I have always imagined a “fireside chat” as the place where two people enjoy conversation and libations in front of a roaring fireplace in an English country house. or a remote Canadian cabin. I have enjoyed both over the years, where the conversation included politics of all sorts and stripes, religion, photography, biography, literature, music.... Continue Reading →
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo Trump's police state is growing, but communities are organizing against it, by Robert Reich Jul 14, 2026 Friends, Yesterday, Joan Sebastian Guerrero — a 26-year-old from Colombia with a wife and 3-year-old daughter — was killed by an ICE agent in Biddeford, Maine. Guerrero was authorized to work in the United States... Continue Reading →
And what must be done to stop it Reposted from Robert Reich, Jun 11, 2026 [Ken Gray This post from Robert Reich is long, but essential reading. A coup presses inexorably on, silently, though comprehensively. Even if the House and Senate change after the midterms, resistance will simply take a different form, supported by actions... Continue Reading →
Gleaner: Noun; a person who gathers small amounts of grain or other produce left behind by regular harvesters—Miriam Webster There is a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted—Ecclesiastes You may not have heard about the Gleaners, but you need to know about them, and if possible you should join... Continue Reading →
I am away from church today, a rare space of rest from preaching and presiding. On such days I have more time to read and write. I am currently reading "East West Street: On the Origins of "Genocide" and "Crimes Against Humanity"" by Philippe Sands. It is a memoir and history of the origins of... Continue Reading →
Reposted from Aljazeera [Introduction by Sylvia Keesmaat] “This is what creative non-violent resistance looks like: Holding a Freedom school in the face of barbed wire and the hovering threat of violence. One thing that the increasingly tyranny and violence around the world has demonstrated is that those without power know how to band together and... Continue Reading →
s Photo supplied by anonymous author who remains anonymous for obvious reasons [Anonymous opinion first published in The Guardian] I was at work last Saturday when I heard the blast. Since that moment, the world has been turned on its head. The school called asking me to come and pick up my child. I rushed... Continue Reading →
Josephine Walker on AXIOS Christian clergy are deploying spiritual infrastructure — from organizing prayer circles to acting as human shields — to resist the Trump administration's immigration agenda. Why it matters: The clergy members who spoke with Axios argue that Trump's immigration crackdown contradicts core biblical teachings about protecting the vulnerable, putting them at odds... Continue Reading →
The music says it all. Enjoy, and please share. https://youtu.be/GDaPdpwA4Iw https://youtu.be/e3o5FIXoK84 Visit the takenote.ca HOME page for a colourful display of hundreds of other blogs which may interest or inspire you
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC Sunday, February 1st, 2026 - Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Very Rev. Ken Gray Based on MATTHEW 5:1-12 I have never seen the streets of Minneapolis so full of people, and on such a cold, wintry day; temperatures of 12O F... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 