Over the course of two millennia, the Christian tradition has generated some of the finest pieces of poetic reflection on the nature and meaning of Christian faith that exist only in dusty hymnals published more than a century ago.

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
and make our hearts your place of rest;
come with your grace and heav'nly aid,
and fill the hearts which you have made. (8th century, Rabanus Maurus)

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found. (1776, John Stocker)

Author of the new creation,
Giver of the second birth
May thy ceaseless renovation
Cleanse our souls from stains of earth (1866, Samuel Stone)

Wave, woods, your blossoms all, Grim Death is dead!
Ye weeping funeral trees lift up your head!
Christ is risen! (1850, Thomas Blackburne)

Written by pastors, monks, nuns, priests, doctors, philosophers, and more than a few lay folk of a wide theological range, these sacred hymn texts are rarely, if ever, found in denominational hymnals and are not being recorded by award-winning authors of modern anthemic pop worship songs.

As such, they are something of an endangered species that may have eventually gone extinct were it not for the tireless work of Bruce Benedict and the Cardiphonia collective of musicians and artists who are working to re-establish these texts in the life of the modern church.

Bruce and his talented colleagues across the world have collaborated to set many forgotten hymn texts to newer, more accessible folk and pop tunes and in the process, they have re-established these durable theological poems in the hearts and minds of the church.

We are thrilled to be able to feature Bruce and his musical work with the Retuned Hymn Project as the inaugural guest for new bi-annual series at the First Presbyterian Church of Flint called “An Evening With...” on Friday, February 5. Doors open at 5PM; event begins at 6PM. This event is free of charge!

Kate Bowler (pronounced BOH-ler), PhD is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and an Associate Professor of American Religious History at Duke University. She studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. In her twenties, she became obsessed with writing the first history of the movement called the “prosperity gospel”—which promises that God will reward you with health and wealth if you have the right kind of faith. She researched and traveled across Canada and the United States interviewing megachurch leaders and televangelists and everyday believers about how they make spiritual meaning out of the good and bad in their lives. The result was the book, Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel, which received widespread media attention and a lot of puns about being #blessed.

At age 35, she was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, causing her to think in different terms about the research and beliefs she had been studying. She penned the New York Times bestselling memoir, Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I’ve Loved), which tells the story of her struggle to understand the personal and intellectual dimensions of the American belief that all tragedies are tests of character.

Her third book, The Preacher’s Wife: The Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities follows the rise of celebrity Christian women in American evangelicalism. Whether they stand alone or beside their husbands, they are leading women who play many parts: faithful wife, spiritual authority, and Hollywood celebrity.

On her popular podcast, Everything Happens, Kate speaks with people like Malcolm Gladwell, Beth Moore, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby,  and Anne Lamott about what wisdom and truth they’ve uncovered during difficult circumstances.

In her bestselling memoir, No Cure For Being Human (and Other Truths I Need to Hear), Kate grapples with her diagnosis, her ambition, and her faith as she tries to come to terms with limitations in a culture that promises anything is possible.

Kate has written three bestselling books of spiritual reflections. Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection (co-written with Jessica Richie) takes what she has learned about our self-help-obsessed culture and written daily reflections on what it would mean to embrace our imperfect lives. The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days (co-written with Jessica Richie) focuses on gratitude and hope while acknowledging our messy and imperfect lives. Her latest, Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens, is packed with bite-sized reflections and action-oriented steps to help you get through the day—be it good, bad, or totally mediocre. Kate’s most recent book, Joyful Anyway reveals the surprising magic of joy - and how we can access it even when happiness feels out of reach.

We are excited to have Kate join us for our bi-annual speaker series “AN EVENING WITH…” on Friday, October 15, 2027 from 5PM-9PM. Due to venue restrictions, this event is a ticketed event and tickets will go on sale in mid-January 2027 on our website fpcf.org.