VST Presents “Encountered by the Holy”: June 14 – 15, 2026
VANCOUVER, BC. March 24, 2026. The Vancouver School of Theology is pleased to announce Encountered by the Holy, a two-day gathering presented by the O’Driscoll Forum on Preaching and the Arts, taking place June 14–15. Bringing together preaching, music, and artistic expression, the program offers a shared exploration of how holiness reveals itself in the world.
Encountered by the Holy invites participants to consider what it means to encounter the holy—not as an abstract idea, but as an event of personal encounter that shapes how we speak, listen, and respond. The program brings together worship, music, conversation, and reflection. Through these practices, the gathering attends not only to what is said about the holy, but to how it is encountered—in moments that interrupt, reorient, and invite a different way of being in the world.
The program includes two FREE public events:
Sunday, June 14 | 7:00–9:00 PM
Notes of Rest® Concert — Julian Davis Reid (registration required)
A contemplative musical experience that weaves together spiritual practice and Black musical traditions, inviting participants into rest, reflection, and renewal.
Julian is an artist-theologian, pianist, and composer, and the founder of Notes of Rest ®
Monday, June 15 | 7:00–8:30 PM
Seeking Beauty and Truth (based on Psalm 27:4) Public Lecture — Craig Barnes (registration required)
A public lecture exploring the presence of holiness in the world and the role of preaching in attending to it.
Craig is a theologian and pastor, and former president of Princeton Theological Seminary.