The Sustainist

Sustainist Witnesses

Christians celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, the fortieth day after Easter, to commemorate the bodily ascension of Jesus into heaven.  Before he left, he charged his friends to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:7)

When someone leaves us, amidst the pain and the loss, we are faced with the difficult task of being witnesses to the existence of that person.  Perhaps that is all that is left – our memories of the relationship.  But to be a witness of this person to the ends of the earth is a very tall order. 

Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler (authors of Connected) showed that we have what they called Three Degrees of Influence.  “Everything we do or say tends to ripple through our network…Our influence gradually dissipates and ceases to have a noticeable effect on people beyond the social frontier that lies at three degrees of separation.  Likewise, we are influenced by friends within three degrees but generally not by those beyond.” (P. 28, Connected)  “If we are connected to everyone else by six degrees and we can influence them up to three degrees, then one way to think about ourselves is that each of us can reach about halfway to everyone else on the planet.” (P. 29, Connected)

So the charge to be witnesses of Jesus to the ends of the earth was definitely possible but with considerable dangers.  Jesus had seeded a network with followers who would be his witnesses first locally (in Jerusalem) and then to nearby towns and cities (Samaria) and to the ends of the earth.  And Jesus’ initiation of this network worked and Christianity did spread.  But somewhere along the way, many in the network lost their original connection to Jesus.  Instead of witnessing to what Jesus had said or done, many became witnesses to the interpreters of who Jesus was, many degrees away from the source, resulting in spreading many destructive things, like hatred, exclusion and even wars through parts of the Christian network.

 

We, who are many thousands of generations from the first Christians, need to stay close to the source of our network – Jesus.  Jesus wanted his followers to stay closely connected to him as he is closely connected to God, the Creator and Sustainer.  As a Christian, I am to be no more than two degrees from the God who, according to Psalm 68, is the parent of orphans and defender of widows, who gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom and who sends gracious rain to refresh the land when it is weary.  (Psalm 68:5-9)  As Christians, we have the responsibility to be witnesses of Jesus who confronted the oppressive system of his time by connecting with the poor, the outcast, the displaced, the unclean and the powerless, making those who were on the fringe of the social network the center of where he began his work.   We are called to be witnesses of the one who sustains us locally and to the ends of the earth.

Reflection Questions for Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year A): Acts 1:6-14  How can you be a witness of Jesus locally and to the ends of the earth? Psalm 68, 1-10, 33-36  How does God give power and strength to her people? 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11   What does it mean to be connected to the community Christ? John 17:1-11   How do you receive God’s Word and keep it?

Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org

GracEconomic Food Co-op

I was invited to offer a Holy Currencies workshop at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Bakersfield, CA last weekend.  Upon arrival, I was introduced to Alison and Jason, who founded and coordinate the Food Pantry Co-Op ministry. I was told that the Co-Op was built upon the GracEconomic concept I taught at an earlier workshop for the Diocese of San Jaoquin, of which St. Paul’s is a part. And indeed, this new ministry not only practices GracEconomics, it also mobilizes the currencies of relationship, wellness, gracious leadership, and time and place.  I will let the information on the website speak for itself:

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
FOOD PANTRY CO-OP

Our goal is to empower our customers based on shared responsibility, mutual support, and accountability through the process of exchange rather than simply offering one way giving. Customers have two options and will sign a contract to participate in either our Buying Club or Work Program.

We offer groceries and fresh produce grown from local farmers.

Buying Club Dues are weekly $5.00 or $3.00 for housed members/families and $1.00 for homeless individuals.

The Work Program allows the opportunity to earn groceries and produce through any type of work accomplished through physical needs of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and The Food Pantry CO-OP. The Work Program participants will tend to duties such as distribution, sweeping the grounds or parking lots, tending to the flower beds, and assisting in P.R. efforts.

Our members range from teenage work program members earning much needed groceries to supplement their family’s grocery need, college students unable to afford both tuition and a nutritious diet, elderly and disabled who have been sacrificing food for medications and housing, homeless who have been discarded by society, and gainfully employed individuals that despite their best efforts still face critical food insecurity.

The tremendous blessing of functioning as a true co-op of individuals and not those “with” giving to those “without” has allowed our members to feel safe enough to stay and talk, develop friendships, and build community.  Our volunteers and members have treated spider bites and injuries sustained from living on the streets, earned much needed groceries through work and not charity, built bridges of love and trust necessary to help those that finally have reached the point that they are ready to start the journey of drug treatment and sobriety, gave diapers and formula to young mothers, and most importantly offered love and respect to others as Jesus instructed his followers. 

We are proud that the F.P.C. has already developed a reputation as a “life saver”, “a safe-haven”, “willing to help even though we go to church somewhere else”, and “an establishment that fuels dignity as well as hunger.” Our members constantly claim “This is so great and like nothing I’ve ever experienced before!” The FPC has served our community in more ways than we could have imagined and all involved have certainly been humbled by God’s grace and blessing to our mission. This is just the beginning. Nutritional and occupational classes, coffee hours, and a clothing thrift store are all in development.

For more information, visit their website.

Reflection Questions for Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year A): Acts 17:22-31  What does it mean for you to be a God’s offspring? Psalm 66:7-18  In what ways has God heard you in truth? 1 Peter 3:13-22   How do you share your hope in gentleness and reverence? John 14:15-21   What does it mean for you to abide with the spirit of truth?

Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org

Sun Ship

In last week’s post on solar technologies, I ended with a question:  What are some of your ideas in helping our community move toward grid parity?  Here are some of the responses. 

Faith Lutheran’s Earth Stewardship Group has launched the first ever community solar project in this area working with the State and our local utilities district.  The 96 panels will be mounted on the Middle School roof and we’ve had pledged nearly all the $90,000 we have needed!!  Hope to start installation next month!! –Alex Schmidt, Leavenworth

Excellent question and challenge! In our parish our utility costs are the second largest share of the budget after salaries. Some technological assistance and financial assistance converting to solar would be a big help in making it happen. –Lara

I have been nagging my congregation about this for years. –Carolyn Ronald

Might a church find some way to share the electricity it produces with neighbors? Perhaps there could be a way for the church produced electricity to be shared after the church's electrical needs were met. I wonder if Edison would allow a neighborhood to create a neighborhood grid that would include properties who could put up the solar panels on their sites and share power at a reduced rate with those who could not put panels on their property. Thanks for your great work. –Bob Cornner

There are examples with a much more comprehensive approach to what Bob proposed that has been in existence for over 10 years.  In 2004, architect Rolf Disch in Freiburg, Germany completed the project called Sun Ship; it is a 59 home housing community, the Solar Settlement, with integrated retail, commercial and residential building. The Solar Settlement is the first housing community world wide in which every home produces a positive energy balance.

By the way, my electric bill last month is once again in the negative.  Southern California Edison owes me another $141 thanks to the 33 solar panels on my roof.

Reflection Questions for Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year A): Acts 7:55-60  How have you covered your ears these days? Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16  What does it mean for you to ask God to guide and lead you? 1 Peter 2:2-10   What does it mean for your community to be made of living stones? John 14:1-14   How do you find your way to God’s house?

Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org

Grid Parity

Ever since I posted last week’s blog about the solar panels on the roof of my Rancho Mirage home, producing a surplus of electricity, a question kept popping in my mind all week:  When are we, as a nation, going to recognize the potential of solar energy as a game changer for a sustainable world?  If I am already getting a financial return from my modest investment in solar energy technology, how might we strategically invest in solar technologies so that we can empower local communities and nations? The most obvious fact is that sunlight is free all around the globe!

As I was browsing in the MOMA store in SoHo, New York City, I discovered a book, The World We Made by Jonathon Porritt.  The book is written from the perspective of a teacher in the year 2050 looking back at how people and nations of the world had finally made many right decisions to create a sustainable global community.  The first chapter is about the “Solar Revolution” in which he wrote, “The key moment for solar power was when we reached ‘grid parity’ – that point at which a unit of electricity from solar energy cost no more than a unit of electricity from any other source, and often a lot less.  This had a major psychological effect: solar was no longer seen as an irrelevant add-on, but as the main thing.”

Research has shown that “The world’s deserts received more energy from the sun in 6 hours than humans consume in a year.” Imagine a world in which every household is connected to some kind of solar technologies that not only provide free energy but may provide an income.  In the U.S., Porritt proposed that grid parity can help redefine the American Dream, as it frees both individuals and the country as a whole from dependence on big foreign companies.

Here is an idea to consider for my readers, many of whom are part of a faith community network.  What if, a denomination, say the Episcopal Church or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the Presbyterian Church, or the Roman Catholic Church decides to offer all its properties—church buildings, meeting halls, schools, parking lots, pastor’s homes to be installed with solar technologies?  After the initial investment, every church will be self-sustaining in energy use. Imagine what we can do with the surplus energy produced in the grid.  What are some of your ideas in helping our community move toward grid parity?

Reflection Questions for Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A): Acts 2:42-4  What did you learn from this passage about growing your community? Psalm 23  What does it mean to have goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life? 1 Peter 2:19-25   How have you strayed from Jesus and how can you return to following him? John 10:1-10   How do you recognize the voice of Jesus?

Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org

Beating the System

My electric bill last month was -$82.17!  This means the 33 solar panels I installed on the roof of my house were producing more electricity than I was using last month and the electric company now owes me money.  I consider this an accomplishment and here is why:  When I was negotiating how many solar panels I could install, I had foolishly thought it was a matter of how much space I had on the roof.   It turned out that the electric company had made a deal with the solar panel companies, which limits the number of panels they could sell based on my current usage.  Now I understand why they insisted on seeing a whole year of electric bills as part of the assessment.  It wasn’t for analyzing my pattern of usage; it was used to make sure the electric company did not lose money on this deal.  In other words, it is unlikely that the solar panels on my roof could produce more that I use, resulting in the electric company owing me money.  The s

ystem was set up to minimize my benefit so that the electric company could continue to make a profit. 

So how did I manage to make the electric company pay?  Here is how:  after the solar panel company had made their recommendations and all the papers were signed, I brought folks in to evaluate how energy efficient my house was and as a result I replaced the pool pump, I improved the insulation in the various rooms, etc.  For the first few winter months (when the days were shorter), my bills were teetering around zero.  As the days were getting longer and we had more hours of sun, last month I finally beat the system.  

Reflection Questions for Third Sunday of Easter (Year A): Acts 2:36-41  What story have you heard that cuts to the heart? Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17  When have you call upon the name of the Lord? 1 Peter 1:17-23   What does it mean for you to be born anew of imperishable seed? John 20:19-31   How do you recognize the presence of something/someone holy?

Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org