Around 50 people recently gathered for a somewhat unusual rite at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ardmore, writes Ximena Conde for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

They were there for the blessing and dedication of the church’s recently installed solar panels.

Reliance on a God-given energy source will save the church an estimated $74,000 over 30 years. It is not a huge amount, but the return on investment is not why the congregation undertook the project.

“Human beings are given this call to tend to the earth, and we haven’t been doing a very good job of that for a long, long time,” said St. Paul’s Pastor Laura Tancredi. “It’s important to us as part of living out our faith to try and do that better.”

The project also came with a sizable price tag.

The installation of the panels on three small properties at St. Paul’s cemetery cost around $70,000. However, the church was able to cover the bill from its endowment, a reserve perhaps not available to other houses of worship considering the change.

Read more about the technology now powering St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in The Philadelphia Inquirer.