A report from the Anglican College in Jerusalem Here we go again. The ministry of the College has been inhibited in so many ways over these past years. Yet again, just as pilgrim visits were beginning slowly to re-start, we have been thwarted as full-blown war returns to these lands. Tragically, far more energy, effort... 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 →
Drinking from our own well: How a Salt Spring Island experiment recovered Christian contemplation
Published February 23, 2026 by By Nicholas Fournie in the Anglican Journal When the parish of All Saints by the Sea consecrated its new church in 1994, it did something unusual: it placed meditation and silent prayer at the very centre of the celebration. That choice, made on a quiet island in the Diocese of... Continue Reading →
Music selection and the Wilderness of Love
[Ken Gray] So hereโs a lovely reflection on worship music selection presented in the context of the Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent: Jesus in the Wilderness. As one who have lived and worked both sides of the organ bench, as both priest/preacher/presider, and musician, Rev. Jesseโs words make me smile. I think... Continue Reading →
Traditional Religion meets evolving contemporary needs
Originally published as โChristianity isnโt just in decline โ itโs become obsolete, says sociologist -- The problem isnโt simply about belief. โ[Traditional religion] doesnโt fit ordinary life,โ says Christian Smith.โ by Julie McGonegal - Feb. 6, 2026 on Broadview Christian Smith says that traditional religion hasnโt merely lost adherents โ itโs become culturally obsolete. Thatโs... Continue Reading →
Waxing elegant
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 →
Primate of Canadian Anglican Church writes to presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church (USA)
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 →
Prepare . . . Welcome . . . Greet: Discoveries, at the Vatican
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour, Penticton, Sunday Feb 8, 2026 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray Writing in Vatican News Tiziana Campisi describes a most unusual Papal event: โAn unusual Sunday Audience took place on 1 February 2026 in the Apostolic Palace, which was reserved for Gentlemen of the Papal Household, Antechamber... Continue Reading →
No place for Residential School Denialism in our Church or our Community
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 →
What Costco, Ikea, and Walmart can teach the church
No questions asked This is what I hear when I return something to my local big box stores. For whatever reason the item I purchased does not work out for my needs or wants. I would like my money back please. Almost always, the money is immediately refunded, with a smile. No questions asked. I... Continue Reading →