Growing up as a boy chorister at St. John the Divine in Victoria I remember well the hymns of Advent. “Come thou redeemer of the earth,” “Lo, He comes with clouds, descending,” “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist cry,” with many others. These well populate my musical memory in a wonderful way, though I must say... Continue Reading →
Looking good – by Juno
Ken and Kathie’s five-year-old Labradoodle, Juno, is a well known blogger with followers from all over Canada, the US, the United Kingdom, and sometimes Ghana. Here are Juno’s thoughts on canine coiffure along with thoughts on human sartorial elegance. Enjoy. It’s important to look good. Whether walking around the house or running and prancing about... Continue Reading →
Hope and Surprise: Reflections for the Season of Advent
Here begins the shortest post I have ever written, and likely the shortest ever. (I hear no complaints.) What a pleasure it has been to craft reflections for our Canadian Anglican Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund for Advent 2024. Recently renamed Accompanying Hope, the agency has a long history of supporting relief and development... Continue Reading →
Wild Lectionary
Fundraiser by Salal + Cedar Watershed Discipleship Ministry [Ken Gray] As a contributor to Wild Lectionary project I have found my own inherited prejudices challenged and my theological imagination stretched. As one who continues to preach almost weekly, even in retirement, I have been introduced to powerful scholarship and deep ecological experience shared by a... Continue Reading →
Dear Santa: Here’s a Blue Jays Christmas Wish List
James Dalzell // Blue Jays DailyNovember 23, 2024 (10:15) We're just over a month away from the season of giving and everyone is getting their wish lists together. Here's a fun little wish list for The Toronto Blue Jays to ask Santa for. Dear Santa (Atkins) this is my wish list for this Holiday (off)... Continue Reading →
A new climate in Washington
Excerpts from Climate Politics by Lisa Friedman at the NYT The expression "first do no harm" is a popular term used to express the underlying ethical rules of modern medicine. Although this is generally thought to have been taken from the ancient Greek Hippocratic oath, no translations of the oath contain this language. It is... Continue Reading →
Pray without ceasing . . . Now?!
This prayer by the Rt. Rev. Susan Goff, retired Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, has been shared widely on Facebook. I share it here as an example of genuine prayer and as encouragement to all who find it difficult to pray in this current political climate: My ConfessionGod, I can’t for the... Continue Reading →
All will be well
A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland Anglican ChurchSunday, November 17th 2024The Very Rev. Ken Gray During the 1970s while a student at the University of Calgary my friend, Rod, was a men’s residence supervisor. In those days, bomb threats were common on Canadian university campuses. One day Rod received a call advising... Continue Reading →
Rage + joy need each other
With thanks to Kamloops follower, Carol Edwards here’s a great piece from The Thread, with Jenny Smith - Please read the original post complete with a few poignant poems. Nov 14, 2024 Jenny Smith writes: “Gentle readers, I’m sending you deep love this day. For whatever your body is holding. I’m currently hanging out at... Continue Reading →
This story leaves me smiling
Another episode in our “Little Town of Summerland” series Watching from a distance, it was hard to hear what was happening at the Remembrance Day Ceremony 2024 in our little town of Summerland, for two reasons. As often happens the amplification system could not project sound to the southern-most area of the jam packed Memorial... Continue Reading →