Who is ALEKSA MANILA? – Our Featured Drag Queen for Drag Queen Storytime
Who is ALEKSA MANILA? – Our Featured Drag Queen for Drag Queen Storytime
ALEKSA MANILA (She/They)
Aleksa Manila is Seattle’s sweetheart of social activism. As a genderqueer FilipinX immigrant, her passion lies in honoring and uplifting marginalized communities especially BIPOC and gender diverse people. Her early years started with HIV education and intervention targeting young Asian Pacific islander gay men. This commitment blossomed working closely with LGBTQ organizations like Public Health – Seattle and King County, Seattle Counseling Service, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, People of Color Against AIDS Network, Entre Hermanos, UTOPIA among others. Mx Manila is featured in the GLAAD and Emmy nominated documentary, Caretakers directed by Geena Rocero and produced by PBS.
Finding her platform as a performance drag artist, she focuses on the power of voice and visibility for human rights centered on LGBTQ history and legacy. She’s a sought after keynote speaker, expert panelist, fundraiser, auctioneer, moderator and emcee at various events extending the boundaries of the traditional queer venues – like Seattle City Hall, King County Superior Court, Filipino Community Center, University of Washington, Seattle University, Department of Health, Asian Counseling Referral Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigations, including the White House to name a few. From Miss Gay Filipino, Miss Gay Seattle and Empress of Seattle – she continues to champion communities and collectives that honor the diverse LGBTQ narrative – from Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera to Harvey Milk and Mama Jose. She has gained recognition through her selfless act of creating safe space for others – from Seattle Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Leader, Filipino Community of Seattle Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Leadership, Seattle Women’s Pride Champion Award, Greater Seattle Business Association’s Humanitarian Award for Community Leadership, Grand Marshal at the 40th Seattle Pride, and Jose (Sarria) Honors to name a few including being sainted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
In 2012, she founded Pride ASIA, a Queer and Asian collective whose mission is to celebrate, empower and nurture the multi-cultural diversity of the LGBTQ2+ communities through the Asian Pacific Islander lens. Through her respected networking and collaborative efforts, Pride ASIA has the honor of disbursing $25,000 to individuals impacted by COVID.
With her Master of Social Work from the University of Washington, she centers her professional expertise on harm reduction, equity and social justice. She is in private practice focused on LGBTQ BIPOC populations, including health advocacy and consultation, and as a Program Manager at Public Health – Seattle & King County. Mx. Manila is a past and present member of the International Court Council, Heir Emeritus and Heir-in-line-of-succession to Empress Nicole The Great de San Diego, Queen Mother of the Americas; and various advisory boards centered on diversity for the arts, health equity, public health and social work. She is an Ambassador for the “Drag Out To Vote” national campaign to educate LGBTQ representation in the polls this fall.
Website: http://www.aleksamanila.com
When Sight Becomes Vision
Kindred in Christ,
This Sunday, we continue our Easter series, Signs of New Creation, where we’re watching how the Risen Christ shows up not just in empty tombs, but in transformed lives, courageous witness, and holy disruptions. One of the themes running through this week’s stories is the difference between sight and vision. We often move through life assuming we understand what we see—taking things in at face value. But God’s Spirit invites us into deeper awareness: to see not just the surface of things, but the sacred truth beneath.
In Acts 9, Saul is confident in his vision—he thinks he’s defending God’s law by attacking the followers of Jesus. But on the road to Damascus, he’s struck blind and only then begins to truly see. When his sight is restored, everything looks different—especially himself. It’s the beginning of a life shaped not by certainty, but by grace.
In John 21, the disciples are fishing all night and catching nothing. A stranger appears on the shore and tells them to try again. It’s only after they follow his instructions that they realize: this is Jesus. The risen Christ was with them the whole time—they just hadn’t seen it yet.
Fittingly, this Sunday also happens to be May the 4th—a day many recognize as Star Wars Day. And there’s a curious connection here. One of the most iconic characters, Han Solo, begins as someone who sees the world through cynicism. He looks out for himself and assumes that caring too much only leads to trouble. But something changes. Through community, struggle, and sacrifice, he begins to see differently. He discovers that love and justice are worth showing up for—and worth risking for.
This is the invitation of the Spirit: to let go of the certainty that keeps us safe, and to receive new vision. Vision that opens us to Christ among us. Vision that reshapes how we live. Come join us this Sunday, and bring your curiosity, your questions, and your heart ready to be opened. And may the force be with you!
Alongside you,
Rev. Paul Ortiz
Signs of New Creation
Kindred in Christ,
Christ is risen! And yet, even in this season of resurrection, we know that the world is still aching. Wars continue. Injustice persists. Grief lingers. Resurrection doesn’t erase pain—it works to redeem it. That’s the kind of Easter faith we’re embracing this season.
This Sunday, we begin a new sermon series for the Easter season called “Signs of New Creation.” Following the Lectionary, each week, we’ll hear from the Book of Acts and the Gospel of John—two bold witnesses to what resurrection looks like in motion. Not as a one-time miracle confined to a tomb in ancient Jerusalem, but as a Spirit-led movement disrupting the world as we know it and opening us to the world as God intends it to be.
Throughout the series we will be guided by the insights of theologian Willie James Jennings, who reminds us that, “The Book of Acts is not a story of the church getting organized—it’s the story of the Spirit breaking through human boundaries, drawing people into unexpected community, and planting signs of new creation in unlikely places.” Jennings reminds us that resurrection is not neat. It’s not tame. It’s not private. It’s disruptive to the status quo—and that’s good news especially for the disenfranchised.
