Boldly

 BOLDLY

    Community of Christ, a divine vision is set before you. Presented over the years through various inspired phrases and symbols, it is expressed now through initiatives in harmony with Jesus Christ’s mission.

    As a spiritual venture, boldly follow the initiatives into the heart of God’s vision for the church and creation. Then, in response to growing insight about God’s nature and will, continue to shape communities that live Christ’s love and mission.

- Words of Counsel presented at the 2013 World Conference

I am thinking about the adverb, boldly.  It is familiar to us, of course, and has a nice ring to it, especially for Star Trek fans, many of whom may have grown up hearing the introduction to the TV show day after day.

    Space: The final frontier
    These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise
    Its 5 year mission
    To explore strange new worlds
    To seek out new life and new civilizations
    To boldly go where no man has gone before

According to dictionary.com, the following are the possible definitions of the root word, “bold.”

bold
1. not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring: a bold hero.  
2. not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent: He apologized for being so bold as to speak to the emperor.
3. necessitating courage and daring; challenging: a bold adventure.
4. beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative: Einstein was a bold mathematician. a difficult problem needing a bold answer.
5. striking or conspicuous to the eye; flashy; showy: a bold pattern.

All of these definitions may be helpful, but what does it mean for the church to boldly follow the initiatives into the heart of God’s vision for the church and creation?  How do we do that?  What is suggested by the imperative, boldly follow?

While I don’t have the answers to all these questions, I do have a couple of observations.  First let me suggest that this a call to group action and not an individual or solo venture.  If we are to boldly follow, we need to do it together, whether in families, congregations, households or groups of people.  Second, following suggests that the divine Presence is already moving, and it is our job to identify that initiative, get up off our duffs and ask how we can help.  Without hesitation, perhaps being forward, with courage and daring, we are called to move beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.

Okay, I think I'm starting to get the message.  It  feels a little scary and intimidating, but that is why we need to boldly follow, and do so together.

Boldly, let's have a conversation, shall we?  What does this word suggest to you in this context?

Posted by Carman