It’s a word I use advisedly. As a cis-gender male it feels uncomfortable for me to use the word as I have only encountered it used pejoratively. Many in the Queer community welcome it with, yes, PRIDE. In conversation with a couple of clergy colleagues recently, I asked if we had read any Queer theology.... Continue Reading →
Finally something truly important to write about
In Finland they are called ostoskori. In New Zealand they are called trundlers. Here in Canada the shopping cart or grocery buggy rules the long and straight aisles of store parking lots. The ubiquitous emblem of homeless persons, who carry jaw-dropping heaps of life possessions along city streets, grocery store shopping carts allow shoppers to... Continue Reading →
Beacons of hope in a time of climate crisis
From an interview with Vatican News and the World Council of Churches In light of the recent data from Copernicus, the European Union's climate monitoring service, the video statement below from the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev Prof Dr Jerry Pillay (World Environment Day, 5 June, 2024) is timely and concerning. In... Continue Reading →
Juno’s bad hair day
Another reflection from Juno, Summerland’s 4 year-old Labradoodle blogger. Help me, please; I am having a bad hair day. In fact for the last week or so it has become evident to me and my MaPaw that I need grooming. The problem is that my former groomer has moved away. Despite MaPaw’s best efforts, a... Continue Reading →
THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
A sermon for the Second Sunday of Pentecost SeasonSunday, June 2, 2024 St. Saviour Church, Penticton BCThe Very Rev. Ken Gray [Singing]1 Hushed was the evening hymn,the temple courts were dark;the lamp was burning dimbefore the sacred ark;when suddenly a Voice Divinerang through the silence of the shrine. [Spoken]2 The old man, meek and mild,the... Continue Reading →
Summer is a comin’ in
Fibre art by Helene Driscoll Melissa Kirsch in the New York Times June! Again! I know! Where has the time gone? It’s boring to even raise the issue — your subjective experience of the months and years passing so quickly, how it seems just yesterday you were doing something (making plans to see Barbenheimer, maybe?... Continue Reading →
Pilgrimage — A timely spiritual opportunity
Reports and Resources from the Social and Ecological Justice Working Group of the Anglican Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia/Yukon Online Landing Page What a mouthful; feel free to shorten this title to the acronym “SEJ.” It represents a small group of dedicated and creative Anglicans from most of the dioceses throughout the geographical Province of... Continue Reading →
All before nine o’clock in the morning
Thoughts on the value and practice of a daily routine I love routines. I especially love my early morning routines, especially those I typically accomplish before nine o’clock in the morning. Why this precise time? Well the early Christian Apostles exhibited their spiritual enthusiasm at this very hour (ACTS 2:15). Good for them; good for... Continue Reading →
AI, AI OH?
I make no apology for my cheesy title; it is a contemporary re-working of a traditional children’s song: Old MacDonald had a farm; AI AI Oh. And yes, I thought it up all by myself! No AI involved—a product of my own warped imagination, more attuned to poetic scansion than content-rich technical analysis. You must... Continue Reading →
Charismatic Creation
A sermon for Pentecost Sunday 2024 -- St. Stephen Anglican Church, Summerland BC “So Ken, are you a charismatic Christian? “Not sure how to answer that question. Why do you ask?” “I used to hear about charismatic churches, especially twenty or so years ago. Don’t hear much about them now.” “What stuff?” “Speaking in tongues;... Continue Reading →