Presenters: Loretta Downs and Catherine Luria, Service Associate: Dee Dee Camhi
Emergencies of many types can surprise us. Loretta Downes will talk about planning for emergencies and death, the forms and documents which are needed and other helpful information.

Bob Koches moderates.
Complexity science studies how simple rules can lead to incredibly complex behaviors across diverse systems from physics to social networks. Our Humanist discussion will explore core complexity concepts like emergence and chaos theory, examine real-world applications, and delve into the philosophical implications of a complexity-driven scientific worldview.

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Presenter: Mario Pardillo and Service Associate: Tim Boeve
LCUUF talk for |Earth Day 2024

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Presenter: Mario Pardillo, Service Associate: Tim Boeve.
We commemorate and reflect upon Earth Day, which is celebrated annually on April 22– tomorrow! This important event reminds us that amidst the polycrisis facing our world today, the crisis that impacts not just certain regions of warfare, or those of us caught up in political machinisms that dominate the headlines, but virtually every life form and sentient being on our planet.

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Presenter: Bob Koches, Service Associate: Jane Castleman

Taking a holistic approach, this UU sermon challenges our traditional ways of thinking and explores the 7th UU principle and love, through the interconnected lenses of system science, gestalt thinking, and the Japanese concept of finding your purpose, known as ikigai. We’ll explore how these ideas can create a new perspective where love is the foundation for interconnected, purposeful living, and how understanding ourselves as part of a greater whole, embracing all aspects of life, and finding our purpose cultivates a more loving and interconnected world.

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Presenter: Bob Koches, Service Associate: Jane Castleman
Taking a holistic approach, this UU sermon challenges our traditional ways of thinking and explores the 7th UU principle and love, through the interconnected lenses of system science, gestalt thinking, and the Japanese concept of finding your purpose, known as ikigai. We’ll explore how these ideas can create a new perspective where love is the foundation for interconnected, purposeful living, and how understanding ourselves as part of a greater whole, embracing all aspects of life, and finding our purpose cultivates a more loving and interconnected world.

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Explore the significance of initiation ceremonies in guiding girls into womanhood with Hana from Wise Girls / Niñas Sabias. Learn how modern initiatives are restoring these vital spaces, empowering girls through education, and fostering a deeper connection with their bodies and cycles.

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Presenters: Rev. Matt Alspaugh & Eric Luria.
Virtually all religious organizations depend on the efforts of individuals, freely given, with no compensation other than the joy of service. Our fellowship is no different. We’ll take time to reflect on this heart of service that exists in each of us, and how we nurture this heart. We’ll also take time to honor everyone who has volunteered their service, in ways large and small, to further the mission of our fellowship and create a vibrant and welcoming faith community.

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Presenter: Rev. Matt Alspaugh. Service Associate: Michael Swords.
“He is risen,” some of my Christian friends would tell me on Easter Sunday. Christ’s resurrection from the dead is one of the most central elements of Christian faith. Yet we are given few details about the resurrection event itself in the Christian Bible. Instead, the story has been fleshed out in words and images in later times. We’ll explore what these say about the resurrection, and how it might be interpreted in a way more meaningful for us today.

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Presenters: Pam Cucinell and Colleen Beery
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the Spring Equinox is March 19th. In a world gone mad, how do we restore balance? A recognition of the Equinox emphasizes the importance of daily encounters with our natural world. From her perspective as an astrologer Pamela Cucinell discusses why so many cultures value this time, and why we might want to as well. The Spring Equinox reminds us that continual adjustments are needed to strive for Balance.

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Presenter: Rev. Matt Alspaugh (Remote), Carol Johnson: Service Associate
Easter is coming. In some Christian circles, the story of Easter is about God’s grace, the unmerited gift of redemption by God through Jesus' death on the cross.
If this kind of grace doesn't work for most of us, does the idea of grace have any meaning for us? Maybe there is a more ordinary grace that might be ready to transform us. How might we understand and experience grace in a more ordinary, everyday sense?

