by Galumalemana Bolivia Smith As the golden rays of the sun streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting vibrant colors across the altar, and the choir sang, โAll Heaven Declares the Beauty of the Risen Lord,โ I felt a deep sense of connection between heaven and earth. I was reminded why, as the Choir Master of... Continue Reading →
Ecojustice Pilgrimage โ An invitation to pilgrims
The third in a series of Pilgrimages sponsored by the Ecclesiastical Province of BC/Yukon in collaboration with the Parish of Kokanee in the Anglican Diocese of Kootenay From September 14th to 18th 2026 St. Markโs in Kaslo will host a week-long gathering of pilgrims from across the province for prayer and worship, shared meals, fellowship,... Continue Reading →
“On Eagle’s Wings”: The composer; the song; the story, blessing us all for 50 years and counting
Author, composer and professor Fr. Michael Joncas holding a June 2024 letter from former U.S. president Joe Biden by the bookcase where he framed and displayed the original 1976 score of "On Eagle's Wings," in his apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota, May 2026. (NCR photo/Camillo Barone) by Camillo Barone, NCR staff reporter By the mid-1970s, Fr.... Continue Reading →
Fill me with living water
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton // Sunday June 7, 2026 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray I am sure that Archdeacon Peter (O'Flynn) and I have both struggled on occasion to find just the right sermon topic. At times, there are far too many options. Today is a good... Continue Reading →
Falling in love with the womb of the world, again
The Road to Santa Marta, by Emile Theresa Smith - Mad Love for the World Daniel Maestre invites me to sit across from him beneath a giant mango tree. The wide branches above shade the whole area beside the kankurua, the sacred house. Three months ago, arsonists destroyed the original kankurua. The new house is... Continue Reading →
โVoice of the cathedralโ: B.C. church restoring one of Canadaโs largest organs
Organist Mark McDonald stands below Christ Church Cathedralโs organ, Canadaโs largest pipe organ west of the Rockies. (Olivier Laurin/Victoria News) Published 9:00 am Wednesday, May 27, 2026 by Olivier Laurin Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once called the pipe organ โthe king of instruments.โ Considered by many to be a marvel of music and engineering, the pipe... Continue Reading →
Spirit Dancing, in Summerland
Notes by Ken Gray: I am Looking forward to Sundayโs Pentecost service shared between St. Stephenโs Anglican Church and Summerland United Church. We share costs and facilities between us at our historic 1910 location in downtown Summerland. Now a few years into a very special relationship between our congregations, we occasionally gather together for shared... Continue Reading →
Faure at my requiem please โ Then again, I would like to attend the dress rehearsal
I have a long relationship with the Requiem by French composer Gabriel Faure. Unlike the bombastic operatic showpiece by Verdi, the intensely dramatic rendering by Mozart, or the massive work by Benjamin Britten, Faureโs Requiem is intimate, melodic, of small scale, and sublime. It whispers, though never shouts. Surely we all want to drift off... Continue Reading →
Seeds of peaceful possibility
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 →