Facing the Fear and Accepting the Courage to Evangelize

Posted on June 5, 2018 by the Bouchers

When we even think about sharing the message of Jesus Christ, most of us become afraid. So let us look at the specific fears we might face.

  1. We fear rejection. We might somehow be devalued in the eyes of another.
  2. We fear being judged and condemned. Someone might say, “Who are you, with all of your imperfections, to speak to me?”
  3. We fear questions that we can’t answer. Our knowledge might not be enough. We aren’t experts.
  4. We fear loneliness and isolation. Our families and friends might abandon us as religious fanatics.
  5. We fear our personal inadequacy in the face of God, as we consider a new calling to evangelize.

One evangelizer/parish home visitor told us he was “scared to death.” Yet when he returned from his first experience he was dancing with joy. “You’ll never believe it!” he said. “They were so receptive. Right away, they had questions that put me at ease and helped me sharing my faith.” Then he concluded, “Thank God for my feeling of inadequacy! If I had gone in there, feeling totally in control, I would not have allowed the Holy Spirit room to do his thing. That’s who was in control the minute I rang the doorbell.”

Evangelizing takes courage, because these fears are valid. And ‘Yes,’ there are risks.  But it is the Lord who provides holy boldness which allows us to go where angels fear to tread. So take a deep breath, utter a quick prayer to the Holy Spirit and just dig in and go for it! Spread the warmth of God’s merciful love affair with each of us. What is the worst that can happen when we share the Good News of Jesus Christ … death? And what is death, except Graduation Day, the happy Alleluia Day that I welcome.

Finally, when we ask ourselves, “What is the worst that can happen?” we should also ask ourselves, “What is the best that could happen?” There are so many positive possibilities, so many promises from God as we exercise spiritual compassion. “Do not fear, little flock, for it has pleased the Father to give you the Kingdom,” Luke 12:32

 

Excerpted and adapted from The Ministry of Evangelization by Susan Blum Gerding, (1940 – 2018), who was a pioneer in Catholic evangelizing, an author, a Papal Medal winner, and our mentor. For more visit https://www.facebook.com/HolySpiritCalling/

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Making our Parish and Ministries more Evangelizing

Posted on May 15, 2018 by the Bouchers

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Parishes offer liturgies, religious education and help for the needy, among other services. Parishes also have an array of ministry groups that serve. The key questions about each of these offerings and activities, especially in a shrinking parish, is, “How does this activity reflect the Gospel message? Are people welcomed with the compassion of Jesus? How are participants invited to ongoing transformation and conversion? In short, how is this ministry or activity evangelizing?”

First, realize that every parish has ways of communicating the Good News of Jesus to the people who approach the parish with spiritual needs. In other words, every parish already has an evangelization process. But how successful is this overall process? Second, every parish can be more successful by considering these seven overlapping steps as ways to make more progress in evangelizing. Third, every group within the parish could adopt some of these elements as ways to more clearly echo the Good News of the Gospel for parishioners and visitors alike.

1. Befriend –Welcome people to liturgies and events. Includes hospitality ministries, ways people are greeted, and ultimately, the attitudes we have towards others in daily life.
2. Share Faith Stories –Willingness to talk about ways that we have experienced God, especially in one-to-one settings, ministry meetings and in small sharing groups. This also includes planned ‘witnesses’ offered by peers at large gatherings and meetings.
3. Retell the Christ Story –Telling others what we know of Jesus and his mission.
4. Invite to Conversion – Encouraging others to turn to God is a variety of circumstances.
5. Bring into Community –Offer invitations to small and large gatherings, to liturgies and into Jesus-centered relationships within the parish as the local Body of Christ.
6. Call to Discipleship –Living with Jesus as the center of our lives and our life together.
7. Call to Stewardship –Offering our resources (time, talents, treasure) for the furthering of the Kingdom of God and empowering others to enter into the evangelizing process with us.

[Excerpted from Sharing the Faith That You Love]

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I Believe in the Risen Jesus and the Resurrection of the Body

Posted on April 17, 2018 by the Bouchers

Jesus rose from the dead and promises to share his resurrection with us. Nice idea on a Sunday when we recite the Creed. But what about when someone close to us dies? How do we act out this belief? A generation ago it was through a faith-filled wake, funeral and burial in a Catholic cemetery. But not now. Today, many people cremate loved ones without a funeral, burial prayers, or a wake. Here is an example.

When Linda’s husband, Clyde, died, she was torn between scattering his ashes, placing them on the mantle, or burying them in a cemetery. When she confided in John, they talked about which choice would be most respectful. For her, scattering his ashes could be a symbol of oneness with creation. On the other hand, a cemetery burial of his ashes would give everyone a place to remember him. Then John and Linda visited a cemetery together. It was the peaceful grounds, John’s gentle faith and the inscription at the cemetery gate that finally made all the difference: “This Catholic cemetery is a holy place… It is the resting place until the day of Resurrection for the bodies of the faithful departed… whose souls are now with God. It is a final and continuing profession of faith in God.” Some things that Linda experienced about the promise of Jesus Resurrection:

1. Although the Church prefers burial of a person’s body, cremation is acceptable when it allows for an appreciation of the integrity of the human person. This attitude was evident when we ran into a friend at cousin Albert’s wake. During our conversation about Albert, Tom explained that he had come to “pay his respects.” This is not a common saying, but it rang true for us. A display of photos does this. But converting cremains into jewelry does not. To learn more.

2. Belief in the Resurrection is difficult when a loved one dies. Bringing his or her remains to church helps reconnect us to Jesus and his promise. Praying at church also reminds us that our loved one is still a temple of the Holy Spirit, just in a different way. It also gives the family an opportunity to draw comfort by reconnecting with the Christian community, the body of Christ.

3. The death of a loved one can be a transforming experience, especially through questioning and remembering. Questions about final destiny and the meaning of life surface. Wakes and gatherings provide time to think and to feel in new ways. When John’s brother died, his estranged cousin, Carol came to the wake. After an awkward introduction, John put his arms around Carol and asked her forgiveness on behalf of their grandfather, who had ostracized her branch of the family. It was a healing moment for both of them. What had been severed was made whole. What had been broken was redeemed and healed.

4. Burying the dead is a many-faceted work of mercy. All of us can help: not with shovels but by paying attention to those who grieve –calling in the days, weeks and months ahead; listening to memories and stories; offering to pray aloud when pain surfaces; sharing photos of the deceased on social media; sharing statements of belief; offering rides to the cemetery; bringing meals and many other acts of physical, spiritual and emotional kindness.

“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus… equip you with everything good for doing his will… through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

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