Kindred in Christ,

During this season of gratitude, I give thanks for each of you, and for the unfolding journey we walk together accompanied by the Spirit.

A few years ago with a former church I used to serve, I attended an anti-racist training with Crossroads, which was very eye opening. They challenged us to think critically regarding how decisions were made, where power was consolidated, and how white institutional values still drove decision making even with a diverse church staff and leadership.

The four white institutional values they outlined were either/or thinking, a scarcity world view, the practice of secrecy, and competitive individualism. Of course, these are not the only white institutional values, but these are the ones that have been identified as showing up again and again in organizational systems—including churches.

Yet, as it turns out, the opposite of these four white institutional values, correspond well with what God was enacting in this world through the coming of Jesus. Unexpected values, that God gifted to us, by arriving in our midst in human form. Values that run counter to the systems of privilege and exclusion and empower us to live in the fullness and freedom of God’s love.

Join us this Sunday as we light the Hope candle, and begin our new Advent worship series, The Unexpected Gifts of Advent. This first week we will explore what it might look like to trust and practice a both/and way of being in the face of either/or systems.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred in Christ, 

For the last few weeks we have been in a worship series titled Building to the Future. Each week we have considered the different “building blocks” of the kin-dom of God and the essential ingredients to our collective future as a church in the U District. Our own, Leo DeDios, along with a number of other members from our community have put together a video highlighting perhaps the most important element of community—people. God’s abundant and inclusive love for people is the reason we do ministry, and people (each of you included!) are needed to continue to do this important work. This series has also coincided with our pledge campaign season, when we are each  invited to reflect on how we are people in the midst of Christian community, and how we can give of ourselves and our finances to what God is doing in our midst. I invite you to watch the video above, and join us this Sunday in-person or online as we conclude our series.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred in Christ,

As your Lead Pastor (Paul Ortiz), it is my deep joy to introduce you to our new Worship Leader, Ben Fowler (pictured above)! I am beyond grateful for the commitment and discernment of our search team that made it possible for us to get to this point. Ben will begin leading us in worship on Sunday, Dec. 4^th. Here’s his bio:

Ben is excited to be joining the staff at U Gathering as a Worship Leader. His experience in the church is vast and varied and has at times been a bit rocky. Coming out late in life presented some challenges to his personal life and faith and he’s grateful to be joining a community that celebrates LGBTQIA+ people and where it’s ok to ask questions, doubt, and not have things all figured out.

Ben lives in Seattle with his partner, Grant. He has four amazing kids that he absolutely adores; they live with their mom nearby.

Ben grew up playing music of all kinds and went to the University of Washington where he majored in clarinet performance and orchestral studies. He still plays a lot of music and has been getting into his roots and learning the Irish flute.

He loves to be outside and feels fortunate to live in such a beautiful area with access to all kinds of recreational pursuits. He grew up skiing and wakeboarding and likes to hike and camp. His latest hobby…sewing.

In the photo below: Ben, Grant, Aria, Karis, Cadence, Selah

Here’s what some members of our search team are saying about Ben:

Kindred in Christ,

I have long loved the trinity of observances that just passed, Halloween (Oct 31), All Saints Day (Nov 1), and Día de los Muertos (Nov 1 & 2). For me, and for many around the world, these days are a threshold season—what some refer to as a thin space, where the veil between the living and the dead becomes thinner. I have increasingly found that this is a time of paying attention, for listening at the threshold, and for being empowered by our loved ones who have gone before us yet are with us in God’s eternal embrace.

This Sunday we will spend some time at the threshold as we reflect on our connection to the great “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). We will explore how remembering their stories and relying on their continued presence compels us forward—like the divine cloud that led the Israelites in the wilderness.

You are invited to bring pictures of loved ones or objects that remind you of them to add to our altar this Sunday (see below for more details). We will also continue in our series, Building to the Future, as we consider the importance of or ancestors and saints in moving forward. For, during this time of year, we are invited to remember that the veil thins not only towards the past but also towards the future. As we are asked: How are we moving through this life in a way that will help make possible the paths of those who follow? How will we be remembered in the future as someone’s saint or ancestor?

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred in Christ,

This Sunday we begin our new sermon series, Building to the Future. I hope you will join us each week in-person or online as we consider the different “building blocks” of the kin-dom of God. This first week we will consider the importance of allowing the Spirit to move us from a mentality of scarcity and scorekeeping (which is pervasive in our society) and towards a posture of abundance and grace. This week we also kick off our pledge campaign series, where you will be invited to prayerfully consider giving of yourself and finances, not only so we can plan a responsible budget for 2023, but so we can continue to reach more people as we continue the long legacy of our congregation and build relevant ministry into the future of U District.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz