[Ken Gray] An excellent reflection from Carmen Lansdowne, theologian and former Moderator of the United Church of Canada. Returned from a conference hosted by The International Association for Mission Studies which gathers scholars who have spent their careers thinking about what it means for the church to go outward โ and, just as often, repenting... Continue Reading →
Wisdom, about wisdom in the riper years of life
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 →
Pay attention! That’s all!
Original art on the Gray Family living room wall by Victoria artist Lisa Hebden 10 Quotes From Mary Oliver, the Patron Saint of Paying AttentionBy Jenna Barnett in Sojourners, Apr 14, 2025 I like to think of the late poet Mary Oliver as the patron saint of paying attention. She taught us to not take... Continue Reading →
With thanks to Bill and Anne
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 →
I haven’t done my own work on this yet – I am curious, and very hopeful
Christopher Lamb on CNN Pope Leo XIV says control of artificial intelligence must not remain in the hands โof a fewโ while warning that technology is fueling world conflicts, setting out his proposals in the first major theological document of his pontificate. These include protecting the distinctive โgrandeur of humanityโ amid rapidly changing technology and... Continue Reading →
Call the Midwife — Kindness on full display
Credit: Neal Street Productions/BBC Posted by Michelle Collins on May 12, 2026 via NPR SOME SPOILERS โSometimes, our new beginnings have been yearned for. We have chosen them. Others lie in wait...โ Jennifer Worthโs words (as spoken by Vanessa Redgrave) kick off the season finale. This final episode offers a deeply moving look at what... Continue Reading →
The legacy of Rachel Held Evans
A Memory from Jim Palmer on Facebook About eighteen years ago a young woman named Rachel Held Evans contacted me because she was beginning to see Christianity differently and wanted to write about it. She sent me her manuscript, and we worked on her book together. She published four books in total. I got to... Continue Reading →
Literary guardrails in an AI world
Ken Gray, with materials from CBC News, Apr 12, 2026 Jenna Benchetrit explores AI implications for writers. โHi; my name is Ken.โ โHi Ken.โ โI occasionally use AI.โ โWow; did you make that up yourself Ken? Or did AI help? And if it did, how did AI help you?โ โNo I did not use AI... Continue Reading →
How an old Jewish legend encourages me personally
From Jim Palmer on Facebook [Ken Gray writes] In my never-ending attempt to deal with my own ego needs I found this piece by Jim Palmer interesting and encouraging. In other words: โWhat to do when the spotlight fades . . .โ [Jim Palmer] There is an old Jewish legend that in every generation there... Continue Reading →
Moving on
She is so beautiful. I cannot believe my good fortune to have found a partner in love who is not only smart, and tenacious, and principled, and funny โ and did I say, gorgeous? Of course healthy relationships must be more than skin deep. But beautiful skin, dark hair, and blue eyes, a fit and... Continue Reading →