Called out of our comfort zones

	Bishop Robert J. Banks

If you haven't heard by now, you will hear in the next few months that the Church of Green Bay will be working on Stewardship for the next couple of years.

Don't glaze over

Now don't let your eyes glaze over or immediately turn to Bp. Morneau's column. This could prove really exciting.

I must admit that it has been a bit difficult even to get the heads of our diocesan departments on board with this development, or at least with the word "Stewardship." They are all excited about what we are trying to do, but we had to convince some that "Stewardship" should be the leadership word in putting across what we want to see happen.

I remember one discussion early this summer. The objection of some of our department heads was that our parishioners will think stewardship means we are trying to raise money. (I must admit I think that is true, but we have to get beyond that.) So I suggested that we could use the word "discipleship" to head up the new thrust. "Discipleship" is a great Gospel word that calls us to follow Jesus more closely and enthusiastically.

The reaction was decidedly unenthusiastic. Most felt that the word was not that familiar, or at least not that exciting for many of our people.

So we returned to the word "stewardship," for a number of good reasons. First, it is the word that the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops used several years ago in a national campaign. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it was the word we used when we asked the Priests' Council and the Diocesan Pastoral Council what we should do to follow up on the success of RENEW 2000 in the next couple of years. Both councils agreed we should have a Stewardship Campaign -- but that we should use "stewardship" as we explained it then.

As we explained it then -- and as we will explain it now and in the future -- Stewardship is an invitation to a change of heart in the way we live our Catholic lives. So the heading for our campaign will be Stewardship -- A Way of Life.

For two years, we shall use those words to invite all the members of the Church of Green Bay -- laity, religious, and clergy -- to a change of heart, through which God and the things of God will be more central to our lives.

We call it a change of heart because we hope any change will be the result of a more deeply felt love. Through reflecting on all that God has done for us out of love, we shall be inspired, by love, to live more like Jesus in our own daily lives.

To put it another way, we hope to invite people, and ourselves, to move out of our "comfort zone" when it comes to religion. As good Catholics, we often settle down after a while into a very acceptable way of living our faith. Nowadays this normal good Catholic life can even seem extraordinary, since so many of the traditional values of American family life are no longer observed by our neighbors or other family members.

Calling good people

But Jesus called the good Jews of his time on earth out of their comfort zone, and he continues to call good people, including us, to see if our hearts could be more open to his words and invitations.

There are three areas in which Jesus can call us to do more. Those areas will be focused on during the next two years.

• The first area is prayer. Each year, parishes will use the Lenten season to invite people to consider ways in which they can be more prayerful. For me, this is the most important area of the Stewardship -- A Way of Life campaign. Heartfelt conversations with God are one of the special ways in which God speaks to us and God's grace opens our hearts.

• The second area is service. Each year, parishes will use a particular moment to invite people to mention ways in which they will give service. This is not just the usual call for volunteers to lector, teach in the religious education program or help with the parish pancake and porkie breakfast. It can and should include of all that, but there are other ways in which we also can offer service. It might be as a Boy Scout leader, a volunteer Santa ringing a bell outside Piggly Wiggly to collect for the Salvation Army. Or it could be shoveling snow for the elderly lady next door or cleaning house for a very sick neighbor.

• The third area -- and I can hear some readers saying to themselves, "Here comes the real reason" -- is sharing. Each year, parishes will encourage people to be more generous in making return to God for all that God has done for them. Frankly, while I naturally would like to see people more generous in the amount that they give to the Church for the support of its mission, there is something else I would like to see. I would like our people -- including myself -- to know more deeply, in our hearts, the beauty and gladness that can come from being generous to God.

Francis Xavier's help

It is my hope and intention to make St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of our diocese, the patron of this Stewardship -- A Way of Life campaign. He is a good example of moving out of a "comfort zone." He died at age 46 and, in his last 11 years, he opened up southern India, Ceylon, Malacca and Japan to Christianity.

St. Francis Xavier evangelized those who had never heard of Christ and he also spoke out against the incredible injustices inflicted on the native people by too many Christian colonialists. He shared the poverty of the poor in India, but dressed differently in Japan, where he saw holy poverty was not understood.

St. Francis Xavier is a good reminder that Christian stewardship means being open to God's call, and God is often calling us to more.