- Become a CVA
Sustainer or Renew Membership
- Activist Feedback
- Reflections on the Lectionary: Philippians 4:4-7
- This Week’s
Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
- Veggie Brothers Chef Prepared
Vegan Food
1. Become a CVA Sustainer or Renew Membership
CVA Sustainer donations are crucial to the success of our ministry.
Among the benefits of a $25 Sustainers donation is receipt of Lorena
Mucke’s daily Take Heart! e-note, with quotes, stories, reflections,
and recipes. To become a Sustainer or renew membership, go to
https://christianveg.org/freemembership_level.htm.
2. Activist Feedback
CVA coordinator Lorena Mucke writes:
The first Atlanta VegFest was a total success!! Jeanne and I gave
away many booklets about vegetarianism and stewardship of God’s
Creation. All the people who approached our table were very glad to
learn about our organization because, like us, they see the need to
bring the message of compassion, love and justice to the Christian
arena. Also, many people were surprised to learn that there are
Christians who actually care about God’s animals and don’t use the
term “dominion” to exploit them. We had 21 people sign-up for the
e-newsletter.
All in all a great day!
Upcoming
Activist Opportunities
12/18
TN Memphis
Carrie Underwood: the Blown Away Tour
12/30-31 VA Lynchburg
WinterFest Christian Rock Festival
1/4
NC Lexington The Hoppers Gospel
Tour
1/5 NC Charlotte
Winter Jam Christian Concert
1/6
TN Chattanooga
Winter Jam 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. Reflections on the Lectionary: Philippians 4:4-7
This
well-known passage concludes with Paul declaring, “And the peace of
God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.”
The peace of God does pass all
understanding, because we see suffering and violence all around us,
and the last chapter of every life is death. Faith encourages us to
look past the suffering and death around us and consider God as loving
and caring. With this perspective, we can see Jesus as loving and
caring as well. God is distant, mysterious, and difficult to emulate,
but Jesus provides a human model for how to live our lives.
Violence and destructiveness are incompatible with “the peace of God.”
While it will take divine intervention to bring about the “Realm of
God” envisioned in Isaiah 11:6-9, we can reflect the peace of God by
mindfully making least harmful choices throughout our lives.
Consequently, I find it ironic, and extremely disappointing, that so
many Christians choose to contribute to animal abuse. Humans abuse
animals in many ways, including the fur industry, vivisection, “puppy
mills,” and entertainment, but by far the greatest numbers of abused
animals are those who are raised for food experience. Nearly every one
experiences great pain and unrelenting misery, and then they are
murdered in adolescence or early adulthood.
Would Jesus
approve of such cruelty? If so, he would not qualify as the human
manifestation of a God of peace. He would be a false prophet, like the
many self-serving false prophets throughout history who, in order to
receive earthly rewards, have told people what they want to hear. Yet
we are told that Jesus willingly gave his life for others – not the
sort of thing we would expect from a false prophet.
Jesus
said, “Not every one who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father, who is in
heaven” (Matthew 7:21). If God is loving, caring, and peaceful, as
this passage indicates, God’s will is incompatible with today’s
needless abuse and murder of billions of innocent creatures.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.
4. This Week’s Sermon from Rev.
Frank and Mary Hoffman
The Advent of the Peaceable Kingdom
5. Veggie Brothers - Prepared Vegan Food
I’ve tried several of
the vegan meals offered at Veggie Brothers , and they are very tasty. Veggie Brothers
has a special sale this month of 15% off all items using the code
15dec2012 at checkout. The offer expires 12/31. Visit Veggie Brothers:
http://www.veggiebrothers.com