- Thanksgiving Turkeys
- Upcoming Activist Opportunities
- Commentary on the 12/3/12 Lectionary - Luke 21:25-36; An Apocalyptic
Vision
- This Week’s and Last Week’s Sermons from Rev. Frank and
Mary Hoffman
1. Thanksgiving Turkeys
I’d like to share
a story with you that happened a few years ago. We were having our
Thanksgiving dinner about 2:00 in the afternoon. It was a great meal
as my wife goes out of her way to make it a feast and it always is. We
always seem to discuss the way we do not “suffer” in the least with
our meal and cannot understand why people always ask “what do you eat
for your holiday meal if you don’t have turkey or ham or whatever
other meat?” It was then I noticed a light snow falling. It was the
first of that season. We live in a beautiful rural area of northeast
Pennsylvania and we are surrounded by large hemlock trees. Well, after
I mentioned the snow we all stood up and were looking out our large
back window and from out of the trees came about 30 turkeys – at
least! We often see smaller flocks but one so large is unusual if not
rare in our area. We laughed and also became a bit misty-eyed at this
sight. So for that day we had turkey over at our place for dinner - in
a most spectacular way! I hope they come back to visit us this year.
God bless you and have a wonderful and compassionate Holiday
Season.
Nick Pokoluk
2. Upcoming Activist
Opportunities
12/4 IL Hoffman
Estates The Story Tour By Mathew West
12/6
TX Cypress
The Story Tour by Mathew West
12/7 TX
Dallas
The Story Tour by Mathew West
12/7 PA
Hershey
Bill Gaither Christmas Homecoming Tour
12/8
PA Pittsburgh Bill Gaither Christmas
Homecoming Tour
12/8 TX San Antonio
The Story Tour By Matthew West
12/8-9 OH Canton
Relient K - "Christmas Homecoming shows"
12/9
IN Wabash
New Song's Very Merry Christmas Tour
12/10
MI Port Huron New Song's Very Merry
Christmas Tour
12/11
MI Manitowoc Newsong's Very Merry
Christmas Tour
12/14
OH Cincinnati Gaither Homecoming
Christmas Tour
12/15
MI Grand Rapids
Gaither Christmas Homecoming Tour
12/15
TN Nashville Relient K Christian
Concert
1/4 WV Charleston
Winter Jam 2013 Tour Spectacular
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/.
3. Commentary on the 12/3/12 Lectionary - Luke 21:25-36
An
Apocalyptic Vision
This passage is an apocalyptic vision of
great tribulations, evidently preceding “redemption” of Jesus’
followers. Jesus declares, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will
not pass away till all has taken place” (Luke 21:32; see also Mark
13:30). If we are to understand that Jesus is predicting the
destruction of the world as we know it and the Final Judgment, then
was Jesus and/or the writers of Mark and Luke wrong?
This is
the conclusion of many New Testament scholars, including Albert
Schweitzer and Rudolf Bultmann. Some, such as N.T. Wright, have argued
that the apocalyptic vision relates to the disastrous revolt against
the Romans, which culminated in the destruction of the Temple.
I offer another theory. Perhaps Jesus recognized that these times, as
with nearly all other times in human history, would see great tumult.
Humans have found it difficult if not impossible to avoid violence.
Sometimes that violence is limited by the scapegoating process, which
tends to restrict violence to a smaller number of victims. But
scapegoating violence does not eliminate all other violence in the
community, and of course scapegoating violence is still violence.
Nearly every generation thinks that it is experiencing times of
strife, because what one experiences is far more vivid than what one
has heard about. Jesus was warning his followers that his ministry
would not immediately result in peace and harmony, though he did offer
a path toward communal peace for those who chose it. There are
different kinds of “redemption,” and one is to be redeemed from the
human attraction to violence and scapegoating. Only with this kind of
redemption can there be communities of peace.
Stephen R.
Kaufman, M.D.
4. This Week and Last Week’s Sermons from
Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
Are We Living As Jesus Christ Desires?
The Makings of a Real Thanksgiving