With thanks to Jan Carlson I am pleased to share yet another inventive, practical, and ecosocial initiative developed in our little Town of Summerland. Good people, doing good things, for good reasons, with good and great outcomes for each other, for our community and for creation. Jan writes: The idea was to create a sharing... Continue Reading →
Agonizing Anglicans
With other mainline Christian denominations the Anglican Church of Canada increasingly struggles to maintain ministry especially in rural settings though also in some urban centres. Simple truth: Fewer people invest energy and money in parish churches now, saving their financial commitments for special projects or secular organizations like the Sierra Club or Doctors Without Borders... Continue Reading →
Voices from Israel — Mosaic, or Monolith?
My publication of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent advisory statement on the need for Israel to heed the decision of the International Criminal Court drew some very helpful thoughts from a longtime and trusted friend, Lance Weisser. Archbishop Justin Welby says the State of Israel has been “denying the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope”... Continue Reading →
Tevye’s dilemma
Sunday, August 18th, 2024A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen Summerland Anglican ChurchThe Very Rev. Ken Gray Remembering the late, great, Canadian Norman Jewison, who produced the 1971 film based on the earlier Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof, let’s sing Tevye’s song: [TEVYE, spoken]Oh dear Lord, you made many, many poor people. I... Continue Reading →
A Wave of Prayer washes over the world
Introducing Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center Mission To strive towards theological liberation through instilling the Christian faith in the daily lives of those who suffer under occupation, violence, injustice, and discrimination. Vision Local Christians inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ stand for the oppressed, work for justice, engage in peace-building The Wave... Continue Reading →
Archbishop of Canterbury statement on the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
02/08/2024 Jeroen Bouman ICJ In a statement Saturday Aug 3, 2024welcoming the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Archbishop of Canterbury has urged governments around the world to reverse the "deeply damaging trend" of upholding international law "in a selective manner". Archbishop Justin Welby says... Continue Reading →
Bread for the journey
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Sunday, August 4th, 2024A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour, Penticton BCThe Very Rev. Ken Gray Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father... Continue Reading →
Bat Vespers — Awesome outdoor worship
So what did you do on Saturday, July 27, 2024 when the sun set and the sky turned dark? I was watching a British crime drama on television; others in my Okanagan community enjoyed the warm waters of the lake; some might have been bird watching. I am certain however that no one here was... Continue Reading →
Jasper
Properties are engulfed in flames at the corner of Cabin Creek Drive and Patricia Street in Jasper, Alta., on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (Name withheld) I am of two minds watching the premier of Alberta react to the destruction of the historic and iconic town of Jasper, Alberta that was devastated by fire on Thursday... Continue Reading →
What I did on my summer vacation — AKA There’s no place like home
A sermon for the Anglican Congregation in Summerland, BCSunday, July 21, 2024 // The Very Rev. Ken Gray The idea was so simple. In exchange for presiding and preaching at Holy Eucharist for just two Sundays at the Church of the Nativity, Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia we would receive rectory accommodation at no cost to... Continue Reading →