Holy Week 2011 will include a personal Lenten experience that caused me to “stretch” not only my understanding of stewardship as a disciple of Jesus Christ, but challenged me to practice it in a way that will stay with me for a very long time, if not for the rest of my life. Here in […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: Discovering or Recovering Stewardship this Lent
As we are about to begin another Lenten Season, I consistently recall other Lenten seasons and how I began them with such enthusiasm on Ash Wednesday to have a “good, fruitful and holy Lent,” only to discover that 20 days into the 40 days of Lent, I am just “coasting” to get through the rest […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: “In the Bleak Midwinter… Stewardship Has Time to Grow”
In 1872, Christina Rossetti wrote a now-famous poem, In the Bleak Midwinter, that begins with an accurate account of our weather conditions here in North Dakota, especially in January. More importantly, the poem concludes with a thought provoking verse that describes the “stewardship condition of our heart.” Thirty-four years later, Christina’s poem became a popular […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: Friends in Stewardship
Located on a hillside in Assisi, Italy, stands the magnificent Basilica of St. Francis, which are actually two basilicas: an upper and a lower one. Both are filled with amazing art and frescos. During my recent visit to Italy, I was blessed to spend 12 days in Assisi. I spent a lot of time in […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: “What If” Stewardship Could Change Our World?
“What if” someone had an idea that, through music, the world could change? “What if” that person spent 10 years traveling all over the globe finding “street” musicians anywhere and everywhere to record an old pop favorite, Stand By Me? “What if” they did record it, despite the fact that none of the musicians left […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: Did the Apostle Paul Have a Stewardship Story?
Permanently etched in my memory is a painting done by the famous Italian artist Caravaggio of the “Conversion of St. Paul.” It is one of Caravaggio’s greatest works, telling the story that changed the face of Christianity and the Catholic Church. I have read the account of Paul’s conversion many times in the New Testament […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: What Would a School of Discipleship Look Like?
The experience of learning is a human activity that is a lifelong process. Whether we realize it or even acknowledge it, our opportunities to learn about life, acquire new knowledge or strengthen our faith are always right before us. While the potential to learn is constant, our “classrooms” keep changing. Where we experience “learning” is […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: “Coincidental” Stewardship
The famous author Gilbert K. Chesterton supposedly once said, “Coincidences are God’s way of staying anonymous.” Some have told me they have no time for coincidences and even regard them as unimportant. There may have been a time when I might have agreed with them. But since a “conversion” to the stewardship way of life, […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: Tithing Made a Difference in my Spiritual Life
Tithing hasn’t always been a part of my own practice of contributing to the Church or other charities. I donated when and what I could for a number of years, but I have to admit, how much I was willing to give was sporadic and inconsistent. To make the decision to commit 10 percent of […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: Planting the Seeds That Become the Roots of Stewardship
The understanding of stewardship is that everything we have is a gift from God, and responding to that gift with gratitude and a need to give something back in appreciation has become our natural response. We have used our time, talent and resources to establish our parish as one who models the stewardship way of life.
