Weekly Newsletter - December 22, 2016
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Please Begin or Renew Your Annual Membership
  2. Upcoming Outreach Opportunities
  3. American Catholic Retreat for Animal Protection
  4. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Six Principles of Nonviolence, part 1
  5. Clever Parody Video
  6. The Dec-Jan Issue of “Peaceable Table” Is Now Online
  7. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

1. Please Begin or Renew Your Annual Membership

There is no charge for receiving the weekly CVA e-newsletter, but our ministry depends on the contributions of our members, primarily for printing and distributing our booklets at Christian concerts, revivals, and other events. Please donate at CVA: Membership Level (all donations are tax-deductible).

2. Upcoming Outreach Opportunities

Leafletting

01/02-04/17 GA, Atlanta Passion 2017
01/06/2017 WV, Charleston Winter Jam 2017
01/07/2016 KY, Louisville Winter Jam 2017
01/08/2017 MI, Grand Rapids Winter Jam 2017
01/13/2017 FL, Jacksonville Winter Jam 2017
01/14/2017 FL, Tampa Winter Jam 2017
01/15/2017 FL, Sunrise Winter Jam 2017
01/19/2017 PA, Reading Winter Jam 2017
01/20/2017 PA, Pittsburgh Winter Jam 2017
01/21/2017 OH, Columbus Winter Jam 2017
01/22/2017 NC, Raleigh Winter Jam 2017
01/27/2017 IA, Des Moines Winter Jam 2017
01/28/2017 MO, St. Louis Winter Jam 2017
01/29/2017 MO, Kansas City Winter Jam 2017
02/02/2017 Al, Mobile Winter Jam 2017
02/03/2017 TN, Nashville Winter Jam 2017
02/04/2017 GA, Atlanta Winter Jam 2017
02/10/2017 IN, Indianapolis Winter Jam 2017
02/12/2017 IL, Peoria Winter Jam 2017
02/14/2016 FL, Pensacola Hits Deep Tour (TobyMac, Matt Maher, and/ more)
02/16/2017 GA, Augusta Winter Jam 2017
02/17/2017 FL, Jacksonville Hits Deep Tour (TobyMac, Matt Maher, and/ more)
02/17/2017 SC, Greenville Winter Jam 2017
02/18/2017 OH, Columbus Winter Jam 2017
02/18/2017 PA, Philadelphia The Very Next Thing Tour, Casting Crowns
02/19/2017 NC, Charlotte Winter Jam 2017
02/23/2017 VA, Norfolk Winter Jam 2017
02/24/2017 TX, Grand Prairie Hits Deep Tour
02/25/2017 TN, Memphis Winter Jam 2017
02/26/2017 TN, Knoxville Winter Jam 2017
03/03/2017 TN, Nashville Hits Deep Tour (TobyMac, Matt Maher, and/ more)
03/03/2017 TX, Houston Winter Jam 2017
03/05/2017 MO, Springfield Winter Jam 2017
03/10/2017 IL, Chicago Winter Jam 2017
03/12/2017 OH, Cleveland Winter Jam 2017
03/16/2017 NY, Albany Hits Deep Tour (TobyMac, Matt Maher, and/ more)
04/01/2016 NY, NYC Hillsong – Colour Conference US 2017
04/02/2017 AZ, Phoenix Hillsong – Colour Conference US 2017
04/03/2017 CA, Los Angeles Hillsong – Colour Conference US 2017
04/04/2017 TX, San Antonio Chris Tomlin, Worship Night
04/06/2017 OK, Tulsa Chris Tomlin, Worship Night
04/08/2017 MO, Kansas City Chris Tomlin, Worship Night

Tabling

01/14/2017 AZ, Sedona Sedona Vegfest
01/29/2017 FL, Fort Myers SWFL Veg Fest 2017
01/28/2017 AZ, Scottsdale Veg Food Festival
03/18/2017 FL, Tallahassee North Florida Veg fest
03/26/2017 CA, North Hollywood Vegan Street Fair
04/22/2017 MO, Kansas City Vegfest Kansas City
06/01/2016 WI, Madison Mad City Vegan Fest 2017
06/03/2017 OH, Cleveland Cleveland Vegfest 2017

Contact Lorena at LorenaValenziVeg@gmail.com if you can help. The CVA donates $20/hr to the veg. or animal protection group of each volunteer’s choice.

3. American Catholic Retreat for Animal Protection

There’s no doubt that the treatment of animals is becoming a serious topic within the Catholic Church in recent years. Importantly, Pope Francis himself expressed concern about climate change and the treatment of animals when he released his encyclical Laudato Si last year. He even said on Twitter, “It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.”

Inspired by the encyclical, St. Francis Alliance: Faithful Voices for Animals is hosting the very first American Catholic retreat focused on animal protection.

Featuring speakers like Bruce Friedrich and Dr. Alka Chandna, the three-day event will be held in White Post, Virginia over the weekend of February 17-19, with presentation and discussion sessions, time for individual prayer, and daily mass. The retreat is open to all people of faith, and delicious vegan food will be served all weekend. Registration closes December 31.

The St. Francis Alliance is a faith-based group of volunteers who work to improve the lives of animals. Additional details about the retreat may be found at http://www.stfrancisalliance.com/retreat.

4. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Six Principles of Nonviolence, part 1

In his book Stride toward Freedom, Dr. King articulates six principles of nonviolence. The first is that nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. Those who benefit from injustice generally utilize force to defend their nefarious activities. Those committed to nonviolence actively resist injustice, and in doing so they risk great personal harm. Therefore nonviolent resistance requires considerable spiritual, mental, and emotional fortitude.

It is important to distinguish nonviolence from pacifism. Those who perpetrate injustices have no quarrel with those pacifists who do not resist evil. However, those pacifists who participate in nonviolent resistance do pose a threat to evil-doers. In general, evil requires the acquiescence of the populace, and widespread nonviolent resistance has the potential to undermine corruption and injustice. Often, when those with power victimize those engaging in nonviolence, their actions motivate the general populace to participate in nonviolent resistance themselves.

We will continue these reflections on nonviolence next week.

5. Clever Parody Video

Please watch Fantastic Vegans and Where to Find Them.

6. The Dec-Jan Issue of “Peaceable Table” Is Now Online

Contents include:

  • The Glimpse of the Peaceable Kingdom shows a lion cub and a baby monkey playing together at Guaipo Manchurian Tiger Park in China.
  • No one likes to be forced to breathe bad smells, but it is helpful to know how this issue links the exploitation of animals with that of various classes of humans, past and present. See "Linked Oppressions: Privilege vs. Stench," the Editor's Corner Essay.
  • Farmed animals won measures in two states in November elections, as one can see in a NewsNote.
  • This month's Pioneer may be a surprise to some readers: John Wesley, founding father of the Methodist denomination, was a vegetarian who began his meatless regimen for health reasons, moved to compassionate ones, and taught in a memorable sermon that God loves and redeems all animals.
  • Steve Kaufman of the CVA Reviews From Farm to Fable by Robert Grillo, a well-argued book unmasking the many deceptions surrounding the raising and killing of animals for food.
  • A delicious Green Bean Casserole by the Gentle Chef, featured in the Recipe in this issue, would make an ideal holyday entree.

To see this issue, click on http://www.vegetarianfriends.net/issue131.html.

Toward the day of Peace on Earth, Good Will to All
Gracia Fay Ellwood, Editor

P.S. If you are looking for a gift for a spiritually-minded friend or family member who could use some support on the journey, consider my 2014 book Taking the Adventure, a collection of essays from the PT archives. You can buy it here on Amazon.

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

Jesus, Our Christmas Gift

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