This Sunday, our theme is “A Peace That Disrupts.” We’ll read from Acts 5, where the apostles stand before authorities, accused of stirring up trouble. Why? Because they won’t stop talking about Jesus—the one they say was “hung on a tree” by the powers of this world. Their message isn’t just personal—it’s political. It’s public. It challenges the very systems that tried to silence justice and love.
We’ll also read from John 20, where the risen Christ shows up to his disciples behind locked doors. He speaks words we say every week: “Peace be with you.” But this isn’t a peace that maintains the status quo. This is a peace that disrupts our fear, our comfort, and our complicity. It’s the peace of scars, still visible. It’s the peace that sends us out.
This week, we also mark the passing of Pope Francis—a humble, courageous follower of Jesus who reminded us that faith must stand with the poor, the outcast, and the suffering. Toward the end of this life, he made nightly phone calls to a parish in Gaza, listening, grieving, and praying with people under siege. His witness was not about preserving religious power, but about disrupting injustice with love.
May his memory stir something in us.
May the Spirit breathe on us again.
And may we have the courage to follow the Risen Christ into the world still being made new.
Alongside you,
Rev. Paul Ortiz
Easter 2025: On the Edge of Something Big
The Resurrection by Kelly Latimore
Kindred in Christ,
Easter Sunday is almost here — and I couldn’t be more excited to invite you to what promises to be a beautiful, joy-filled celebration. This year, we’re gathering for a special joint service with our friends from Green Lake UMC as we proclaim the good news together: Christ is risen — and nothing will ever be the same.
Our theme this Easter is “On the Edge of Something Big” — a reflection on what it means to stand at the threshold of resurrection and New Creation. We’ll hear again the story from Luke 24:1–12, with an interactive pop-up pageant, where the women arrive at the tomb, expecting death — but find life instead. These bold women, the first preachers of the resurrection, carried news that would shake the foundations of empire and change the world.
The resurrection isn’t just a comforting metaphor. It’s a cosmic disruption. A divine protest against all that harms, degrades, and destroys. It’s the moment when God begins remaking the world — from the inside out. And we get to be part of it.
In the spirit of resurrection and renewal, we will also welcome new members into our community — a powerful sign that the story is still being written, and the Spirit is still moving.
We’ll share in Communion, experience special music, and after worship we’ll gather for a festive brunch (sign up to bring something below) and Easter egg hunt — joyful reminders that resurrection is not just a truth we proclaim, but a feast we live and share.
So, come. Come with your questions and your hopes. Come ready to sing, to celebrate, to remember who you are and whose you are. Whether you’ve been here a long time or are brand new, you are part of this story.
Because we are, all of us, standing on the edge of something big. And through the resurrection, new life is coming.
Alongside you,
Rev. Paul Ortiz
Holy Week: Preparing our Hearts for Easter
Kindred in Christ,
As we enter Holy Week, a sacred journey of reflection and renewal, I want to personally invite you to join us for the services and events that will guide us through this transformative time. From the triumphant shouts of Palm Sunday to the quiet, sacred moments of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and finally to the joyful resurrection on Easter, this week is an invitation to journey deeper into Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.
Palm Sunday – April 13th, 11:00 AM
Our journey begins with the celebration of Palm Sunday, where we remember Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. On this day, the crowds shouted, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” Yet, as we wave our palms and sing “Hosanna,” we also remember that this moment marks the beginning of the final week of Christ’s life—the path of humility, resistance, and unwavering love.
This year, in my sermon titled “When Stones Find Their Voice” we will explore the powerful message of protest in Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Drawing from Psalm 118 and the history of struggle for liberation, we’ll reflect on how Christ’s entry challenges us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and excluded, even in the face of crucifying forces. We’ll also explore the unexpected ways God’s power shows up—in the humble figure of Jesus, riding on a donkey, not a warhorse.
Maundy Thursday – April 17th, 7:00 PM
On Maundy Thursday, we will gather at Green Lake UMC for a Supper Church liturgy and Potluck—a service of intimate reflection, community, and the ritual of handwashing. We will share in the meal that Jesus shared with his disciples, remembering his command to “love one another as I have loved you.” We will also consider the radical humility of Christ, who washed the feet of his disciples, including the one who would betray him. This is a night of community, love, and service.
Good Friday – April 18th, 7:00 PM
On Good Friday, we will gather at Woodland Park UMC to remember Jesus’ final hours and enter the mystery of the cross and God’s solidarity with the hurting. It is a night of somber contemplation, and reflecting on a love that will never let us go, even in the darkest moments.
Easter Sunday – April 20th, 10:00 AM (joint service)
We will celebrate Easter Sunday, at a special time at Green Lake UMC, in joy and hope remembering that Christ’s resurrection brings new life to all who seek to follow in his way. We’ll celebrate together with music, Communion, and the promise of new beginnings and an egg hunt for all ages.
As we walk this Holy Week together, I encourage you to reflect on the themes of grief, love, and resurrection. Christ’s life shows us that the way to new life is often through solidarity and humility. It is a week that challenges us to reflect deeply on our own journey, our commitment to justice, and how we are called to love one another as Christ has loved us.
I look forward to journeying this Holy Week with you all and seeing you at each of these sacred gatherings. Together, let us prepare our hearts for the great mystery of Easter.
Alongside you,
Rev. Paul Ortiz