C3 Report: Volume 3 Issue VI (June 2010)

Contents:

• June C3 Lunch Meetings
• Activities or Actions Worth Pursuing (Selected)
•  “Triaging the Candidates for Governor” Good News Etc. Article for June
• Minute Ministry Tip #3
• General Interest: Books Read In May
• Information – Assistance Offer
• Contact information

A warm welcome to new subscribers to the C3 Report: Michael, Craig, Harold, Arden, Jeanne, Dianne, Andrea, and Traci.

June C3 Lunch Meetings:

• 22^nd of June (Tuesday) - Escondido: Marie Callenders; 615  West 13th Avenue - Lunch from 11:30 to 1:00 (Library Room)

• 24^th of June (Thursday) - San Diego: Marie Callenders; 6950 Alvarado Road - Lunch from 11:30 to 1:00 (Library Room)

Activities or Actions Worth Pursuing (Selected)

Now:  In many ways the election results were discouraging.  I’m particularly disappointed in the Bettercourtsnow.com results.  I encourage you to continue praying for those who fought the good fight, and consider donating to their campaigns even if they didn’t win – they’ll have lingering expenses that will still need to be met, and it will be an encouragement to them.

12 June – “We the People Constitution Seminar” (Escondido Charter High School)(Free):  Take advantage of this excellent opportunity!  This Saturday from 8:30 to 4:00.  Go to http://www.echs.org/constitutionform.html for information

14 June - Flag Day: Remember the adoption of our national symbol in 1777.  The USS Midway will be having its first Flag Day celebration.  Go to http://www.midway.org for information.

16 June – Prop 8: Closing arguments are to be made before Judge Walker in the Proposition 8 battle.  Continue to pray for a just ruling, and seriously consider donating to support the Prop 8 legal defense team by going to: www.protectmarriage.com

4 July - Independence Day:  Have you talked with your church leadership about what can be done to celebrate our hard-won freedoms to worship, preach, share the gospel, and influence our nation and government for the common good and God’s glory?

20 July (Tuesday): First night of a 6 week class entitled: “Dual Citizenship: Christ Honoring Stewardship of our American Experience” at Rancho Del Rey Christian Church, 1740 La Costa Meadows Drive, San Marcos.  Contact Christopher White (saltnlightministry.rdr@gmail.com) for more information

Now: “CPEDG” Invite.  I conduct a small “Cultural and Political Engagement Discussion Group” at Grace Bible Church the 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays at 0900 am, and the 2^nd & 4^th Sundays at 12:15 pm.  If you’d like to attend, contact me (frankkacer@hotmail.com) for information on approach and content  

Local Tea Parties:  For East County Tea Party time and place, go to http://www.eastcountyteaparty.org.  For Ramona Tea’d go to http://www.ramonatead.com/.  For Escondido go to:

teapartypatriots.org/Group/_Escondido_TEA_Party_-_North_County_Conservatives.  For Poway go to: teapartypatriots.org/Group/Liberty_Tree_Patriots-Poway.

My Recent Good News Etc. Article (June):

“Triaging the Candidates for Governor”

In one fell swoop, I may be alienating virtually all of my friends and fellow ministry partners.  I’m going to wade into the murky waters of Christian involvement in the current Primary race for Governor.  This brings back memories of the Grey Davis recall and the Schwarzenegger-Bustamante-McClintock fiasco years ago.  This time we have Whitman-Poizner and far back in the pack Naritelli.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t put my faith in the Republican Party (Psalm 146:3-7), but I do find it interesting virtually every Republican running for high office is claiming to be either conservative, or “the true” conservative in the race.  It’s hard for me to agree with any candidate using that label when they’ve only recently come to stand for fiscal responsibility, strong enforcement of immigration laws, or some isolated aspect of a Pro-Life position.  Such new found commitment may be going in the right direction, but it speaks to an unstable foundation, one not grounded in long, self-reflection and immersion in the truth of God’s holy word (James 4:5-8). Also, Biblical “conservatism” doesn’t give quarter to denigrating and demonizing the opposition – a particularly distasteful tactic by Whitman and Poizner.  So, what are we in the Christian community going to do?

Many will vote based upon a single “non-negotiable” – such as being strongly and openly Pro-Life or not.  Single issue voters have an easier time, since many, if not all candidates are immediately ruled out.  I can appreciate and respect the passion and reasons for these decisions.  Others may include additional “non-negotiables” such as traditional marriage, parental rights, fiscal restraint, controlled borders and the like.  As the litmus list grows the list of acceptable candidates becomes shorter.  For the three candidates I’ve listed, only Naritelli comes closest to meeting the criteria we’d want to use.  One twist is voting on “principles” in the Primary, then more “pragmatically” in the Fall.

