace uncertainty, receive grace, and recognize the new life God is bringing forth among us.

As individuals and as a church, we may not have all the answers. But we do not walk alone. God journeys with us, and we journey with one another.

I hope you’ll join us as we take the next steps together.

Alongside you,

Pastor Paul

“Marsha P. Johnson” Icon by Kelly Latimore

Friends,

I’m grateful to be back with you this Sunday after paternity leave. These past weeks have been full in every way, and I’m especially excited for many of you to meet baby Zoe.

This Sunday we celebrate Pride Sunday, and we do so by lifting up the life and witness of Marsha P. Johnson.

Marsha was a key figure in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and co-founder of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries alongside Sylvia Rivera. She cared for queer and trans youth, sex workers, and unhoused neighbors with radical compassion.

Marsha was unapologetically a person of faith. She prayed daily, loved the church, and said, “My spirit is filled with God’s love, and that’s what keeps me going.” Her life reminds us that holiness is not found in social status or respectability, but in love that shows up on the margins.

We’ll also celebrate our tradition of rainbow Communion bread, a sign of God’s wide table and the beauty of our many colors held in one body of Christ.

I’m looking forward to worship, celebration, and being together again with you all.

Alongside you,

Pastor Paul

Kindred in Christ,

As summer settles into Seattle, I continue to delight in the long daylight hours. Even after several months here, I still find myself amazed by how late the evening light lingers. There is something hopeful about it—a reminder that light often stays with us longer than we expect.

Perhaps that is fitting for this week.

This Sunday, we conclude our worship series, God Is Proud of You, focused on Jesus’ words in Matthew 10: “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light.”

We live in a time when fear, uncertainty, and division often seem louder than hope. Yet Jesus invites us to live differently—not by pretending fear does not exist, but by trusting that God’s love is greater than our fear. The gospel calls us to tell the truth, to bear witness to compassion, and to let the light of God’s love shine through our lives.

As we gather on Father’s Day weekend, we recognize that this day carries different meanings for different people.  Wherever you find yourself may you know God’s presence and care.

This Sunday will be my final Sunday with Green Lake and University Gathering as Pastor Paul prepares to return from paternity leave. It has been a true joy and privilege to walk alongside you during these months. I am deeply grateful for your welcome, your openness, your commitment to justice and inclusion, and the many ways you embody Christ’s love in the world.

I hope you will join us for worship as we celebrate God’s faithfulness and continue listening for God’s call together.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. KyungHae Anna Shin
Interim Pastor

“The Proclamation” by Ceballos Fernández, Lázaro A.

Kindred in Christ,

As the days stretch longer and summer begins to settle in around us, I find myself noticing how much life happens when people gather.

A conversation over coffee. Neighbors pausing to talk on a walk. Friends sharing a meal around a table.

Community is built in ordinary moments of connection.

Perhaps that is why I am grateful for the life we share together as a congregation. Week after week, we gather to worship, serve, listen, learn, and encourage one another. In a world that often feels divided and weary, such gatherings matter more than we realize.

This Sunday, we continue our Pride Month series, “God Is Proud of You: Sent as We Are,” as we reflect on Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew. Seeing the crowds who were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd,” Jesus responds with compassion—and then sends his disciples to participate in God’s work of healing and restoration.

One of the gifts of this Sunday’s worship will be hearing from members of our congregation as they reflect on why this community matters to them and how God may be calling us forward together. As we listen together, may we recognize God’s grace at work among us and discover anew how each of us is called to participate in Christ’s healing and reconciling work.

Following worship, we will gather for our monthly sandwich-making ministry. This simple act of service has become one of the ways we embody compassion in our community. Whether you have participated before or are joining for the first time, I hope you will stay and lend a hand as we prepare meals for our neighbors.

I look forward to worshiping, serving, and growing together this Sunday.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Anna

Shai Azoulay Abraham “The Culturium”

Kindred in Christ,

It is hard to believe we have already arrived in June.

One day I am convinced it is finally time to turn off the heater, and the next morning I wake up wondering if I spoke too soon. The weather has a way of keeping us humble. We never quite know what we will wake up to.

Perhaps that is true of life as well.

We all like to know what lies ahead. We like clear directions, and a sense of control over the future. Yet many of life’s most meaningful journeys begin without a map.

This Sunday, we begin a two-week Pride Month worship series, “God Is Proud of You.”

In our first message, “Beloved Before Becoming,” we will meet Abraham and Sarah as they step away from everything familiar and trust God’s promise before they know where the road will lead.

Their story reminds us that faith is not about having all the answers. It is about trusting the One who calls us forward.

As we celebrate Pride Month, we will reflect on God’s invitation to live courageously and authentically. Together, we will explore what it means to trust that we are beloved before we become.

May this season remind us that even when we cannot see the whole path ahead, God’s promise goes with us.  I hope you will join us for worship as we begin this journey together.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Anna