My friends at Knox Presbyterian Church on Spadina Avenue in Toronto have brought to my attention a couple of exciting upcoming events in the life and ministry of their congregation. First, on Saturday, February 11, they will be hosting a one-day retreat with Dr. Christine Pohl on the theme “Going Deeper into Community.” Christine Pohl has taught in the area of Christian ethics at Asbury Seminary in Kentucky since 1989. Her book Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition is a contemporary classic in the field and is a must read for all ministry leaders and thoughtful Christians. In her writing and teaching ministry, Pohl demonstrates the rare ability to bring the breadth and riches of the historic Christian tradition to bear on matters pertaining to the concrete, daily life of the church in a way that is both winsome and accessible. She is truly a “practical theologian” in the best sense of the term. Her most recent book is entitled Living into Community: Cultivating Practices that Sustain Us. At the retreat, she will be addressing the themes: Embracing Gratitude as a Way of Life; Making and Keeping Promises; Living Truthfully; Practicing Hospitality and Beyond. Perhaps the best part of it all is that, as a way of blessing the broader Christian community in Toronto, Knox is opening the retreat to those beyond their immediate congregation at the very reasonable cost of a suggested donation of $20. You can find out more about the conference on the Knox website here.
The second development is that on March 5 Knox will be welcoming the Rev. Fleming Rutledge to their pulpit at both their 11:00 am and 5:00 pm worship services. Fleming Rutledge is a well-respected preacher who has published several highly regarded collections of sermons. She has had a significant influence on my own development as a preacher and, as I’ve recently written about, her book The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ was recently recognized as “The Book of the Year” by Christianity Today.
Perhaps I’ll see you at Knox!