IN FOCUS
A faithful Third Act Patricia Tull
MANY PRESBYTERIANS are voicing alarm over the climate chaos confronting our grandchildren. As mostly gray-haired Christians, we also fret over our church’s dearth of younger members. These twin worries can lead us to overlook a source of hope staring at many of us in the mirror: the vigor of baby boom retirees. In 1935, when Social Security began to offer assistance to Americans over 65, the U.S. life expectancy was 60.7 years. But by 2020 it was 78.8: 18 bonus years. Social Security, Medicare and other protections that older adults enjoy have created a class of people who can, if they wish, spend a decade or two amusing themselves — or can meaningfully and skillfully pay forward the benefits of living in God’s creation in the United States in the 21st century. In the current decade, as we are determining the Earth’s carbon load and climate stability for the foreseeable future, what we choose matters more than ever. The congregation my spouse, Don, serves in Scottsburg, Indiana, rarely sees more than 25 worshipers on a Sunday. These two dozen busy, creative Presbyterians know their halcyon days are behind them, but they keep leading large initiatives. During National Drive Electric Week last fall, they and a neighboring congregation hosted an EV (Electric Vehicle) Ride and Drive that invited folks to see and try Chevy Bolts, Mustang MachEs, F-150 Lightnings and e-bikes. That same weekend, the congregation hosted a public viewing of the beautiful 2017 ecofilm Chasing Coral. They have developed environmentally themed classes, celebrated the Season of Creation in worship, endorsed carbon tax policy and refreshed the church grounds with native plants. They act from their skills, passions, financial security and, crucially, their available post-retirement time. The ringleader of many such efforts, Elder Carol Dunn, said, “I am incredibly proud of our tiny congregation. We realize we cannot count on our government to address the climate crisis without prodding from alarmed citizens. 16 The Presbyterian Outlook | January 2023
Getting serious about earth care and helping restore the planet for our beloved grandchildren has brought us new energy, hope and even fun.” We boomers can do so much more than we may think. We’re a large generation with outsized responsibility and capacity to help save the future. This understanding led some retired women in southern Indiana to dub themselves Presbyterian climate advocates and to teach nationwide Zoom courses called Faith and the Climate Crisis. It’s why a nearby congregation, First Presbyterian Church in Jeffersonville, Indiana, installed two solar arrays, changed every light bulb, led members into home energy conservation efforts and helped the Africa Inland Church in Kisumu, Kenya, to found a tree nursery. It’s why churches surrounding Kisumu, in the once pristine but now deforested Lake Victoria area, have sown, grown and distributed tens of thousands of seedlings along with providing environmental