Around November last year the LCA WA District convention planning team here at Bethlehem nominated the following theme to the District Church Council for Convention of Synod which we host next weekend:  ‘Certain in Christ, Bold in Action’.  It directly picks up on the opening verse of the epistle reading assigned for that weekend – 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2.  So much for the administrative references (council, district, convention, synod – all designed to support the carriage of the Gospel, but not central to it).  When we come into the body of Christ, his church, his Holy Spirit brings us into a greater glory (2 Cor 3:9)… ‘far greater than the glory that made Moses’ face shine when he came down from Mt Sinai.  This promise gives us hope… which for Christians is not a maybe, but a certainty because of the life of Jesus Christ in history that delivered our salvation, freedom and life eternal. >So with the Spirit and this certain hope, we can surely be bold in action. What sort of BOLD action?  Lot’s of different action of course (not foolhardy though!)  For a synod of the church it includes things like jointly confessing our faith, supporting our leaders, casting a vision and putting steps in place to achieve it.  But it all starts at the sort of thing Jesus referenced in our Gospel today, summed up  in the last line ‘Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful’ (Luke 6:36)  Being forgiving, humbling ourselves before God, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans 12:3) and living lives of continual service is way bolder than we ever really stop to think about.  And all powered by the Spirit who brings us Christ and his gifts.  So go BOLDLY.