[Ken Gray] So hereโs an idea. Letโs invite Anne Lamott up to Vancouver to visit with supportive and faithful Canadians. What a great event that would be. My secret agenda would be to welcome her here for an extended period of time; maybe sheโd stay . . . So often I find myself drawn to... Continue Reading →
Songs in Season โ Lady Gaga and Bruce Springsteen
The music says it all. Enjoy, and please share. https://youtu.be/GDaPdpwA4Iw https://youtu.be/e3o5FIXoK84 Visit the takenote.ca HOME page for a colourful display of hundreds of other blogs which may interest or inspire you
First date
Love is blind? Or is it blue? โAnonymous proverb I want to make a good impression; to get our first date right. We had met in other ways โ by happenstance, at church events, at choir practice, and at community meetings. I had noticed Ronni from a distance. Sheโs attractive, and I sensed interesting. I... Continue Reading →
The deafening bells of justice
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC Sunday, February 1st, 2026 - Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Very Rev. Ken Gray Based on MATTHEW 5:1-12 I have never seen the streets of Minneapolis so full of people, and on such a cold, wintry day; temperatures of 12O F... Continue Reading →
The true value of creation and the hidden cost of its destruction
Michelle Cyca, The Narwhal โ Via BC Assembly of First Nations [Michelle Cyca] "The latest power struggle over the future of the Canadian economy โ a hypothetical new pipeline from Alberta to the B.C. coast โ has devolved into a rote debate: are First Nations blocking economic progress? Coastal First Nations โ an alliance of... Continue Reading →
The man behind the music — A hymn reflection
A few days late, but a great history from Matthew Larkin, with thanks And today, Iโm thinking of this guy, who died 150 years ago this date (January 22). John Bacchus Dykes: priest, organist, composer, tractarian: a composer of well over 250 hymn tunes, and an avid and determined ritualist who stood tall against his... Continue Reading →
Advice to ICE
Maria J. Stephan speaks with Stephen Colbert about the role faith communities can play as communities across the country look to protect their neighbors from ICE On Facebook, or YouTube As one catholic speaking with another Maria J. Stephan and Stephen Cobert explore how non-violent resistance can work in the present moment; they also explore... Continue Reading →
I need to join this vigil – Every Friday – Until the horror ends?
VIGIL IN A SMALL TOWN, by Betty-Ann Xenis, Summerland, BC The second time we met, it was windy and our candles kept blowing out. It seemed symbolic somehow. Candles, a light in the darkness, being blown out by a force beyond our control. We finally stopped trying to relight them but just stood in the... Continue Reading →
Success, learning opportunities, and Teflon-coated pans โ A scouting leadership story
[Ken Gray] The Rev. Chris Parsons (Executive Archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese of Kootenay) and I have been clergy colleagues for many years, now in the Diocese of Kootenay, and previously in the Diocese of Islands and Inlets (BC). We each know the peaks and troughs of working in ordained leadership, especially within the Anglican... Continue Reading →
On closer inspection
Another story in the series Stories from Somewhere, by me, Ken Gray Case #1993-642 The blaring ghetto blaster is getting on Janetโs nerves. Joni Mitchell, whose music is a favourite around the police station, seems to be playing on an endless loop. Detachment Sergeant, Duncan Jaimeson, loves his 60s and 70s folk tunes โ Joan... Continue Reading →