Why We Installed Solar Panels
Hello –
Last Sunday I (barely) christened our new solar panels through a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer and the high arcing toss of a water balloon. That moment was the culmination of many months of effort led by the strong work of Jay Luther and Chloe Martin, faithfully supported by our Vestry. We are in their debt for a job well done.
In church, I was asked to say a word about why I thought this was a theologically important move for us to make. As is often the case, I turned to Genesis chapter one to sort my thoughts and feelings. There, we learn three things that are central. First we learn that humankind, was made in the ‘image and likeness of God.’ Then, we learn that we were given stewardship of the earth. (The word in the NRSV is ‘dominion.’) Finally, we learn that, at the end of the sixth day of creation, God saw that all that God created was ‘very good.’
These words led me to three thoughts. In descending order of magnitude they are:
• I also believe that Global Warming is happening and has at least an element of human action as a cause. By investing in capturing the renewable energy of the sun and thereby not using carbon based energy, we are being better stewards of the planet.
• We are also, in a smaller scale, stewards of one of the most beautiful sacred spaces in the Bay Area. It is our charge to be sure that the church is open for future generations so that our children’s children can come into this very space and be still before God. If we play our cards right, the solar panels mean not just a small saving in the short term, but also virtually eliminating energy costs after 2030, saving the future at least $15,000 a year in today’s dollars. That’s good stewardship of our Sacred Space.
• On a personal level, we are a community of Christian practice. Our mission is to follow Jesus together in Prayer, Worship and Service. As those of you in Discipleship Groups know, the next of the seven vows of Discipleship Groups is to take good care of our money. Likewise, we are called, in small personal ways, to take good care for our planet. We are each called to practice good earthly citizenship with our use of all things, including water, plants and light switches. These solar panels are yet another small way we can each practice personal daily virtue.
In all, I am making a very earthy, Benedictine, appeal here. Moses teaches that the Word is very near us, a teaching echoed in so many ways by Jesus. Truly, God is in the details.
Blessings,
Christopher
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