What to do with leftover stubs from altar candles? While some churches have abandoned beeswax or other real wax candles, some parishes continue to use them in worship. They look and smell lovely; better than any battery or oil fueled substitute for my money. The only problem is what to do with the stubs, a... Continue Reading →
Published on February 6, 2026 The Most Reverend Sean RowePresiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church Dear Bishop Sean and friends in Christ in The Episcopal Church, It has been heartbreaking for us, your northern neighbours, to watch the growing unrest that has arisen and persists in so many of your communities in the United States.... Continue Reading →
February 2026 To the People of the Diocese of New Westminster (and elsewhere in the Province of British Columbia) Grace and peace to you. In the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the 60th call states this: We call upon leaders of the church parties to the Settlement Agreement and all other faiths,... Continue Reading →
It’s Carol Service at church this morning. Typically the 4th Sunday of Advent focuses specially on Mary, the “Mary of the Annunciation.” Church today will pay homage mostly to “Mary of the Nativity,” including her pondering of what happened on Christmas Day and afterward. In this space today, I return to Mary of the Annunciation,... Continue Reading →
Feel free to complete the phrase above with the response: “Here followeth the anthem.” Since the Anglican Book of Common Prayer of 1549 the rubric welcomes and encourages musical creativity and ability in the public services of Morning and Evening Prayer. Visitors to Anglican cathedrals and larger parish churches throughout the Anglican Communion may find... Continue Reading →
Reposted from Sylvia Olsen’s blog here Dr. Sylvia Olsen is an author, story-teller, knitting designer, housing specialist and teacher, Sylvia Olsen is an eclectic mix of her creative and academic pursuits. Her books have received numerous awards and nominations and many are Canadian best sellers. Her knitting designs have received attention across Canada and the... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland on Sunday, November 16th, 2025, the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost by the Very Rev. Ken Gray Early in the Spring of 2002, while rector of this church I received a call from ecojustice colleagues at the Anglican General Synod in Toronto. “Would you be willing to... Continue Reading →
The Very. Rev. Ken Gray, All Saints tide 2025 -- This article first appeared in the November issue of TOPIC, the Newspaper of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, Vancouver BC Canada As we remember saints, sinners, and all souls together through the triduum of Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls let me also honour... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, November 9th, 2025 for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland by the Very Rev. Ken Gray The original title of Norman Lear’s 1971 TV sitcom All in the Family was Those Were the Days which ended up as the show’s theme song. I can imagine J D... Continue Reading →
I met Bonnie a little over a year ago up on the hill at the Summerland Ornamental Gardens on the grounds of the Summerland Research Station. Dressed in jeans and a green shirt her small frame belied her confident energy; she was buzzing around like a Queen Bee (an adult, mated female that lives in... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 