UUFSMA: “Loving Kindness”

UU Service
“Loving Kindness”

Rev. Patrice Curtis

Sunday, Dec. 1, 10:30 a.m.

Hotel La Aldea

by Jon Sievert

At last week’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship service, the Rev. Patrice Curtis of the Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater (FL) explored the importance of becoming practitioners of love. She described the five love languages based on our experiences of love as one set of tools to help religious and spiritual people create communities of compassion.
This week, Rev. Curtis reveals how biology plays a part in how we interpret our experiences. Therefore, another set of tools is the three instincts that are hard-wired, biological ways each of us responds to others. Kindness is one choice we can make in how we respond to each other.
These hard-wired instincts unconsciously guide how we act toward and interact with others around us. Though we may exhibit all three, one instinct dominates. Combined with the love languages, the three instincts provide an opportunity for those paying attention to learn more about one another and craft new ways to build community. Rev. Curtis will examine how each instinct type is reflected in UUFSMA’s worship service, illustrating how ideas and concepts like love play out in daily life.
Finally, inevitably, there are times when we experience conflict with others. We may understand the root of the conflict, or we may be unaware that we have done something that has angered another.
Tools that challenge us to be attentive to how others experience offerings of love and compassion increase our ability to understand how unintended slights can happen. The three instincts can strengthen our ability to move past differences in ways that uphold and honor the worth and dignity of all.

Prior to her ministry, Rev. Curtis traveled extensively and worked overseas in community development and humanitarian assistance. Her lifelong commitment to social justice drew her to work as an international aid worker at a refugee camp in the Sudan and later in Bosnia. She co-founded and mentored the creation of a Unitarian micro-enterprise in Kenya, which provided over 100,000 meals for impoverished children.

Rev. Curtis holds a MD in Public Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh, a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from UC Davis, and did post-graduate work in Anthropology at Oxford University. She discovered Unitarian Universalism in her forties and earned a Masters of Divinity at Starr King School for Ministry. Her ministry career includes serving as a project manager with the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California.

Rev. Curtis is completing her call to the Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater and will begin serving the Unitarian Universalist Association at the first of the year.

For more information about the UUFSMA, including our Sunday morning Children’s Religious Education program, Social Action outreach, weekly discussion groups, social activities, and Care Team, join us any Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Hotel La Aldea or check out our website at uufsma.org.

Our fellowship was born in 1987 when a small group of expatriate religious liberals came together to meet as Unitarian Universalists in San Miguel de Allende. The fellowship has been active and thriving ever since. Every UU church has it’s own flavor, and we are no exception. We are a combination of expats and visitors, each actively engaged and contributing to this wonderful Mexican community we love. Because there is a coming, going, and returning aspect, our spiritual community is extremely fluid.  There is a magic in San Miguel which draws us in and binds us together—both as members of the church and of the larger community. Our programming is led by visiting ministers, community leaders, and church members, so the variety is lively. We have opportunities to meet as UU’s each week at discussion groups, breakfasts, luncheons, and in various other ways. Depending on the season, attendance fluctuates between 40 and 140. Our primary focus is on funding social action within the surrounding community. We love good music, good discussion, good food, and having visitors. We invite you to join us any Sunday morning.

Members regularly post updates and information on this site. We also post meeting minutes and announcements there.

To join our Yahoo group site click on this link:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/UUFSMA/info

Click on “membership”and follow the directions.

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We encourage you to use this site to communicate with other local UUs.