Lynn Phillips [Ken Gray] A few days ago I expressed concern about the Church of my heritage and clerical vocation, The Anglican Church of Canada. I suggested that some days I think I should look around a bit; try a different denomination; explore different worship styles. I have always been curious about the Quakers. I... Continue Reading →
A gallery of interpretations of the near-death life of the not-yet late (?) Senator Mitch McConnell If the Trump administration has inspired anything apart from racism, dishonesty, idiocy, cruelty, criminality, and violence, it has certainly pushed AI humorists to great creative heights. Spurred on by the question of the day: Is Mitch alive? Or dead?... Continue Reading →
Podcast: Theologian Ronald Rolheiser talks about a spirituality for our wisdom years by John Dear, July 13, 2026 in the National Catholic Reporter On this week's episode of "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," I speak with writer and theologian Oblate Fr. Ronald Rolheiser about his latest book,Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years,... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen, SummerlandSunday, July 12, 2026 -- The Very Rev. Ken Gray Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it:thou makest it very plenteousThou crownest the year with thy goodness:and thy clouds drop fatness-- Anthem by Maurice Greene (1696-1755) I used to sing this anthem by Maurice Greene as a... Continue Reading →
The Honourable Tom Siddon, PC (1941–2026) – Obituary on Castanet [First, from Tom’s family] It is with heavy hearts, but with heads full of happy memories and passed down knowledge, that we must announce the passing of The Honourable Thomas Edward Siddon, P.C., on June 28, 2026. Tom was surrounded by family when he peacefully... Continue Reading →
From 940 CFCW, London, ONT Tommy Hunter, one of the most beloved figures in Canadian television and country music, has died. Born Thomas James Hunter on March 20, 1937, in London, Ontario, Hunter passed away on July 2, 2026, of natural causes. He was 89. Known to generations of viewers as "Canada's Country Gentleman," Hunter... Continue Reading →
I lost touch with Bill and Anne Osborne many years ago. An online search tells me that Bill died in 2018; Anne is likely still living in Victoria somewhere. (Please forward this blog to her if you are in contact with her.) We shared music, church, and the arts together in the mid-1970s. Bill was... Continue Reading →
Benjamin Britten conducting a rehearsal for the opening of the Snape Maltings Concert Hall in June 1967, with Anita Lasker-Wallfisch the second cellist on the right. Photograph: Hans Wild/Britten Pears Arts Three months after Bergen-Belsen was liberated, Britten and Yehudi Menuhin performed there. Survivor and cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch was ‘transfixed’ – as she told the... Continue Reading →
A retired bishop told me recently that “when you retire, the church forgets you.” While blunt, I think they may have a point. Writing in UK Church Times: “Retirement: The Church of England depends on retired clergy, 19 June 2026, Bishop Colin Fletcher argues that “much more needs to be done to nurture clergy retirees.”... Continue Reading →
Rachel Ward's journey from Hollywood to regenerative farming - Reposted from Forgotten Facts on Facebook In the spring of 1983, a British actress named Rachel Ward appeared on American television for four nights, playing a character named Meggie Cleary in a miniseries called The Thorn Birds. Around 140 million people watched. For four episodes she... Continue Reading →
