Feel free to complete the phrase above with the response: “Here followeth the anthem.” Since the Anglican Book of Common Prayer of 1549 the rubric welcomes and encourages musical creativity and ability in the public services of Morning and Evening Prayer. Visitors to Anglican cathedrals and larger parish churches throughout the Anglican Communion may find... Continue Reading →
Another in a series of original short stories. Enjoy “Between the vestibule and the altar, let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.” (Book of Job) I wasn’t weeping, but I felt a little funny. There I was, dressed in Alb and Stole, standard clerical dress for ministers of many Christian denominations, on a... Continue Reading →
Readers of this blog are well aware of my newfound interest in writing, not just non-fiction but most recently fictional short stories, a practice that may lead to longer forms in time. I am surprised how much fun I have in creating characters who participate in dramas f my own design based on memories of... Continue Reading →
Philip Oltermann writing in The Guardian, Mon 17 Nov 2025 -- Click the original article to hear a partial performance and to see other images. Two long-lost organ pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach have been performed in Germany, roughly 320 years after the composer wrote them as a teenage music teacher. Entitled Chaconne in D... Continue Reading →
Just for fun, and for a break from the savage political and ecological non-fiction swirling around me right now, I have turned my hand to fiction, and to short stories in particular. Here is my first story. See what you think. Truth disguised Truth be told, sometimes distractions are the main thing. Recently graduated from... Continue Reading →
It seems that most people meet online these days, not just in bars or through family connections or through friends. Norma Hill and I met online, not on a dating site as we are both happily married, though not to each other. One early email exchange is dated November 8, 2023 though our relationship feels... Continue Reading →
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 →
[Ken Gray] As an ordained Canadian settler-descended Anglican who initially welcomed the First Nations version of the New Testament. The language seemed fresh, dynamic, and, well, different than other translations I have always used for preaching and proclamation. In using it sparingly in public worship I thought I was helping the process of healing and... Continue Reading →
I have long lasting ties with Scotland’s Iona Community. During the 1990s while ministering at Sooke on Vancouver Island I discovered their music and liturgies. Initially created by John Bell, Graham Maule, and the Wild Goose Worship Group the liturgies were scripturally based, socially relevant, and justice-centred. The music was very well crafted, easy to... Continue Reading →
Diana Beresford-Kroeger’s new book says nature holds the key to a healthy planetby Christopher White in Broadview Magazine -- Originally published Feb. 21, 2025 Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a botanist, biochemist, writer and mystic. Raised in Ireland, she spent her youth immersed in Celtic spirituality and the medieval Irish Brehon laws, which are communal ways of... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 