A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour, Penticton, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, by the Very Rev. Ken Gray JOHN 14:1-14 A few weeks ago, on the 5th Sunday in Lent, I preached on the text from Johnโs Gospel: โI am the resurrection and the life.โ At the time I... Continue Reading →
Jazz Vespers, again, this Sunday May 3, 2026
Once again, another Jazz Vespers service looms large. Information is on the poster, but allow me to add: Justin Glibbery on pianoStefan Bienz on bassLoni Moger on guitarEric Manuel on drums The announced theme is Joyspring, (I don't expect this to be played as we don't have a trumpeter on this gig), but you never... Continue Reading →
How to close a church well — A sermon
Sermon Notes at the Closing of St.Andrews Trinity East from the Right Rev. John Watton, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Central Newfoundland My friends, Iโll be honest. Throughout the three dioceses in Newfoundland and across the country, we will face increased Church closings. Itโs hard to talk about, let alone live through it. When... Continue Reading →
Claims about Easter, Beauty, and the Institutional Church
Ikonostasis, Orthodox Monastery, Birchdale on Kootenay Lake BC - David Burrows photo Extract from an interview in Sundayโs New York Times between David Bentley Hart and Peter Wehner - The complete interview is worth a careful read David Bentley Hart is one of the worldโs most formidable and provocative theological minds. He is an Eastern... Continue Reading →
Jesus is risen โ So what?
Photo Credit: ScottProject Photography/Kamloops Tourism, Kamloops BC A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour, Penticton on the Second Sunday of Easter Sunday, April 12th, 2026 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray I know itโs not the traditional, formal Easter greeting many of you prefer: โThe Lord is risen / He is risen indeed; Hallelujah.โ... Continue Reading →
A new name for Good Friday?
A sermon for the United and Anglican congregations in Summerland BC on Good Friday, 2026 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray We need a new name for today, for what is โgoodโ about Good Friday? By definition, โGood Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is... Continue Reading →
LAST SUPPER – The art of Maundy Thursday
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour, Penticton, Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2025 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray โI donโt think itโs appropriate at all! Please donโt use this image,โ snapped a member of one of my former parishes. (Not Summerland I might add.) My critic referred to a setup photograph created at... Continue Reading →
Such excellent sermon feedback
From Andrew DeCourt on Facebook who writes: I usually script my sermons. I do this to be precise, respect time, and keep a record of what Iโve said. But yesterday morning, I felt nudged to call an audible. I switched my sermon text an hour before church and preached directly from my heart without any... Continue Reading →
Time to Celebrate โ Jesus, the Way
Willow branches are our palms this year - could be hard to make into crosses? A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland, on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray I begin with an extract from a 2024 sermon preached at St. Paulโs Cathedral, London, UK, by then, recently... Continue Reading →
Saving choral music by bike in the UK
The CEO of the Cathedral Music Trust is visiting 100 choirs across England and Wales over 50 days of cycling Meg Elliot writing in Cycling Weekly The late afternoon light is falling in greens and oranges and reds on the cathedral's terracotta floor. People clutter the pews as the music starts up, complex, layered sound... Continue Reading →