Thoughts about the “Tribal Church” by Carol Howard Merritt

When a young person walks into a church, it’s a significant moment, because no one expects her to go and nothing pressures her to attend; instead, she enters the church looking for something. (16)

Tribal Church is one person’s attempt to put it out there; her thoughts and feelings about being a parent, a spouse, a seeker, a rostered church leader, a young adult, a person-in-debt, all while living in a world of constant changes and uncertainty. She addresses the struggle of being a follower of Christ in a world were young people outside the church walls “seem much more gracious, loving, and responsible, more consistent with Christ-like behavior.” (2)

I am her. I recognize, taking my son Tomas to a dungeon-like nursery with worn and broken toys where it feels almost painful to leave your child. (30) However, I also remember rejoicing silently when noticing the stepstool by the sink in the restroom of a different congregation. It is amazing how stepstools can signal care and love. (33)

Carol Howard Merritt speaks right to me and with me, I can recall a young adult taking a seat in the church council in my congregation, attending couple of meetings, and suddenly  resigning due to some reasons, having to do with time, child care and meaningful use of time, never to be seen again in church.

I can feel the pain of the financial situation Merritt describes. After all, the nature of stock markets is to make gains from potential future profits, and the future profits were cashed out years ago, to fuel the spending spree of the past. This is of course extensively visible in the catastrophic situation in Iceland, where the future profits were not only cashed out but also used to leverage further loans. Merritt does not state it plainly, but the mater of fact is that the Baby Boomers have already cashed out our future income, leaving today’s young adults with crumbles under the table.

Having named the problems we are facing, that is not all there is. Congregations have potential to be a place of rest and peace, a forum for cross-generational relationships, if we are ready to listen and respect one another, admits our sins and reconcile.

Merritt does great job writing on my behalf. She is perhaps not always fair in her assumptions and claims, but I am not either. We should not be afraid of saying what we think and observe as the truth.

Carol Howard Merritt. Tribal Church. Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 2007.

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