James Derkits

I recently saw a performance by Shinyribs Russell and heard him tell the background story on his song, " Who Built the Moon ." He told a funny story about a conspiracy theorist's idea the moon was built by someone. I like the song for what it is, never mind the conspiracy. That song went through my head again and again this weekend as the Super Moon rose from the gulf horizon, sailed across the sky, and set over the bay. The moon, "hangin' in the sky, shakin' the oceans, and movin' the tide" has long shaped our human lives. It has helped us mark time, it can guide us in our fishing habits, and it inspires artists, musicians, and fireside philosophers. Life looks different in the moonlight. On Sunday morning, as I finished writing my sermon, I took a break to walk outside to see the Super Moon set, and I caught it hanging in the porch of the church. That night, Laura, Eli, and I went to the beach to watch it rise again. Someone told me it's t...

"Are you a writer?" "Yes." I answered faster than I meant to; I wanted to see if it felt like a lie or the truth. I was sitting on the beach early one morning with a few books and when the stranger asked me, I had been writing in my journal about learning how to pray. Or, about the struggle to keep up the practice of prayer. The previous Sunday in my sermon, I told a story about learning to pray one summer when I worked cruising timber in Jasper, TX. First I prayed in my off time, then while I worked. I had a  deep sense of connection at the end of that summer. After I preached, I feared that I was depending too much on the experience of that summer, over 10 years ago. Where is my story of deep connection from last year? Or from today? When I write, I pray. When I play music, I pray. Even when I ride my bike, I am praying. It's the not doing sort of prayer that I struggle with the most. The sitting still with no tools, not even a prayer book; just stillness...

The heat did not deter the youth of St. Thomas', College Station. ..it made them thirsty, and I bet a few wanted that raincloud to produce and postpone their efforts, and yet they pushed through--on a mission! Trinity by the Sea has a long history of hosting youth groups on the island for mission and for fun. St. Thomas' youth minister, Jordan Smith was down here vacationing a few months back and asked about having his group come to sleep on the parish hall floor for their mission trip. He had to look elsewhere to find showers (showers are very important on mission trips), but it has all worked out. The they arrived Sunday evening, and were ready to work on Monday morning, earlier than I expected. Holy Spirit delayed the start time of the painting project just long enough for them to notice the disarray of the garage they would be painting. Step one: clean out the garage and power-wash the outside. Everything came out, was categorized, and replaced in a new, neat order. T...

Follow Your Curiosity At a recent conversation at Theology on Tap, we were considering the best way to read the Bible. One participant brought the question and everyone quickly jumped in; the consensus was an ambivalent, and hearty “It doesn’t matter, just start reading.” I have been reading a (Non-Biblical) book called Steal Like an Artist. The author suggests that in learning about art of any form, pick someone you really like, and find out as much as possible about that artist and her work. Then find three of her influences, and do the same thing with those. Stick with one interest until you’ve exhausted your curiosity, then dig deeper. That became part of our conversation about how to read the Bible. The Gospels are a good starting point for this practice, because Jesus and the Gospel writers are constantly weaving Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament) into the stories either in quotes or in actions. If you’re curious about Jesus’ forty days in the desert, go back and read a...