A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland on the 4th Sunday of Easter Season, May 11, 2025 โ The Very Rev. Ken Gray Every once in a while a hymn arrests me; it makes me stop in my tracks, and I go WOW. This happened last week when I presided at St. Saviourโs... Continue Reading →
Hope is not bound by circumstances โ Two stories of hope in action
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH, GAZA CITY As we move through Easter Week together I am moved by the witness of the late Pope who prayed and worked for peace in the Middle East. As reported by CBC News: On Monday night, following the news of the death of Pope Francis, Father Gabriel Romanelli's cellphone in... Continue Reading →
Red Alert โ Changes at the National Security Agency are concerning, and dangerous
Reprinted from Olivia of Troye on Substack Ignore this story at your own risk While Trump's tariffs hammer the economy and dominate the headlines, rightfully capturing attention as Americans watch their 401ks drop, something perilous quietly unfolded in the shadows. A significant shift in the national security apparatus occurred that barely made a blip. It... Continue Reading →
Democracy is not a spectator sport โ Advice to Americans from one Canadian
[Ken Gray] Today, I have joined the ranks of the disheartened. FAKE NEWS, though I am stymied by the number and severity of the many horror stories I discover daily. With so many different fronts on which to report, attacks on the leadership of the National Security Agency, potential threats to peaceful protest, the destruction... Continue Reading →
The long con — Worse than any Netflix series
Reposted from James B. Greenberg on Substack The confidence game doesnโt begin with a lie. It begins with a storyโone so emotionally resonant it feels like truth. It offers meaning, identifies villains, flatters the audience, andโwhen fully deployedโquietly opens the vault. Donald Trumpโs political rise is not just a break from convention. Itโs a textbook... Continue Reading →
Can this tide turn?
From Rawstory.com Seventy days after his return to the Oval Office, Donald Trump is finding his second presidential term honeymoon collapsing as the administration officials make embarrassing mistakes, key allies turn on him and more Republicans are publicly balking at some policies. According to a report from Jonathan Lemire at The Atlantic, the president is... Continue Reading →
Putting feet to prayer — Anne Lamott on the “American Spring”
From Anne Lamott on Facebook(Some of us are still there . . .) [Anne Lamott] โNow is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country, even medium-good people with bad feet and attitudes, like me. Now. This week. Some of you voted enthusiastically for Donald Trump and still believe... Continue Reading →
Letโs chat together โ The meme-stream today
In a fit of adaptive ethical enthusiasm regarding Mark Zukerbergโs collusion with Donald Trump, our family decided to move our FamChat conversation from FB Messenger to a new platform, unknown to me at the time, Signal. We felt good about our decision. It worked well. So take that Zuck: We will communicate another way. Well... Continue Reading →
Addressing political cowardice — Senator Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders on the US Senate floorMarch 25, 2025LONG . . . but worth the time and effort Here is his fiery speech, word for word:Mr. President,In the last couple of weeks, I've had the opportunity to travel in many parts of our country. And I have been able to talk to folks in Nebraska,... Continue Reading →
โCar for Saleโ โ Hereโs why
I do not drive a Tesla. Our family does not own a Tesla. I donโt even drive. So I have no skin in this particular consumer decision game. I cede the argument to Goddess Mia who makes her case on Facebook. The โcommercialโ is beautifully filmed and carefully reasoned. โCar for sale.โ The value of... Continue Reading →