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The Good Samaritan—mosaic by Fr. Marko Rupnik

Kindred in Christ,

This Sunday, we continue our summer series Woven by Grace as we reflect on what it means to be shaped into one community by God’s love.

Our theme this week is: “Who Is Our Neighbor?”
We’ll reflect on Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37)—a story many of us know, but few of us have truly wrestled with. It’s a story that invites us not only to show compassion, but first to recognize those who seem different from us as neighbors, equals, and people from whom we have something to receive.

The question, “Who is my neighbor?” isn’t just ancient—it’s still at the heart of many of our most pressing political debates. We see it today in the inhumane treatment of immigrants and refugees. Too often, we draw the lines of neighbor based on skin color, language, religion, or documentation status. But Jesus tells a story that disrupts those boundaries—before sending us out to serve, he first invites us to see differently.

We’ll also hear the Apostle Paul’s prayer to the ancient church in Colossae (Colossians 1:1-14), where he gives thanks for the love that connects the church to all the saints and prays that we would bear fruit through spiritual wisdom and compassionate action.*

As U Gathering and Green Lake UMC continue this season of shared worship and discernment, we are invited to consider how God is weaving us together—not just in structure, but in deep relationship and shared purpose.

Whether you are a longtime member, a newcomer, or somewhere in between, we hope you’ll join us as we seek to live into a more expansive vision of neighbor-love and grace.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

*While some scholars believe Colossians may have been written by someone influenced by Paul rather than by Paul himself, others note strong continuity with his voice and theology.

Be Praised—mural of Saints Francis and Clare on the side of the Center for Action and Contemplation by Dimitri Kadiev

Kindred in Christ,

This Sunday marks a new and sacred beginning for our two congregations as we step into a shared season of worship, serving, and seeking God’s direction. As we gather for the first time during our official discernment year, as two congregations worshiping together, we launch our summer series: Interwoven by Grace.

In a culture that prizes rugged independence, the Gospel invites us into something deeper—interdependence. From the earliest stories of scripture to Jesus sending his disciples out two by two (Luke 10:1-11), we see again and again that God doesn’t call us to walk alone. God calls us to walk together—not in uniformity, but in partnership, vulnerability, and trust.

Just a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of making a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy, the hometown of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. I stood inside the basilicas where their legacy is held in fresco and stone. What struck me most was not just their individual holiness, but their friendship—a sacred companionship that shaped them both and renewed the church. Francis and Clare were not the same, but they were bound together by a shared vision of simplicity, love, and bold commitment to peacemaking. Their friendship became a force for transformation and renewal.

In many ways, their story mirrors our own moment. Two distinct communities—University Gathering UMC and Green Lake UMC—rooted in faith and friendship and shaped by different gifts—choosing to walk side by side. Not knowing exactly where the road will lead, but trusting the Spirit who goes ahead of us.

This summer, we’ll reflect on what it means to be “sent” like those early disciples—not alone, but two by two. We’ll explore scriptures that speak to shared mission, mutual care, and the courage it takes to be truly interwoven by God’s grace.

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as we begin this journey together. Come with curiosity. Come with faith. Come ready to grow in grace, side by side.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Love One Another by N.C. Callaway

Kindred in Christ,

As we come to the close of our Pride Month worship series, Unbounded Love: A Series on Pentecost and LGBTQIA+ Celebration, I want to take a moment to reflect with you on what we’ve experienced—and invite you into what’s next.

This month, we’ve been following the movement of the Holy Spirit through scripture and through our lives: the Spirit who unbinds us from fear and shame, who breaks down barriers that keep people apart, and who draws us together in beloved community. From jail cells flung open in Acts to Jesus’ prayer that we may all be one (John 17:21), we’ve seen again and again that God’s love is not boxed in by human boundaries. As Charles Wesley wrote in the hymn that inspired our series title: “Pure unbounded love Thou art.”

We’ve also been blessed this month by voices from our own community. I want to say a special thank you to Jeff and Steve Shamblin-Mullinix, who have each shared with us powerful, Spirit-filled words of grace, challenge, and affirmation. Their presence in our pulpit has been a true gift, helping us hear anew the call to live in God’s expansive love.

And that’s what Pride is about. It’s a celebration, yes, but it’s also a remembrance. We remember Stonewall—when LGBTQIA+ folks, many of them trans women of color, resisted harassment and violence and sparked a movement. Pride began not as a parade, but as an uprising. It was Spirit-led in its own way: a refusal to be bound by shame or silence any longer.

This coming Sunday, we get to honor that legacy and celebrate together Pride Sunday at First Church UMC at 10 AM. We’ll join with Methodist congregations from across Seattle for a joyful, inclusive, Spirit-filled service affirming the sacred worth of every person.

One of our own contributions to the service will be a creative pop-up pageant to bring the scripture to life—a playful, prayerful way to embody the Gospel with color and joy.

There will also be opportunities to participate in the Seattle Pride Parade—whether by marching, serving, cheering, or simply being present as a visible sign of Christ’s radical welcome. It’s a beautiful way to carry what we’ve experienced this month out into the streets. For more details about timing, parking, volunteer opportunities, and how to get connected, see the info below in the newsletter.

So, come. Bring your full self. Bring your family. Bring your joy. Let’s celebrate the God whose love is unbounded, and whose Spirit is still marching forward in justice and joy.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Sacrament by Anna Strickland

Kindred in Christ,

This Sunday is a special one—and I hope you’ll be there to help us celebrate it in all its Spirit-filled, rainbow-splashed glory.

Pentecost is the day the Church was born—not through force or conformity, but through a surprising, multilingual, boundary-breaking outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-39). It’s a story that reminds us that God doesn’t flatten our differences—God fills them with holy fire. It’s about understanding one another across lines of language, culture, and identity. It’s about the miracle that happens when we listen deeply, speak boldly, and let love lead the way.

We’ll be continuing our worship series, Unbounded Love: A series on Pentecost and LGBTQIA+ Celebration, and I’ll be preaching a sermon about what happens when the Spirit breaks binaries—linguistic, cultural, theological, even personal. I’ll share a bit of my own story growing up in a bilingual Cuban immigrant home, and how that experience has shaped my understanding of the Spirit’s work in bringing people together not by making us the same, but by helping us truly hear one another.

This Sunday is also special because we’ll be welcoming Green Lake UMC to join us for worship at our regular service time. And as we continue in the discernment of two congregations coming together, this Pentecost moment offers a beautiful invitation: to resist the urge to dominate or assimilate, and instead to open ourselves to the possibility of something new being born in community.

So come.
Come ready to celebrate.
Come wearing red, rainbow, or whatever helps you sparkle as your authentic, Spirit-filled self.
Come ready to sing, to pray, to listen, and to imagine the church being reborn again.

I can’t wait to see you there.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz