26 January 2011 Issue - Christian Vegetarian Association Update Newsletters


	Update Newsletters

Update Newsletters
26 January 2011 Issue

1. Upcoming Activist Opportunities

2. Reflections on the Lectionary: January 30, Micah 6:1-8

3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

4. Book Notice

5. Commercial Enterprise Notice: Veg Voyages

1. Upcoming Activist Opportunities

2/3 MS Tupelo Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular

2/3 IA Sioux City Thousand Foot Krutch Christian Rock Concert

2/4 WI Green Bay Thousand Foot Krutch Christian Rock Concert

2/4-5 MN Minneapolis Acquire the Fire Youth Conference

2/4-5 MO Kansas City Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth

2/5 IA Des Moines Thousand Foot Krutch Christian Rock Conference

2/5 NC Greensboro Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular

2/10 GA Augusta Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular

2/10 OH Dayton Thousand Foot Krutch Rock and Worship Roadshow

2/11 IL Hoffman Estates Thousand Foot Krutch Rock and Worship Roadshow

2/11 SC Greenville Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular

2/11-12 MO Kansas City Acquire the Fire Youth Conference

2/12 AL Birmingham Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular

2/12 MI East Lansing Thousand Foot Krutch Rock and Worship Roadshow

2/13 IL Bloomington Thousand Foot Krutch Rock and Worship Roadshow

2/14 KY Louisville Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular

2/17 MI Grand Forks Thousand Foot Krutch Rock and Worship Roadshow

2/18-19 CO Denver Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

3/20 Anywhere! TABLE or leaflet "Meat Out" with the CVA!

2/25-26 AZ Phoenix Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

3/4-5 OR Portland Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

3/11-12 MD Baltimore Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

3/18-19 FL Lakeland Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

3/25-26 OH Columbus Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

4/1-2 CT Hartford Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

4/8-9 PA Reading Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

4/11 FL Tampa TABLE Talking Animals Festival

4/15-16 CA Ontario Revolve Tour Dream On Christian Youth Conference

7/5-8 OH Cincinnati TABLE Church Turning the World Upside

Contact Paris at christian_vegetarian@yahoo.com if you can help. To find out about all upcoming leafleting and tabling opportunities in your area, join the CVA Calendar Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christian_vegetarian/ .

2. Reflections on the Lectionary: January 30, Micah 6:1-8

In the near future, I’ll offer some thoughts about animals as victims of scapegoating. This passage from Micah is too important to pass over. The passage begins with God accusing the Israelites of abandoning God’s law, reminding them of all that God has done for them. They respond with a plea, asking that God receive a great sacrifice – even the cherished first-born son – as compensation for their transgression. God rejects these sacrifices and instead declares:

“He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Sacrifices are unsatisfactory for at least two reasons. When they involve killing, they unjustly victimize innocent individuals. Second, they might balance the scales of justice but they don’t demand a transformation of the individual. In other words, by performing sacrifices there is little incentive to refrain from sinning again. One can simply do more sacrifices in the future. Micah asserts that God doesn’t simply want to balance the scales of justice. God wants people to live righteously. God doesn’t want things; God wants us.

God wants a transformation that is analogous to what it means to be born again. Indeed, being a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) lacks meaning if it doesn’t include a commitment to serve God. Serving God is one way to understand what it means to “walk humbly with your God.” It is tempting to be arrogant about acts of justice and kindness, feeling superior to those we help, feeling good about ourselves, and enjoying the public acclaim of being regarding as a good person. However, humility calls us reject these self-serving motivations, which can undermine our activities. And, humility calls us to thank God for the opportunity to do justice, rather than to congratulate ourselves on our good works.

Eating animals and animal products is unnecessary for nearly all of us. Doing so requires a sense that one is so special that one is entitled to contribute to animal abuse, environmental degradation, and (frequently) world poverty and hunger in order to satisfy a food preference. This attitude is not a humble walk with God, but rather a rejection of God by virtue of choosing to harm God’s Creation.

Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.

3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

Do Church People Truly Love Their Neighbors As Themselves?
http://www.all-creatures.org/sermons98/s20110123.html

4. Book Notice

Vegetarian Visitor: Where to Stay and Eat in Britain, 2011 Edition

This annual guide lists 80 accommodation addresses and over 300 cafés, restaurants, and pubs that “cater property to vegetarians and/or vegans and will be delighted to welcome them.” The book costs $5.95 and is available at www.ipgbook.com, 1-800-888-4741. It is also available at bookstores and at amazon.com.

5. Commercial Enterprise Notice: Veg Voyages

Veg Voyages offers several vacation packages to India. 75% of the trips are totally vegan, and the other 25% are vegetarian that cater readily to vegans. For more information, go to www.vegvoyages.com.

Your question and comments are welcome

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