This post has been corrected from an earlier version. Only in Canada you say? That used to refer to Red Rose Tea, whose Canadian brand touted a quality tea product, superior to the favoured English varieties, but only available in Canada. Well move over Red Rose Tea because you now have another exclusively Canadian contender,... Continue Reading →
This fiction is not fiction — A review of The Ministry for the Future: A Novel by Kim Stanley Robinson
“This is the best book I have ever read.” These are not my words but those of a Berkley liturgical scholar who reads and publishes on Christian worship. Her unexpected outburst concerned Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future: A Novel (Orbit, 2020). Described on the cover by American novelist Jonathan Lathem as “the... Continue Reading →
Remembering the Martyrs—in a season of immense happiness
Commemoration of St. Thomas of Canterbury, d. 29 December 1170 In a beautiful liturgy at Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church of the Anglican Communion, St. Thomas, Martyr was remembered as an inspiration to those who suffer for their faith in our own day. Historically, Thomas Becket, also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, served as... Continue Reading →
Christmas Cards 2023
A version of this material will form my 2023 Christmas Eve Sermon at St. Stephen’s, Summerland. 7 p.m. is you’re in the hood. Everyone likes receiving Christmas cards—at least most people do. See my comments elsewhere. For many, the traditional Christmas card is now replaced by the annual newsletter—my own tend to go on a... Continue Reading →
Not your typical Christmas Card
Prior to returning to Summerland where Kathie and I lived and worked from 1994-2005 we needed to make a decision. Would we have our mail re-directed to our new address? I thought it was a waste of money; Kathie, however, wanted the service. So we now receive correspondence from gutter cleaners and weed removal services;... Continue Reading →
Never say Never
Our “little book”: Partnership as Mission: Essays in Memory of Ellie Johnson is now published and available for sale. Kenneth Gray, Maylanne Maybee, EditorsWipf and Stock Publishers; 288 pagesAvailable in softcover, e-book, and hardcover Now through December 19, on sale at 40%off. Visit our publisher, Wipf and Stock and use the code JOY23 to receive... Continue Reading →
Trump and Sanders visit “It’s a Wonderful Life”
The production by Summerland Singers and Players of “It’s a Wonderful Life—The Radio Play” continues well with three performances now under our belt. The cast, including the foley (a live sound effects technician) are sure-footed and able to cope with the inevitable variations we each insert into our performances. Live community theatre is a team-building... Continue Reading →
You will publish one day – A lifelong dream has come true
PARTNERSHIP AS MISSIONEssays in Memory of Ellie JohnsonEdited by Kenneth Gray and Maylanne MaybeeForeword by James Boyles Wipf and Stock PUBLISHER LINK My favourite English teacher was John Smallbridge. He taught me with a dozen others in a creative writing seminar at what was then the University of Western Ontario in 1981. During our first... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis’s presence at COP-28 climate conference in Dubai is “without precedence”
Gerard O’Connell November 06, 2023 in America: The Jesuit Review Judge Mohamed Abdel Salam meets Pope Francis at the Vatican on May 29, 2023 (Vatican Media) We can but hope that the Pope’s presence at COP-28 will provide leadership and incentive to move our economy and environmental practices towards sustainable levels. I am further pleased... Continue Reading →
Reconciliation in the family: Indigenous wisdom in the Middle East conflict
Reprinted from the Winnipeg Free Press; article by Niigaan Sinclair, 2 Nov 2023 "In 1845, after a century long battle over territory between the Anishinaabe and Métis on one side and the Dakota and Lakota on the other, the Dakota leaders sent a letter to Cuthbert Grant in what is now St. James in Winnipeg.... Continue Reading →