Be Bold, Be Strong,
For the Lord your God is with you.
I am not afraid,
I am not dismayed.
For I’m walking in faith and victory,
Come on and walk in faith and victory,
For the Lord your God is with you.
When I hear the phrase ‘Be Bold’ I am quickly transported to a Christian summer camp I worked on for two summers when I was 17 and 18. A very popular worship song those summers was the one above which started with the call and response Be bold! Be bold!, Be strong! Be strong! As you walked around camp you would hear brief outbreaks of the song as kids were engaged in other activities. I’d been on summer camps when I was younger, usually with Girl Guides so was used to campfire songs being popular, and I knew some of the Christian camp songs from my youth group experiences but this summer being at a camp that was centered on my faith was different. Being somewhere where Jesus was central, where fun and faith came together, where I learned about Jesus and was able to talk about prayer and faith with ease was a joy. Along with beach walks, swimming, kayaking, crafts and movies, we, the campers and staff, shared a real faith and had time and space to celebrate that. At the end of the session leaving was bittersweet but year after year, as I continued working at other church summer camps, I found the experience of faith shared would refresh and embolden me to carry my faith into a new year, at school and later at work. This is why I encourage families to consider our diocesan camps for their children and why each year I try and create a small space a St. James’ to bring that fun and faith together. But for all of us, worshipping and growing as Christians, in worship, through faith formation or socially gathering, can embolden us to go out and do the work God has given us to do. So draw from your faith and – Be Bold!