Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - July 26, 2018
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)


  1. Original Sin, part 41: Love and the Great Existential Questions
  2. Activist Report
  3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

1. Original Sin, part 41: Love and the Great Existential Questions

In reflecting on Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning, I wonder whether Frankl’s love for his wife, which gave Frankl direction, purpose, and meaning while he suffered greatly in a Nazi concentration camp, could resemble the love of Jesus, which was more universal in nature. During our day-to-day lives, we often seek to develop or maintain love for family and friends characterized by strong feelings of attachment and affection. A universal love, which involves a sense of connection to everyone, might address our deepest needs and desires.

A fundamental problem of human existence is that, at our core, we don’t know who or what we are. What Buddhist thinkers sometimes call our “lack” is our inability to find something firm and solid that each of us can say is “me.” We certainly have a sense of individual identity, but we would be hard pressed to define exactly what this is. Some people refer to this sense of self as the “soul,” but just giving a name to something doesn’t help us understand what it is or make it any more real.

One way to illustrate the problem is to consider the following question: When did you become “you” – the person with a sense of self that does not change through life? It certainly wasn’t when you were an embryo, probably wasn’t when you were a fetus, might have been when you were a baby, and almost certainly had happened by the time you were 3-4 years old. What happened that transformed you from a bunch of cells no more “you” than any other bunch of cells, to a person with a sense of self?

Calling this transformation a “miracle” or “an act of God” does not clarify the process. We are left with awe, wonder, and a humble appreciation that we cannot answer the most basic questions related to our existence – Where did we come from? What are we supposed to do with our lives? What happens to our sense of self when we die?

Our intense desire to feel as if our sense of self is something “real” and tangible in the world, rather than a temporary state of mind, encourages us to make our mark on the world. This can be a source of positive creativity, but it can also be a source of destructiveness that relates back to Original Sin. I will continue to explore this next week.

Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.


2. Activist Report

Not previously reported was Rick Hershey and friends leafleting at Winter Jam in the spring at University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Rick writes:

I handed out 1800 CVA booklets and Annie and her daughter said that they handed out another 600 for a total of 2400 CVA booklets for Winter jam at McKenzie Arena. Most of the booklets that I gave out went to kids. One of the students said that she got one on campus. I told her that this was different. Sometimes when I offer a booklet saying “Honoring God’s Creation!” the person that I am speaking to says, “we are.” I often reply that this is another way that they can help that they might not have thought of before.

Thanks,
Rick

Upcoming Activist Opportunities

07/30/2018 OH, Columbus Casting Crowns

07/31/2018 FL, Orlando Jason Crabb

08/01/2018 FL, Orlando Jason Crabb

08/03/2018 NY, NYC Hillsong Conference USA

08/04/2018 CO, Denver Switchfoot

08/04/2018 MO, St. Louis Colton Dixon

08/05/2018 OR, Portland Franklin Graham’s Decision America Pacific Northwest Tour

08/05/2018 TX, Corpus Christi Newsboys United

08/09/2018 WA, Spokane Franklin Graham’s Decision America Pacific Northwest Tour

08/10-12/18 IN, Indianapolis Women of Joy

08/12/2018 TN, Memphis Needtobreathe

08/17/2018 DC, Washington Needtobreathe

08/18/2018 MA, Boston Needtobreathe

08/19/2018 PA, Philadelphia Needtobreathe

08/19/2018 CA, Anaheim Chris Tomlin

08/21/2018 NC, Charlotte Needtobreathe

08/24-25/18 MN, St. Paul Joyce Meyer Conference

09/15/2018 PA, Reading Propel Women Activate 2018

09/15/2018 CT, Stamford Casting Crowns

09/28/2018 FL, Orlando For King & Country

10/04/2018 IN, Indianapolis Mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North

10/5-7/2018 TX, San Antonio Women of Joy

10-6-2018 TX, Houston Propel Women Activate 2018

10/12/2018 LA, New Orleans Mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North

10/13/2018 TX, Tyler Mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North

10/13/2018 FL, Miami Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/16/2018 OH, Cincinnati Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/18/2018 MO, Kansas City Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/19/2018 OK, Tulsa Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/20/2018 TX, Houston Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/23/2018 TX, El Paso Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/24/2018 AZ, Mesa Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/26/2018 CA, San Diego Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/26-28-18 MO, Independence Mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North

10/27/2018 CA, Los Angeles Hillsong Tour Worship United Young & Free

10/28/2018 AR, N. Little Rock Mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North

11/03/2018 PA, Reading Jeremy Camp and Matthew West

11/03/2018 ME, Portland Mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North

11/09/2018 SC, Greenville Mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North

11/10/2018 NC, Greensboro Mercy Me & Tenth Avenue North

11/10/2018 TX, Hidalgo Jeremy Camp and Matthew West

11/11/2018 TX, Corpus Christi Jeremy Camp and Matthew West

11/16/2018 MO Jeremy Camp and Matthew West

11/18/2018 KS, Wichita Jeremy Camp and Matthew West

Tabling

08/04/2018 MO. St. Louis St. Louis Vegfest

08/04/2018 PA, Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Vegfest

08/12-13/18 IL, Lisle Veggie Fest Chicago

08/18/2018 MO, Kansas City VegFest Kansas City

08/25/2018 OH, Columbus Columbus Vegfest

09/02/2018 NC, Asheville Asheville Vegan Fest

09/08/2018 TN, Chattanooga Chattanooga VegFest

09/15/2018 PA, Scranton NEPA VegFest

09/15/2018 NY, Rochester Rochester Vegfest

09/15/2018 DC, Washington DC Vegfest

09/16/2018 MN, St. Paul Twin Cities Vegfest

09/29/2018 NV, Las Vegas Vegas Vegfest

10/17/2018 MI, Grand Rapids Grand Rapids Vegfest

10/13/2018 IL, Chicago Chicago Vegan Mania

10/20-21/18 CA, Costa Mesa SoCAl VegFest

10/20-21/18 OR, Portland Portland VegFest

10/27/2018 TX, Dallas Texas veggie Fair

10/27/2018 CA, San Francisco World Veg Festival

10/28/2018 FL, Orlando Central Florida Veg Fest

11/03/2018 FL, Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Veg Fest

11/04/2018 AZ, Phoenix SouthWest VegFest

11/10/2018 GA, Atlanta Atlanta Veg Fest

11/11/2018 FL, W Palm Beach Palm Beach VegFest

Leafleting and tabling are effective, enjoyable ways to show our brothers and sisters in Christ that a plant-based diet is good for God’s Creation. When you volunteer for the CVA, the CVA now donates $16/hr. for tabling and $25/hr. for up to 3 hours for leafleting to the veg. or animal protection group of your choice. Contact Lorena at [email protected] if you can help.


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

True Salvation Includes Veganism


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