June 2009 Message from the Pastor

Earth Keeping

Our celebration of Earth Sunday reminded me again of the wonderful gift we have in God’s creation. The Bible, from the very beginning in Genesis, reminds us of the importance of keeping or protecting the planet. And increasingly, a consensus of scientists remind us that we need to protect the planet from ourselves, that we may well be the greatest threat to our fragile environment.

So, a pressing question for us is how great a priority should earth-keeping be? Especially in these days of recession and the need for people of faith to be discerning our responsibilities to care for each other, how does care for the creation enter the equation? As an institutional church, how do we also prioritize our care for the facilities and infrastructure over against the needs of the community and our members?

For some time, our property committee has worked to reduce our energy consumption and increase the efficiency of our “plant.” Needless to say, we still consume a lot of energy, with electrical bills averaging almost $600 per month. This has prompted our Green Team to explore the possibilities of installing solar panels which could reduce our PG&E bill and our carbon footprint as well. But how to cover the initial expense of installing the panels and also replace a section of the sanctuary roof which is due to be replaced anyway in a few years?

The calculations are still being done and options are being weighed. But the question will likely be one that we will all have to debate and decide. If there are expenses involved that need to be financed or individually contributed to, how much of a priority will this be? Is the investment now essential for the welfare of our children and grandchildren who will be the greatest beneficiaries or are the more immediate needs of people around us more important? How much investment is possible if we try to do both earth-keeping and humanitarian ministry in a time of recession?

In all likelihood, we will have some options to consider in terms of modest or more optimal solar possibilities. We will weigh the option of acting now or postponing consideration of this decision. The Green Team will attempt to spell out the reasons why this is important and urgent. But it will be an issue for the congregation and Council to decide. I think it’s good for us as creation stewards to really wrestle with such an issue. Let us pray and debate and discern God’s will in this important issue of our time.


Pastor Jim Friedrich