Guest blog -- THE REVEREND LAUREL DYKSTRAPriest, Salal + Cedar; Vicar, St. Georgeโs, Fort Langleyย This article first appeared in TOPIC, the Newspaper of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, Canada. โThe geographical pilgrimage is the symbolic acting out of an inner journey.โ Thomas Merton From the 17th Century allegory Pilgrimโs Progress, to Annie Dillardโs 1970s... Continue Reading →
Famous 3-word phrases
A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen Anglican Church, Summerland โ The 5th Sunday of Easter, May 18, 2025 While rector of St. Stephenโs some years ago I created a sermon series focused on four- or five-letter words. A four letter word sermon talked about LOVE. Five-letter editions unpacked FAITH and GRACE. Today, I... Continue Reading →
The promise of protests in Panama
[Ken Gray writes] We donโt hear much about Panama these days given other media priorities. During a meeting of Anglicans including one Anglican Archbishop I was concerned to learn of mass protests in Panama, three in particular, that will influence the quality of life and exercise of freedom going forward. The cruelty of the Trump... Continue Reading →
The Coming Canadian Storm: MAGA’S Next Move
Charlie Angus / The Resistance May 04, 2025 "It is with humility and appreciation that I accept Damien Kurek's offer to resign his seatโฆ" โ Pierre Poilievre, three days after losing the 2025 federal election I know what you were thinking: the election is over, Canada will negotiate a new deal with Trump, and life... Continue Reading →
Celebrating breakfast
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton on the Third Sunday of Easter, May 4th 2025 โ The Very Rev. Ken Gray I donโt know about you, but I love breakfast. Itโs my favourite meal, not because many claim it is the most important meal of the day, but because I... Continue Reading →
Thoughts on Canada’s Unprecedented Election
Reposted from CHARLIE ANGUS / THE RESISTANCE -- APR 30, 2025 [Charlie Angus] Trump is the first American president to lose a Canadian election. I've been through many elections, and nobody outside Canada ever seemed to notice. This one was different. When Prime Minister Carney called a snap election amidst the rising threats posed by... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis and Our Common Home
Left: Bishop Duque at a Methodist assembly in Medellรญn in 2012. Right: Pope Francis meets representatives of social movements in 2024. With thanks to Jim Hodgson whose post is here. As the world remembers the late Pope, I join with others who reflect on his legacy. Commenters identify his work as a church reformer, some... Continue Reading →
Red Alert โ Changes at the National Security Agency are concerning, and dangerous
Reprinted from Olivia of Troye on Substack Ignore this story at your own risk While Trump's tariffs hammer the economy and dominate the headlines, rightfully capturing attention as Americans watch their 401ks drop, something perilous quietly unfolded in the shadows. A significant shift in the national security apparatus occurred that barely made a blip. It... Continue Reading →
Stop, and smell the roses
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC on the fifth Sunday in Lent, April 6th, 2025 โ The Very Rev. Ken Gray It is said by those who teach writing that every paragraph should start with a strong opening sentence. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens opens with... Continue Reading →
Putting feet to prayer — Anne Lamott on the “American Spring”
From Anne Lamott on Facebook(Some of us are still there . . .) [Anne Lamott] โNow is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country, even medium-good people with bad feet and attitudes, like me. Now. This week. Some of you voted enthusiastically for Donald Trump and still believe... Continue Reading →