Organist Mark McDonald stands below Christ Church Cathedral’s organ, Canada’s largest pipe organ west of the Rockies. (Olivier Laurin/Victoria News) Published 9:00 am Wednesday, May 27, 2026 by Olivier Laurin Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once called the pipe organ “the king of instruments.” Considered by many to be a marvel of music and engineering, the pipe... Continue Reading →
Notes by Ken Gray: I am Looking forward to Sunday’s Pentecost service shared between St. Stephen’s Anglican Church and Summerland United Church. We share costs and facilities between us at our historic 1910 location in downtown Summerland. Now a few years into a very special relationship between our congregations, we occasionally gather together for shared... Continue Reading →
I have a long relationship with the Requiem by French composer Gabriel Faure. Unlike the bombastic operatic showpiece by Verdi, the intensely dramatic rendering by Mozart, or the massive work by Benjamin Britten, Faure’s Requiem is intimate, melodic, of small scale, and sublime. It whispers, though never shouts. Surely we all want to drift off... Continue Reading →
I have enjoyed the company of this lovely and talented couple in many ways over the last two decades. They have been parishioners at both St. Stephen, Summerland, and St. Saviour, Penticton. Their mission-oriented work in Papua, New Guinea intersects well with my Anglican Communion environmental work; we share some friends in common including the... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland by the Very Rev. Ken Gray -- Sunday, May 17, 2026 Today I stand before you without my hearing aids. After several years of good service, my hearing aids now require some repair. Thankfully, they are still under warranty. This means a trip for them back... Continue Reading →
Article by Peter Choi in the May 2026 issue of The Christian CenturyFirst published on May 6, 2026 When I recently heard Pádraig Ó Tuama describe himself as being “in the room next door to belief,” heads nodded across the room. He had named something many people feel but struggle to articulate: the ache of... Continue Reading →
A reflection by the Rev’d Jon Swales [Extracts] Every church has leaders.Every church has a culture.Even if nobody names it,something is shapingthe life of that community. Culture is the feel of a place. It’s how people are treated when nobody is watching. It’s what gets celebrated, what gets ignored, who gets heard, and who slowly... Continue Reading →
A video of her acceptance speech at the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing is here A transcript is below. (Check against delivery.) [Maggie Helwig] This is not my book. This book belongs to a community. I am cognizant that I am in the kind of room which I am not in very often, and... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour, Penticton, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, by the Very Rev. Ken Gray JOHN 14:1-14 A few weeks ago, on the 5th Sunday in Lent, I preached on the text from John’s Gospel: “I am the resurrection and the life.” At the time I... Continue Reading →
Once again, another Jazz Vespers service looms large. Information is on the poster, but allow me to add: Justin Glibbery on pianoStefan Bienz on bassLoni Moger on guitarEric Manuel on drums The announced theme is Joyspring, (I don't expect this to be played as we don't have a trumpeter on this gig), but you never... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 