Others will base their vote on the best balance of electability and alignment to our values.  When this approach, Whitman and Poizner’s stock rises considerably above Naritelli’s.  This is a brutal fact of politics – money and machine are the foundations for any successful campaign, no matter how right a candidate may be on the issues.  We may think God will bring about a miracle and deliver our choice independent of reality, but there’s a very large contingent of non-Christians and Christians-in-name-only that must be swayed towards our preferred person in order to win an election, and money and machine are typically the tools of choice to win their vote – whether we like it or not.

Finally, some are pragmatists and look strategically for the Fall General Election.  Basically, who has the best opportunity to beat Jerry Brown?  This view says voting for Naritelli siphons off votes that would otherwise go to Poizner, who is in many ways more to the political right of Whitman, thus helping elect Whitman.  Realistically, her campaign for November would lack real enthusiasm and outreach from the conservative camp, thus spelling potential disaster. 

The bottom line is that we must educate ourselves as best we can, continue to grapple with what would in our understanding be the best decision, and then vote our conscience as unto the Lord (Col 3:23).  What we’re not asked to do, I believe, is to vote only out of emotion, or based solely upon attack ads.  More importantly, we’re not to become divisive amongst ourselves about these political decisions.  This side of heaven we’re all subject to sin and imperfection, just like every candidate for office.  However, we as brothers and sisters in Christ can easily forget that we have infinitely more in common through Christ than we will ever have in our political choices.  This Primary, though important, will soon be over.  There’ll be many more types of battles to come.  Obviously, we should strive to be united in our actions and decisions, but experience tells me there’ll be many differences amongst us.  May the Lord protect us from divisiveness in the face of these differences, and may the sweet fellowship we have because of Christ, not our votes, be the bond that binds us.  And finally, may the Lord have mercy on us all.

Minute Ministry Tip #3:

Church Infrastructure.  Generally, the larger the church, the more process, policy and decision layers you’ll find.  This isn’t necessarily bad, since it serves to protect the integrity and reputation of the church, and in most cases results from difficulties encountered in the past.   For members impatient with their church engaging in cultural and governmental influence ministries, these “bureaucracies” can make any decisions maddeningly slow.   Always remember, however, how important it is to work within the decision structure that exists, no matter how long it takes.  This will not only lead to creation of a mature ministry, but it will be institutionalized  to ensure long term viability, visibility, oversight, finances, and promotion.  The smaller the church, the fewer the decision layers and “bureaucracy”, but the decision oversight by your spiritual leadership is still the key component that needs to be worked with and not against.

General Interest - Book Read In May:

“Rediscovering God in America – Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation’s History and Future”: by Newt Gingrich (2006) (small size; 159 pages).  This short, easy to read book is a good gift for a young person to read, or an older person that only reads very little.  It treats major faith symbols and words in the Washington DC Capitol region (with pertinent background), and shows how the most recent monuments are increasingly more secular in nature.  For more serious treatments I would recommend David Barton’s materials (Wallbuilders), but for a casual read, stocking stuffer, this is fine.

“God Bless America – Prayers & Reflections For Our Country”: a publication of Inspirio, The Gift Group of Zondervan (1999) (pocket size; 207 pages).  This little hardbound booklet is an excellent stocking-stuffer, or giveaway gift.  It contains eight sections (e.g. Prayer, Freedom, Leadership, etc.) containing patriotic information, selected scriptures relevant to the topical area, and quotes from a wide range of people.  We may disagree over the application of some of the verses, or the heart of some of the people quoted – but the words and scriptures used are well presented and an excellent opportunity to read at your leisure or to discuss and interpret with others.

Information – Assistance Offer:

Do you have a pastor or ministry leader that’s receptive to establishing a Christian Citizenship (or Salt & Light) Ministry in a legal, Christ-honoring, Biblically balanced way?  I’d love to take them to lunch to discuss how to go about it in a reasonable way.  Just let me know. 

Contact Information:

Frank Kacer

frankkacer@hotmail.com

Executive Director of the Christian Citizenship Council (C3) of San Diego

C3 is a 501(c)3 organization, serving the Christian community since 2004

www.christiancitizenshipcouncil.org

As always, if you wish to be taken off the distribution list, just let me know.

C3 Vision Statement

“The Christian Citizenship Council of San Diego exists to encourage and equip Churches and believers to apply biblical principles to all spheres of the culture around us, and to all of life”

(Matt 5:13-16; 16:18; 22:39; Jer 29:7)

“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan”

(Prov 29:2)