As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, I am reminded of a practice that my family and I began a couple of years ago. Each morning at breakfast, during the month of November, we begin our day by writing one thing that we are grateful for on a fall-colored-leaf and add it to our Gratitude Tree (see the picture above from my Instagram stories).

On some mornings this practice comes quit easily and natural to me, but other times (I have to confess) it feels a bit forced at first. For there are some days that I am stressed about work, down about the ongoing pandemic, or angry at the effects of systemic racism, that it is truly hard to be in a posture of gratitude.

And yet, when I continue to sit with the leaf in my hand and force myself to come up with something that I am truly thankful for in the midst of real-life struggle, it reminds me that while our present injustices and pain are true, they are not the whole truth. It reminds me that Christian gratitude is not one that turns a blind eye towards the brokenness of our world, but rather insists that God’s grace justice, mercy, and beauty are also present and emerging and we can choose to participate in that goodness.

Christian gratitude is one of the central ingredients that empowers us to not become bogged down by what is wrong in the present, and to dream big with God and help bring about God’s preferred future.

Join us this Sunday as we consider what it means to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), as we continue our worship series, Dream Big! We hope to see you in the comments on Facebook Live!

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Have you ever tried to count the stars?

Even if you have never literally attempted to count them all, I know that many in our church community enjoy observing the constellations and marveling at their expansiveness. Stars have a way of reminding us that while we are significant to God, we are but a small part of a much bigger story.

While at first this may be a bit of a hit to our personal egos (the reminder that I am not the center of the universe), it also has the capacity to bring pure spiritual joy. Looking up at the magnitude of the heavens reminds me that God notices me even in the mist of such an expansive creation, and it also reminds me that God also notices countless others who have also stared up at the stars. God’s story of redeeming love is both about me and more than just me. And when I lean into that seemingly paradoxical reality, my soul, faith and dreams expand.

This week, we will kick of our new worship series, which coincides with our pledge campaign, titled Dream Big! And we will begin by reflecting upon God asking Abram to count the stars in the night sky (Genesis 15). I hope you will join us!

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Communion of Saints, artist unknown

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. Since childhood I have loved to witness the changing of the seasons, the turning of the leaves, and the beginning of the holidays. As I grew older, I also came to deeply appreciate the sacred beauty of the dying leaves and the hope that the trees will later bloom again with new life.

I am particularly appreciative for this upcoming autumn week that holds some festive days. All Saints or All Souls, which we will honor this Sunday, is a day when we are invited to remember the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) that have gone before us, yet in some mysterious way still bless and journey with us. Afterwards, Día de los Muertos takes place on November 1^st and 2^nd, a Mexican holiday that is often described as a “fiesta where all the dead relatives come to party with you.” Among all these traditions, there is the insistence that the veil between the living and the dead is a little thinner during this time of year.

As you continue to move though this season, I invite you to consider who lingers close to your memory? Who walked with you in such a way that challenged, inspired, and shaped the path that you travel today? Remembering that in these days, the veil thins not only towards the past but also towards the future; how are you moving through this life in a way that will help make possible the paths of those who follow?

We will reflect further on our connections to all the souls and saints forever held with us in God’s love, as we conclude our sermon series, Re-connect. See you on Facebook Live!

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred in Christ,

This past week our neighborhood celebrated the opening of the new University District light rail station (pictured above). This marked a major milestone for transit in Seattle with three new stations in total—University District, Roosevelt, and Northgate. Since I began serving as your lead pastor, two emerging structural realities have always been on my mind and in my prayers, the opening of this new station and the redevelopment of our church building/community hub—each about a block away from the other. Thus, this past week felt like a major milestone for me personally, as well.

I imagine that in many ways, the Seattle community developers dreamed and struggled similar to some of the ways we have as a congregation. I imagine they too had to take risks and encounter setbacks. My continued prayer is that our new building will also serve as a concrete reality that helps our larger community be more connected.

This morning I was able to connect over coffee with a young woman that I initially met at an art making outreach booth we hosted on the day the new station opened. Among other things, she mentioned taking the train to our meet up and how she was interested in being part of a new small group that our Children and Families’ Minister, Gina Pacheco and myself will be starting in November. In our conversations, I was reminded of the many ways that our city not only desires connection but also is actively evolving and working to be more connected. I am grateful that we as a church get to be part of this growth with the future emergence of our physical building, and with the various ministries we are doing in the present.

My hope is that you too will experience meaningful connections in your life and celebrate the milestones that move you closer to God, neighbor, and your true selves. And I hope you will connect with us in real-time this Sunday for virtual worship; as we continue in our series, Re-connect! See you in the comments!

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz

Kindred in Christ,

I was very much looking forward to switching over to broadcasting/streaming live our worship services starting this Sunday, 9/12. I was anticipating connecting with each of you in this new way, and beginning our new worship series, Re-connect! Yet, despite best efforts from our hardworking tech team and worship team, we will not be able to do so until the following Sunday, 9/19. Ironically, we are experiencing some internet connectivity issues as we attempt to launch a series on connection—which has been all too common during this time of pandemic.

Since at this point it is also too late to put together an alternative, prerecorded service, we will instead be connecting in a very different way this Sunday, 9/12. Please find the Zoom link for Sunday morning worship gathering below, and click on it for a time of spiritual reflection and discussion. Also, I invite you to have some bread-like substance and coffee or juice ready, so we can commune and connect in the way of Jesus across space and screens in real time!  Zoom Meeting: https://greaternw.zoom.us/j/99933282457

Here are the prompts for Sunday’s Zoom gathering:

What does connection mean to you?

When have you felt disconnection?

When have you been surprised by connection?

What might it mean to think of God as connection itself?

I pray that each of you are experiencing deep connection during this time of continued social separation. And I hope to see you in real time, this Sunday!

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz