Eleanor Farjeon The story of the song Morning Has Broken With thanks to Nostalgic Memories Before Cat Stevens ever sang a note of it, Morning Has Broken was a quiet offering from a woman who saw the sacred in the ordinary. Eleanor Farjeon, born in 1881 London, grew up surrounded by music and poetry. Her... Continue Reading →
Public Spaces Shouldn’t Be a Platform for Hate, Says Advocacy Canada
UPDATE: No decision yet on some Western Canada concerts including West Kelowna. TYEE article here. Thanks friends from Summerland United Church for the share below. With the support and encouragment of "Christian" churches who should know better, steadily far right ideology is now creeping into Canadian public spaces. Kelowna, BC - Advocacy Canada is expressing... Continue Reading →
Itโs no laughing matter โ Or is it?
Years ago I suggested to a justice-seeking colleague that we should investigate the role of humour in our social and ecological justice advocacy. We can be awfully serious, I said. Off-putting even. She replied that the context โ human rights abuse; the climate crisis; avaricious market hegemony โ didnโt lend itself well to comedic treatment.... Continue Reading →
Godโs love made visible
A sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, July 20, 2025 for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland โ The Very Rev. Ken Gray Every once in a while I stumble across some very beautiful language, sometimes poetry, sometimes prose. Itโs good, if after one hearing I want to go back and hear it again,... Continue Reading →
Say โI doโ โ Wedding memories
[First, a disclaimer] Truth be told, the correct phrase is โI willโ and not โI do.โ In the movies, couples say I do; in Anglican rites the response is I will. The former is considered by many as relating to one point in time; the latter to an enduring commitment and experience over time. For... Continue Reading →
Touched with tenderness โ Two online courses worth your consideration โ An invitation from Sylvia Keesmaat and Brian Walsh
Friends, As we struggle to make sense of all that is going on in our world and communities right now, I have increasingly been remembering familial stories about living with atrocities. Both of my parents were born during the Second World War, and stories about those years shaped my imagination growing up. These were stories... Continue Reading →
Disabling disability
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC and for a wider online community of spirit seekers โ Sunday, July 6th, 2025, the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost โ The Very Rev. Ken Gray Nice to be back with you following five wonderful weeks in Victoria. We return at the height of... Continue Reading →
Definitely not a semi-colonoscopy โ A punctuation protest parade
Given my recent foray into book editing and publishing I have brushed up on punctuation. Using the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), the Wipf and Stock publisher guide, with reference to the classic Elements of Style (Strunk/White), I found both clarity and confusion about how to punctuate my text. Punctuation reduces ambiguity in both pronunciation... Continue Reading →
Get the picture, using AI?
I am always suspicious of the promises of emerging technology. Existing tech allows me to do so much more than I could five years ago. Why bother? My writing, conversation, photography, research, and most recently sports entertainment all benefit from hi-tech resources and solutions. Social media algorithms however suggest I need to go further in... Continue Reading →
Creator, from the breadth and depth of creation, we thank you
A sermon for the congregation of St. Anselm, UBC, VancouverTrinity Sunday, June 15, 2025The Very Rev. Ken Gray I am so grateful to be with you this morning in response to the kind invitation of your rector, the Rev. Alecia Greenfield who has now launched into a short vacation. While I am not sure of... Continue Reading →