[Disclaimer. You will never get me in a sweat lodge. The heat and the smoke would do me in. I know a number of folks, mostly men, who have benefited greatly from such a practice, including the Premier of Manitoba, Waab Kinew. Beyond the lodge itself, the practice of acknowledging โall my relationsโ teaches us... Continue Reading →
THANKSGIVING SERMON 2025
A sermon for the combined congregations of St. Stephen Anglican Church and Summerland United Church at the Stone Church in Summerland -- Thanksgiving Sunday, October 12, 2025 -- The Very Rev. Ken Gray Itโs a familiar scenario to all of us. We walk into a grocery store, or a car dealership, or into one of... Continue Reading →
A most honourable mention โ Remembering Peter Hamel
โHe stood his ground, he knew what was right, he kept his word, and he kept things honest,โ says Hamel's widow, Margo Hearne. I first met Peter Hamel at a conference in the Diocese of British Columbia (now โIslands and Inletsโ) in 1993. Newly ordained it was an early experience for me of the tempestuous... Continue Reading →
Here is a book worth reading โ A focus on Francis
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Church, Penticton on Sunday, October 5, 2025 [St. Francis transferred from Oct 4) by the Very Rev. Ken Gray โPreach the gospel at all times, and when absolutely necessary, use wordsโ Attributed to St. Francis, these words embody the thirteenth-century Italian whose greatest honour was to be... Continue Reading →
Now is a great time to be a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays, and it seems, a Blue Jays player
Our Jays are on an amazing run right now. Few predicted such success six months ago. Our boys just swept the Baltimore Orioles; they lead the American league East four games ahead of their heel-nipping rival, the New York Yankees. Manager John Schneider has strengthened a fragile bullpen and continues to finesse the starting pitching... Continue Reading →
Is the Wild Goose part of my congregational future?
On Sundays when I do not preach or preside locally I try to include something relevant to โfuture-churchโ themes. While my typical Sunday morning worship experience occurs in traditionally built and appointed historic buildings, utilizing a familiar liturgy with mostly traditional music, I gotta say that I often donโt feel nourished. For many reasons, I... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Creation in a beautiful garden
Call it a stroll through a forest; a walk along curvy pathways; a resting place between colourful flowerbeds. Whatever you call it, you are invited to join together for the second annual Celebration of Creation at the Summerland Ornamental Gardens on Sunday afternoon, September 14 gathering at the Gazebo at 2 p.m. Itโs a great... Continue Reading →
Downtown Victoria: A “psychologically necessary” vision
[Ken Gray] I spent my first nineteen years in Victoria. I return to visit frequently. I have lived in neighbouring communities from Sooke to Sidney and places in between. I know it well. Obviously things change over time; I get that. But what Gene Miller proposes below is a transformative vision which could, if enacted,... Continue Reading →
โNo one calls me Daveโ โ An appreciation of the life and ministry of David Crawley 1937 – 2025
Posting on Davidโs Facebook page, Joan Bubbs, Davidโs wife shared the sad news: โI have signed on to David's Facebook page to share the heartbreaking news that David died yesterday [Sunday], after a short illness. Some of you will also know that David was suffering from severe dementia. The combination of physical and mental deterioration... Continue Reading →
Cherry Vann โ Partnered, out, and in power
I share three things in common with the newly elected Archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev. Cherry Vann. We were both born in 1958, she in Leicester, England, and me in Victoria BC, Canada. We were also students at the Royal College of Music in London in the late 1970s where, as a colleague reminds... Continue Reading →