[Parish] Gathering, Happiness, Individualism, Church

[Malcolm Young]

15 October 2009

Parish Letter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you through our Lord Jesus Christ.

After two weeks off this Sunday we will be continuing the Gathering.   
It is a newcomer’s class but it is also a chance for people to learn  
some of the basics of faith.  This week we’ll be studying the  
question of why there are so many different forms of Christianity and  
some of our shared history over the last thousand years.  Please join  
us at 9:00 a.m. in the library.  The forum in the Fireside Room will  
be about the apostle Peter.

After this note you’ll find a description of the next Third Place  
Offering.  It is going to be a super program.  I think Elisa said  
that she’d already received something like 50 RSVP’s.  This  
conversation about happiness will be appropriate for all of us –  
young and old.

We have the diocesan convention and Alice Larse’s grandson’s wedding  
this weekend.  Please keep the church, Lars and Christina in your  
prayers!  We’ll be baptizing Grant Alexander Tompkins too.  Pray that  
he’ll grow into the full stature of Christ.

Finally, I’ve been thinking about the sociologist Robert Bellah’s  
comment that individualism is the “default mode” in American  
culture.  He probably would argue that this is the reason why both  
the proponents and opponents of healthcare reform talk so frequently  
speak about it in terms of individual choice.

I think that this tendency to focus chiefly on the individual may  
make it hard for us to be the church, to work as Christ’s body in the  
world.  In God we are so much more than individuals.  We receive  
God’s grace through each other…  But that may all be more than you  
want to hear.

May God bless you on this beautiful warm day after the rains!  The  
sunlight on the orchard trees outside the library is spectacular  
right now.

Love,

Malcolm



  Just a reminder to RSVP for Christine Carter next Tuesday night,  
Oct. 20th. Childcare is available and filling up quickly.  You can  
send me a quick email or sign up in the classrooms.  Thank you.  It  
will be a great night. Pass it on and bring a friend!



The Third Place invites you to an evening with......

Christine Carter, Ph. D

Raising Happiness: Gratitude, Attitude and Resiliency

Tuesday, October 20th

6:30 Community Social, 7:00 Presentation



What does science tell us about the factors that breed happiness in  
childhood and beyond? Join us for a lively presentation from Dr.  
Christine Carter, Executive Director of the Greater Good Science  
Center at UC Berkeley and a sociologist who studies the childhood  
roots of happiness.



Key points of her talk will be:



        .             Fostering Gratitude: How not to raise entitled  
brats.

        .             How to praise kids so they become resilient,  
engaged learners.

        .             Family Dinnertime: How to reap the benefits  
even if you are super busy.





Dr. Carter has traveled extensively delivering her humorous,  
compassionate and practical parenting advice to groups and talk shows  
from Oprah to NPR. Her second book, Raising Happiness, is due out in  
February 2010. This program is ideal for parents, parents to be,  
grandparents, and all adults who work with families and children.



Location: The Third Place - Christ Episcopal Church and Ventana  
School,1040 Border Rd. Los Altos.

Donation: Suggested $10 at the door.

RSVP:  Elisa Merrifield at thethirdplace at ccla.us or call (650)  
948-2151 Childcare available, $5/child with advanced reservation.