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Presenter: Richard Clarke, Service Associate: Carol Johnson

Richard Clarke explores the transformative power of gratitude to enrich our lives through simple joys and cherished memories.

Research underscores the physical and mental benefits of gratitude for older adults, from bolstering immune function to enhancing cognitive well-being. But beyond the science lies a deeper truth: gratitude fosters connection and purpose, guiding us through life’s transitions with grace.

Practical tips for infusing gratitude into daily life offer a roadmap to joy and fulfillment. From morning reflections to evening gratitude practices, each moment becomes an opportunity to embrace abundance and inspire others.

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Presenter: Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Michaela Swords, Service Associate.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned Charles Darwin’s concept of the survival of the fittest leading to the evolution of species, which has been expanded to a kind of social Darwinism, the idea that society is best organized around competition and reward, leading to the survival of the most successful people. It seems that competition rules in everything from capitalism to romance. But does competition trump cooperation? We’ll explore more recent work which suggests that cooperation has its place. How might we balance cooperation and competition? How might we create a more cooperative world, and what might that look like?

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June Wilson, Presenter, Cat Barnett, Service Associate
Everyone wants to be happy. This service will explore information about happiness from scholars, philosophers and ordinary people concerning how we can create more happiness in our own lives and spread happiness to others.

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Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Presenter, D’Vorah Kelley, Service Associate.
It’s a few days before Valentine’s Day, which for most of us folks from the north is a celebration of romantic love. Here in Mexico, Valentine’s Day is much broader, a celebration of familial love, and love for friends, a larger love. In this service, we will consider even these and larger circles of love. Could it be that love is part of being human, even, of being alive? Could a larger, even a universal love exist, a love that has emerged just as we have emerged and evolved from simpler beginnings?

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Presenter: Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Service Associate: June Wilson.
This is our last service ‘here’, at Hidalgo 261, a location we’ve occupied for seven years. For the first part of the service, we will reflect on what we’ve accomplished in the years we’ve been here. Then we will, with appropriate Unitarian Universalist pomp and circumstance, parade to our new location at St. Andrews Anglican, just a short block away at San Lucas 19. Includes the procession to our new home.

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Presenter: Rev. Tim Boeve, Service Associate: Rev. D’Vorah Kelley
Author Brené Brown writes that “Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” However, the most important and first connection we must make to truly succeed in connecting with others is the one we make with our own selves. The Rev. Tim Boeve, a retired Protestant minister from California and current resident of Ajijic will explore the benefits of making strong connections with others and with ourselves. In today’s world when so many people feel isolated and alone, the ability to make significant connections with others is more important than ever. Our very lives may depend upon it.

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Presenter: Rev. Scott Cooper, Guest Minister from UU Houston, Service Associate: Cat Barnett.
It’s become a tradition at year’s end at the Houston church to reflect on lives we may look toward for inspiration, especially those individuals who passed away the previous year. Then, just two weeks later, the United States sets aside a Monday to reflect on the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the minister, political philosopher, and prominent civil rights leader. To whom do we look to for inspiration, and by doing so, perhaps even provide inspiration to others?

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Presenter: Guest Minister Rev. Gary Kowalski, from UU, Taos NM, Service Associate: Eric Luria

It’s a truism that everyone knows they are going to die, but no one really believes it. This morning our guest speaker Reverend Gary Kowalski suggests that embracing mortality can be a doorway to richer and more abundant living. Gary is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and the author of several books on nature, spirituality, history and science. He lives with his wife Dori Jones in Santa Fe, New Mexico and looks forward to this return visit to Lake Chapala.

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Presenter: Jane Castleman, Service associate: Rana Swam.
“Living Joyfully: Embracing the Gift of Joy” will explore the transformative power of joy. Joy is not a fleeting emotion, but a way of living—a choice we make every day. It is a gift we give ourselves and share with others, cultivating a sense of wonder, gratitude, and delight in our lives. Join us as we celebrate this last service of 2023 with joy for all that we have shared in 2023

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