Unitarian Universalists
Eric and Catherine Luria will present “Starting Over and Over and Over,” a humanist Jewish perspective on self-renewal during the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper, at the service of the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Sunday, September 24.
Atheists, Agnostics & Humanists Discussion Group meets Monday, September 25, 3 p.m. at the Fellowship. They will be discussing the question “Does the populist revolt now sweeping across the developed world mean that globalization will be reversed?” One sentence of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s caught the force behind the revolt with brutal clarity: “If you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere.” For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 766-2299.
The Unitarians meet 10:30 a.m. at Hidalgo 261 in Riberas del Pilar, opposite the bell tower, on the north side of the Carretera. If you have any questions, call Fred, 766-1458.
St. Andrew’s Anglican
“In the Reading from the Gospel of Matthew this Sunday at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, we will be reminded in clear terms that we are not to judge one another regarding our accomplishments in Christ. We are to concentrate on our own faith journey and to let God take care of the rest.”
Worship begins at 10 a.m., and the bilingual children’s Sunday School starts at 9:45 a.m. “Coffee Hour,” a time of fellowship and welcome, follows the service.
The annual Blessing of the Animals, in honor of St. Francis, the patron saint of Chapala, will take place in the Garden Saturday, September. 30, 11 a.m. All kinds of pets are welcome if they are properly restrained. Dogs, cats, ponies, burros, frogs, snakes, hamsters, or any other beloved pets are welcome. You can even pick up some homemade treats for your fur babies. All proceeds and donations will go to Lakeside charities that benefit our friends in the animal kingdom.
On the last Sunday of each month, donations provide lunches for Mezcala schoolchildren. This is often the most nutritious food these children have during the day, and is critical to their ability to learn. Every Sunday, the feeding programs supported by St. Andrew’s welcome donations of non-perishable food items. Boxed milk and empty cardboard egg cartons are especially welcome, in addition to rice, beans, pasta, oil, and salt.
Choir rehearsals begin Wednesday, September 27, 2 p.m.
St. Andrew’s is located at Calle San Lucas 19, just a block south of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.
Little Chapel by the Lake
“To many people, the God of the Old Testament seems much different from the God of the New. Darker. Angrier,” says Pastor Ken Armstrong. “How do we reconcile the two?” he asks.
Sunday, September 24, the conversation at the Little Chapel by the Lake will be entitled “Now That I Have Your Attention,” drawn from Hebrews 8 and other passages.
Non-denominational Christian, English-language Sunday worship service is at 11 a.m. Everyone is invited to stay for a friendly comida (church meal) after the service.
Little Chapel is also open Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. for silent prayer and worship in the sanctuary and memorial prayer garden. Everyone is welcome. Communion and anointing are available.
For more information, see the display ad in this section.
Lakeside Presbyterian
This Sunday, Pastor Ross Arnold will be back in the pulpit. He is home for the next several weeks before leaving again on the travels of his year-long sabbatical. His sermon topic will be “What God Requires” taken from Micah 6:8. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Lakeside Presbyterian is located at San Jorge 250 in Riberas del Pilar. Turn toward the lake at Mom’s Restaurant and the church is two blocks down on the right. English-language services begin each Sunday, 10 a.m. and Spanish-language services are 9 a.m. and noon. Everyone is welcome.
Christ Church Episcopal
Christ Church Episcopal, a mission of the Diocese of the West in the Anglican Church of Mexico, will observe the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, Sunday, September 24, with Holy Communion at 9:30 a.m. in the Little Chapel by the Lake. Diocesan licensed lay reader, Conley Stamper, will preside and give a message with the theme “I Was Blind but Now I See” based upon excerpts from the Gospel according to St. Mark.
The Lunch Bunch will meet at Lake Taco at 11:15 a.m.
The Bible Study will not meet Tuesday, September 25. Study will resume upon the return of Father Borkowski.
