Christmas Day lunch at Colwood's Anglican Church of the Advent Reprinted from Victoria News It all started in 2023 when Reverend Sr. Ingrid Andersen was “feeling a bit sad” because her son and daughter-in-law were unable to join her at Christmas. “I was thinking nobody should be alone at Christmas,” she said. “And I went... Continue Reading →
Ashes to ashes
A short story by Ken Gray From a distance, the amber box on the shelf before me tells no story whatsoever. A beautifully crafted box of coloured strips is no mere bookend. Someone had taken a lot of time to assemble something beautiful for . . . God? Possibly hollow, I have no idea what... Continue Reading →
I always wondered why Radar left M*A*S*H before the show ended — Now I know
From This Day in History’s Post Gary Burghoff stood on the M*A*S*H (henceforth MAS*H) set in October 1979, holding a teddy bear that had become as famous as he was, and told the producers he was done. Not for more money. Not for better storylines. He was leaving because playing Radar O'Reilly—the role that made... Continue Reading →
Picture the pitchers’ dogs — by Juno, baseball fan dog extraordinaire
It has been some time since we last heard from popular dog-blogger Juno, a six year old Labradoodle living in Summerland in the interior of British Columbia with his humans, Ken and Kathie. Still recovering from the Toronto Blue Jays amazing run to the 2025 World Series, Juno still has her eye on (base)ball. Tis... Continue Reading →
Meet my friend Ray
Ray Fletcher and I go back a long way, to the winter of 1983. We had both gone north to the Anglican Diocese of Yukon, Ray as a parish priest first in Atlin and later Dawson City. I arrived to join the Yukon Apostolate, an informal order of laity keen to serve the Church in... Continue Reading →
All in the family
A sermon for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, November 9th, 2025 for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland by the Very Rev. Ken Gray The original title of Norman Lear’s 1971 TV sitcom All in the Family was Those Were the Days which ended up as the show’s theme song. I can imagine J D... Continue Reading →
A skeleton under the sun deck
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church in Penticton BC on Sunday November 2, 2025 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray My sermon title for today is “A skeleton under the sun deck.” It’s perfect for today, All Souls Day; it draws inspiration from All Saints Day which was yesterday; and it... Continue Reading →
Meet my friend Dick
Another in my series “Larger Than Life Characters in our little town of Summerland” Dick Spencer and I met shortly after Kathie and I moved to Summerland in the fall of 1994. With his wife, Lois, he was a member of the Anglican congregation I served as priest from 1994-2004. A talented woodworker and carpenter... Continue Reading →
Sam McGee, Robert Service, and a Summerland Story
I am often asked to share a song or a poem at variety nights or campfire gatherings. Typically I call up memories of British comedy classics from Flanders and Swan. Over the years I have offered my own version of Hoffnung’s The Bricklayer’s Lament. I really need to broaden my scope to include some Canadian... Continue Reading →
Out of the mouth, of primates — How Climate Change is Rewriting Our Future
https://youtu.be/2creIhQvRLw Political Primate on YoutubeTranscription and highlights, KJG The clock is ticking—and our planet is sounding the alarm louder than ever. From raging wildfires to devastating floods, climate change is no longer a distant threat; it’s a global emergency happening right now. Ah, climate change. Behold the great paradox of our age. Ours is the... Continue Reading →