September always feels like a beginning for me, children go back to school, vacations are over, on the 22^nd day summer is officially over and we are in the Fall. This year feels like we face so much more. Earlier this month the UN Secretary-General, said “This summer’s scorching heat, raging wildfires and deadly floods are a warning of what lies ahead. We must make the overshoot above 1.5 degrees as small and short as possible. That demands an overshoot of ambition.” We face a consequential election in November. Significant cuts to healthcare will begin on January 1^st. How do we go forward? What thresholds are we called to cross in facing these changes?

Voting

Make sure you can vote. It is easy to verify your voting status: go to http://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. This site will enable you to: check if you are registered to vote; where you are registered to vote; check your political party preference; language preference for election materials; the status of your vote-by-mail or provisional ballot. It will also help you find your polling place; information for upcoming local and state elections; contact information for your county elections office, and choose how you want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election.

All California active registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2026, General Election. County election offices will begin mailing ballots to voters no later than October 5, 2026. All California voters should check the address where they are registered.

Following Jesus into the Public Square

If you missed our blog about this workshop on October 17, 2026, click https://ecrsocialjustice.blog/  and open the August 16^th blog. It will bring you to more information about an event that will:

• Help you discern how God is calling you to use your gifts
• Provide you with tools to live into your baptismal covenant, rooted in nonviolence
• Give you hope for the possibilities that God can open

Support Balcony Solar Power By Bill Shreve

Balcony solar has been in use in other parts of the world for years. It is a portable system of solar panels that allows one to plug the system into a standard electrical outlet and use power from the sun in your home. The California legislature has passed SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act, so now it is awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature so that California can join the growing list of states legalizing balcony solar.

SB 868 would make it easier for Californians, especially renters, to use portable solar devices by streamlining approvals and establishing clear safety standards. This could open the door for millions to access clean energy and lower their utility bills.

Join California Interfaith Power and Light in supporting this legislation.

Sign CIPL’s letter to Gov. Newsom asking him to sign SB 868 into law!

As people of faith, we believe clean energy should be accessible to everyone. Let’s make sure this bill gets the signature it needs.