Abundant Life Church
Says Pastor Gary Neighbor: “It is easy to believe that those who are in church or complete certain requirements will have the favor of God upon their lives. This is not the truth. God loves EVERYONE more than we could ever imagine. With the catastrophes of this past week from earthquakes killing innocent children to hurricanes that devastate many, we need to know that God is still in charge. Jesus comes to us in our times of distress and weeps with us. Jesus not only weeps, he also has a plan that he wants to share with us. Come this Sunday, September 24, and allow Jesus to weep with you and then share his plan.”
Abundant Life Church is affiliated with the Assemblies of God of Mexico and has services for everyone. An English-language worship service is held each Sunday, 10 a.m. and Bible Study Wednesday, 3 p.m. Spanish-language services are Sunday at noon. Spanish-language Bible studies are Wednesday, 6:45 p.m. A children’s ministry is held Saturday, noon, and youth meet Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
Abundant Life Church is located at Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec 140, San Antonio Tlayacapan, a block from Super Lake. For more information, call 331-417-7038 (cel).
Lake Chapala Baptist
Says Brother Bob Hendrick: “I am not sure, but I think I saw the waiter open the sugar dispenser and let the fly out. That is why I will never again reveal to a waiter that there is a fly in the sugar. If the fly stays in there, there is a chance that a customer seated at the table will see it and not use the sugar in that dispenser. They will be aware that there is a problem. If the fly is released and the dispenser returned to service, you get something like the reverse of the Salk vaccine that we took in grade school. (Remember the sugar cubes?) Why does God allow unmistakable evil to continue? He does so because there is concealed, furtive evil all around. It is grace to permit ourselves to see the evidence in order to encourage us to aim elsewhere. And there is no place to run except to God through Jesus Christ.”
Sunday, September 24, 11 a.m., Brother Hendrick will give the sermon at the worship service of the Lake Chapala Baptist Church, located at Santa Margarita 147, Riberas del Pilar.
Jewish Congregation
Shabbat Torah services are held the first and third Saturday of the month, 10 a.m., and Shabbat evening services and potluck every second and fourth Friday, 6 p.m. at the Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation.
The synagogue is located at Sta. Margarita 113, Riberas del Pilar (mountainside of the Carretera, diagonally across from Mom’s Restaurant). Call (376) 766-2668 or go to lakechapalajewishcongregation.com.
San Andres English
“The love of God cannot be measured by any human standard. It is incalculable. By human reckoning it must even appear foolish. What sensible employer would allow behavior like the man in the Gospel parable? We see a reflection of that love in St. Paul’s dilemma. He loved so much that he could not decide whether it was better to live or to die.”
So says Fr. Basil G. Royston, D. Min., who will offer the homily “The Generous Love of God” at San Andres Catholic Church’s English-language service on Sunday, September 24, 9 a.m.
San Andres is located at the corner of Ramon Corona and Parroquia, one block from the Ajijic main plaza.
Home Church Int’l
What’s wrong and what’s right with the law? We need law and laws for regulation and protection. These are or should be beneficial. Some have said that “Laws were made to be broken.” This is somewhat negative, yet in a way, spells out the nature of law. They are made in a general way to be regulatory, but limiting. This may be why most are not overly happy about the demands of the law.
We find that the Old Covenant recognized law as its foundation. Maybe we could simplify the issue by asking what positive influence does either the law or grace bring? When God’s blessing blows our way, it is described as grace, which is unearned, unmerited favor. Nothing we do can ever merit His blessing. The redemption is all His doing, by His will and choice.
Another issue which demonstrates where the law falls short is our worthless effort to be justified before the Lord.
Pastors Paul and Susana Allen affirm the incomparable place of grace in our lives rather than legalism. More will be clarified about this next week. Reach the pastors, their meetings, and locations by calling (332) 242-8648, or email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
St. Mark’s AnglicanGuadalajara
Sunday, September 24, 12:30 p.m., Fr. Jim Priddy will give the sermon “Righteous Anger” at St. Mark’s Anglican Church.
Priddy says there will be a collection for earthquake victims this Sunday. “Please bring a few items to the church. They will be carried to the Diocesan office on Monday and forwarded for distribution.”
St. Mark’s is at Chichimecas 836 in Colonia Monraz.