1 October 2026
This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. The featured photo is the roof of the Parish Hall. Those who are new to St. Mark’s may not realize that years ago St. Mark’s installed solar energy for all of our buildings. It is one of the primary ways in which we care for God’s creation. When we talk about stewardship, many people think only of finances, but stewardship also involves ecology. God has entrusted the creation to our care, empowering us as ecological stewards.
You may have noticed that the church has not used styrofoam for many years. Instead we use real plates or paper plates made from recycled materials. The napkins are also made from recycled materials. The coffee cups and water glasses are reusable. Recently a parishioner donated new sets of knives, forks, and spoons that are not disposable. The kitchen has a commercial dishwasher that simplifies the washing of cutlery and dishes.
Even with these efforts, we strive to do better. Due to the church growth consultants, churches were advised to include everything needed for worship in the leaflet. The ideal was that the worshipper never needed to use a hymnal or prayerbook. The problem was that worship leaflets sometimes became massive, using immense amounts of paper.
At St. Mark’s we have parishioners who recycle the remaining leaflets after each liturgy, but we also work to limit the number of pages. Holy Week is often the exception as those liturgies are complex. There is also the option of following the leaflets that are uploaded to the parish website, but this requires discipline. Can people ignore the text messages and other notifications that dance across the screen while worshipping God? With online documents arise distractions that easily disrupt a singular focus on the divine.
What else might we do? Not long ago I spoke with our yard service company about using lawn tools that are renewable and quiet. What would it look like if all our churches agreed to use such renewable energy for the care of our lawns, gardens, and properties? We would not need to breathe the noxious gasoline fumes, and we would not need to suffer due to the excessive noise of blowers and lawn instruments. How we care for our properties is related to how we care for our neighbors.
Whether finances or ecology, stewardship invites us to go deeper into our faith. Saint Francis was devoted to the worship of the Church and the care of God’s creation. His stewardship united liturgy, theology, ecology, and poverty, and he went deeper into the faith than most Christians ever do.
Our theme for stewardship this year is “Going Deeper.” It is based on Luke 5:4 when Jesus tells Peter to go out into the deep and lower the nets for a fulsome catch. This is our theme as we begin another stewardship season. Saint Francis invites us to go deeper into Christ for the care of creation. Last week I wrote how Mary invites us to follow Christ more deeply. We are called by God to take our faith and to go out into the deep. By doing so our faith becomes authentic, and the catch for Jesus Christ increases.
Father Paul Lillie
