I have watched a lot of TV law shows over the years, but I never thought I would be in one. Yet, here I am, not in a TV drama, but standing in the real place, not in the highest court of the land, but a court that deals with matters of what the court... Continue Reading →
An ending, and a beginning
Another in the series: Stories from Somewhere, by Ken Gray โIn marriage, husband and wife give themselves to each other, to care for each other in good times and in bad. They are linked to each otherโs families, and they begin a new life together in the community.โ โ Liturgy of Holy Matrimony โI hope... Continue Reading →
Barricade
Another in the series: โStories from Somewhereโ by Ken Gray Barricade โ (from French barrique 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. The day has finally arrived. After many weeks of planning, our small group of... Continue Reading →
Meet my friend, Ruth
To those of you who already know Ruth, what is wrong with this picture? To those of you who do not know her, you need to know that Ruth is typically NOT the one eating, but more likely the one preparing and setting out the food. She is an extroverted personality who loves to welcome,... Continue Reading →
Whoโs on first?
โKnock knock,โ someone calls from outside my office door. โWhoโs there?โ I laugh.. โActually, Minister, itโs not a joke, sadly. Itโs Marie here. May I come in?โ Marie oversees our little community cemetery. Our church is too small to maintain its own burial ground, so following funeral services we bury caskets and urns in the... Continue Reading →
Pastoral emergency
Another chapter in the series Stories from Somewhere, fictional reflections of an unidentified place at an unknown time. Other chapters are listed here. โThere is no such thing as a hopeless caseโโAA Big Book โMinister, I need you to come over right away. Please. I am in trouble. Come right away.โ I havenโt heard from... Continue Reading →
First date
Love is blind? Or is it blue? โAnonymous proverb I want to make a good impression; to get our first date right. We had met in other ways โ by happenstance, at church events, at choir practice, and at community meetings. I had noticed Ronni from a distance. Sheโs attractive, and I sensed interesting. I... Continue Reading →
Gone Fishinโ
Chapter ten in the series Stories from Somewhere, by me, Ken Gray โMayday*Mayday*Mayday.โ My shouted distress call must have looked silly. There I was, standing in a wobbly west coast dory, shouting into a bank of dense fog that had quickly appeared out of nowhere, covering us in our little skiff. Close to the shore... Continue Reading →
Ahab and Donald — How the king got his vineyard
And other short stories about leaders who lie Graphic assembled in Canva. Photos L-R: Karoline Leavitt (Bruce Chaff CC 4.0), Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, JD Vance, Stephen Miller (all public domain) Story by Bri-anne Swan on Substack and the Wilderness Times - Jan 11, 2026 [Bri-anne Swan] Itโs difficult to escape the fatigue that sets... Continue Reading →
Liturgical renewal
Another in the series: Stories from Somewhere by me, Ken GrayAn index to other stories is here โGod be with you.โ โOh Lord, not again. โGodโ is so archaic. Surely โsource of all beingโ is better, more relevant, inclusive, and pleasing to the Divine.โ โBut you just said โLord.โ Thereโs a problem there pal. Pate-ree-ark-al.โ... Continue Reading →