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 →
A few days ago I published a blog describing Pope Leo’s citation of the faithful witness of the Algerian Martyrs during the Algerian civil war between 1994-1996. Mission, the pope insisted, is never “a form of self-display, in opposition of identities, but the gift of self, even to the point of martyrdom, by those who... Continue Reading →
I first learned of the Algerian martyrs through the movie: Of Gods and Men, a film centered on a true story that happened in the monastery of Tibhirine, Algeria, where nine Cistercian monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were kidnapped and assassinated in 1996 during the... Continue Reading →
[Ken Gray] What a title! Today’s post is LONG . . . but worth every second of your time. Trust me on this. So take your time; you’ll be glad you did. Greenberg lays out the best summary to my knowledge of what can feel like a complicated panoply of relationships; he does so clearly,... Continue Reading →
Thanks to Gary Schmidt for this lovely little piece. My father is in his eighties, and every morning he insists on walking to the little grocery store at the end of the street. I’ve told him a hundred times, “Dad, you don’t need to do that. I can order everything online. One click, and it’s... Continue Reading →
[Ken Gray] I spent my first nineteen years in Victoria. I return to visit frequently. I have lived in neighbouring communities from Sooke to Sidney and places in between. I know it well. Obviously things change over time; I get that. But what Gene Miller proposes below is a transformative vision which could, if enacted,... Continue Reading →
Posting on David’s Facebook page, Joan Bubbs, David’s wife shared the sad news: “I have signed on to David's Facebook page to share the heartbreaking news that David died yesterday [Sunday], after a short illness. Some of you will also know that David was suffering from severe dementia. The combination of physical and mental deterioration... Continue Reading →
Dog-blogger, Juno, a six-year-old Labradoodle, lives with her MaPaw and PaPaw in beautiful Summerland in the British Columbia interior. She is a healthy, happy dog, but today we see a side of her few people or animals witness. When she gets angry, well, look out. Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying August as much... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen Anglican Church, Summerland BC - Sunday, August 17th, 2025 — The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - The Very Rev. Ken Gray A woman approached me after a sermon I recently preached in Penticton, quite upset, as I intentionally contrasted the love of the Good Samaritan with the... Continue Reading →
Anas al-Sharif with his daughter, Sham, and son, Salah. Photograph: Facebook ‘If these words reach you … Israel has succeeded in killing me’: the last words of a journalist killed in Gaza Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera reporter, was killed along with four other journalists by an Israeli airstrike last Sunday night. This is the... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 