Shifting into Neutral

 Let me begin by sharing two things. First, since November I’ve been part of an “EcoPreacher Cohort,” co-hosted by the BTS Center and Creation Justice Ministries. You can read about it here. We meet once a month online and participate in hearing plenary presentations and small group discussions. The information and challenges of the program have been marvelous. I joined the program for my own development as an environmental theologian, with hopes that it would prepare me for better leadership here at St. Mark, as well as in my own journey of faith. 

Second, in 2006, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) passed a resolution call on all Presbyterians to go Carbon Neutral as a Bold Christian Witness to Help Combat the Effects of Climate Change. Among other things, the resolution, “calls upon all Presbyterians to take [Climate Change] seriously, to pray asking for God’s forgiveness and guidance, to study this issue, to calculate their carbon emissions, to educate others, and to use less energy, striving to make their lives carbon neutral.” Back in 2006, the emphases were on reducing one’s carbon output as well as purchasing carbon offsets. Today, given the greater severity of our climate crises, there is more urgency for us to attend to reducing our carbon output. 

This year the PCUSA published a “Guide to Going Carbon Neutral,” which you can download or read here. Part of the guide says that going carbon neutral “involves all aspects of church life from the pulpit to the classrooms, to the kitchen, to the community, beginning with a commitment from the Session.” Last November your Session did exactly what the guide calls for, by adopting this document as a guideline that will help us to make both our church campus and our individual homes more carbon neutral. Our Peace and Justice Commission stepped up to spearhead this work and have formed a Task Force to lead us toward compliance. And you responded well in our March 19th congregational meeting, by approving a loan for us to start the process of installing solar panels on our campus buildings. That was one major step in the long and faithful road of attaining carbon neutrality.

Of course, this direction is nothing new for St. Mark. We are continuing the marvelous work that was led in the past by our Ecophilians, particularly during the crucial time when our church campus was being designed and built. St. Mark was declared by the International Audubon Society to be “the greenest church in America” due to those efforts, and for over ten years we have been annually certified as an “Earth Care Congregation” by the Presbyterian Church (USA). The step of going “Carbon Neutral” is a continuation of that work, with many hard and exciting parts. Thanks to all of you who have led us so faithfully this far. Now, we have direction to move forward. 

This Sunday our Peace and Justice Commission and our Carbon Neutral Task Force invite you to come to the Fellowship Hall after worship to hear an Earth Day presentation in the Fellowship Hall after worship at 11:00 a.m. Our featured presenter is Dr. Kathleen Treseder, a climate change expert, who will be sharing her thoughts on St. Mark becoming a carbon neutral congregation. This is a very important time for us and will follow a worship service that is all about living thankfully and well in this beautiful earth that God has made. 

See you in worship,

Mark of St. Mark