The politics of humiliation and the God who listened to Mary Many thanks to Betty-Ann Xenis for this suggestion. Derek Penwell on Substack - Dec 12, 2025 Mary asked, “How can this be?” but heaven didn’t call her nasty. Quiet, piggy. Ugly inside and out. Stupid and nasty. Can you hear the beat? Say the... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen Anglican Church, Summerland BC, on the Third Sunday of Advent, December 14th 2025 She would not get out of my way. Maddening, and frustrating to me, there she was; and so she remained, right in front of me. Admittedly, I am not the most patient of persons;... Continue Reading →
From Following Jesus: A life of faith in a postmodern world - on Facebook from where these images also appear. With thanks to Imelda Kedge for the link From Kurt at followingJesus.org I wrote this for US Thanksgiving in 2013 when our table included those born in the USA, Iraq, Korea, and Ethiopia. With Christians,... Continue Reading →
From author and artist Jan Richardson It grows only deeper, this sense of how closely light and dark live together, and how grace imbues the places that are most laden with shadows and unfathomable mystery. The season of Advent impresses this upon us with such intention, with its exquisite weave of stories and images that... Continue Reading →
An Advent poem from John Bell I have come across John Bell many times since the early 1990s. The person and work of this longtime member of the Iona Community in Scotland, a teacher, theologian, musician, poet, activist, and ecumenical leader has influenced my own ministry in so many ways as both a priest and... Continue Reading →
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 →
A sermon for the First Sunday of Advent -- Sunday, December 1st, 2024For the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church in Penticton, BC CanadaThe Very Rev. Ken Gray Sometimes you’ve just gotta sing. A United Church minister friend from many years ago used to say, “they’ll listen when you talk, but they’ll remember when you... Continue Reading →
As the days grow shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, and the darkness falls earlier in the interior of British Columbia, Canada’s most western province, the lovely hymn by the former Dean of Canterbury Cathedral (and the host of The Garden Congregation for almost two years) Dr. Robert Willis, the text and music of Let us... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 