The Price of Gas

In a recent email from one of our "commuting" pastors the effects of mushrooming gas prices on the performance of ministry became readily apparent. He works full time in the church that he serves and lives in the parsonage for 5 days each week. The other two days he commutes back to his home to spend two days with his family. Now, if this weren't enough of a strain on his family life (and his own health!), the thought of gas topping $4.00 per gallon was going to prove to be a "deal breaker" in the continuation of that pastoral arrangement. He was letting me know that he was ready to move closer to home.

The price of gas is not going down. So say all the pundits that I've heard speak on the subject. Even at $4.00 per gallon we still pay half of what Europeans pay (and they have working, dependable and utilized public transit systems!). The world wide demand will continue to keep prices high. That's the way economics works, so "they" say. This all means that we must look for new ways to cope with the situation with which we are faced.

Some view the high price of gas as an opportunity. Ecologists promote alternate modes of energy. "Green" is the operative word here. A new Aldi's (discount groceries) store in East Syracuse has been built "green". There's more demand for hybrid cars. Newspapers report plans for "wind" farms and ethanol plants on an increasing basis. Trucking companies plan computerized routes for their drivers that include making as many right hand turns as possible, finding gas stations with the cheapest prices and directions for cruising at reduced speeds in order to promote greater engine efficiency.

I think of these things as I tool down the highway (usually late for my meetings). I say to myself, "If I weren't running late, I would slow down and save money on gas and reduce my carbon 'footprint'." But I don't, I'm sorry to say. Susan tells me that I need to discipline myself in order to give more time to getting to meetings. She says that I wouldn't be in such a rush and forget half of what I intended to take to my meetings. I wouldn't drive so fast. And she wouldn't worry about me so much. (It's good to have spouses, partners and loved one to point out ways for self improvement! It's even better when they're right.)

I was telling Geoffrey Black the other day that my on-the-job mileage has been significantly reduced since Marian and I redistributed our responsibilities within the Upstate Region of the Conference. The two associations that I cover are more compact in the distances between churches. (This, eventhough Oneida and Susquehanna are larger geographically than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined!) I've also been doing more online (blogs, email and a website).

Church newsletters increasingly are talking about energy conservation: disciplining the thermostats, changing the lights to LED bulbs, upgrading the boilers, using china and ceramics instead of styrofoam and paper, and turning off the computers when not in use.

In a twist of fate (and thinking) there are also those that have found opportunities from the effects of global warming. Those of an entrepenuerial bent have recognized that with the melting of the ice cap at the north pole, suddenly the rich oil reserves that heretofore had been covered by glaciers are now accessible. This means that we may not have to open the nature reserves in Alaska to drilling, although we'll probably still do that. This also means that we'll compound the recklessness that caused global warming in the first place and speed up the end of life as we know it. (Thank goodness we're trying to learn whether or not life is sustainable on Mars!)

This is all to say that the price of gas -- what it represents and the ecological, economic, political, military and ethical effects that it produces -- also effects the ministry that we seek to perform. It effects the people in our pews and the money in the offering plates.

These are the realities we face. So, how do we do ministry? And, what is the ministry that we are to perform? The answers are universal and timeless. We witness to the love of God for the worlds that God created and all the creatures therein as we can, whenever we can, to whom and howsoever we can. Sometimes it will mean advocacy for just laws and policies. Always it will mean changing our personal behaviors. I'm driving less. Now I must commit myself to driving more responsibly. I working on remembering to turn off my computers (and printers, etc.) when I'm not using them. We're gradually changing the light bulbs in our house. Advocacy has not been a gift of mine, but I am beginning to write more often about such things.

We do need to do ministry differently. My "commuting pastor" friend will probably need to make a change. Our churches will need to become more ecologically friendly (it's an economic move as well as an ethical one). And, there are still people to serve. There are those that will lose jobs or earn less money in the jobs that they have because of the economic stress of global warming, it's effects and the attempts to reverse it. There are those that are losing their lives in cyclones, earthquakes, wildfires and floods. Their survivors need our help.

And always we need to remember the faithfullness of our God who has placed us as caretakers for the world that God has created.

"The earth is God's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for God has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of God? And who shall stand in God's holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from God, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek God, who seek the face of the God of Jacob." (Ps. 24:1-6, NRSV-NCH)

Blessings,

Rick Cowles