James Derkits

All Saints' Church, Aston (photo from their FB page) The Rev. Ian Jennings is visiting Texas to see his family in San Antonio, and he and his wife are getting some time in Port Aransas by themselves. I met Ian last year, when he made the same trip. He is rector of All Saints', Aston, and serves two other churches in the north of England. We became Facebook friends last year after his visit, so we were able to arrange for him to preach on his visit at our Wednesday Healing Eucharist. It fell on the feast day of Sergius, Abbot of Holy Trinity, Moscow (1392), and in telling Sergius's story Ian reminded us that in going to the wilderness to pray (and eventually to form an abbey) Sergius was not retreating away from the front lines of the church, he was going to the front lines. The place of prayer in the life of the church is the "front line." Youth Group wrapped up Monday night with Compline, as usual. Tuesday evening Beverly Moorhouse led the second weekl...

The first time I saw it, I jumped in. The day I graduated from College (in December) I jumped in. When I took a youth group on retreat, we went and jumped in. As soon as we could get him there after he was born, we took Eli, and didn't jump in, but did carefully take him for a swim. The San Marcos River holds a special place in my heart. I began my young adult life on the banks (and between the banks) that river. I've lost count of how many times I've been swimming and canoeing along the San Marcos River from just below the dam (the swimming hole I still think of as the falls at "Pepper's"), and on down the river to Staples. I've been swimming and canoeing those beautiful waters for 18 years now. To go back there is aspiritual  pilgrimage for me; when I teach about baptism, I often remember (and sometimes tell) stories of the San Marcos River. I've only been swimming in the actual springs, Spring Lake , once. I went snorkeling, and it was amazing....

Arrested Development, a popular television show, parodies modern American life and shines a light (and TV camera) on some of our less healthy practices. Set in a coastal town, the series included several special episodes that featured the obnoxious behaviors that tend to come out during the annual American-sacred-week of spring break. Seeing one of those episodes recently made me reflect on the typically unacceptable behaviors that come out when people visit our beach. The adage “let your freak flag fly” may become a literal practice as too-many cars drive up and down the beach flying as many flags as possible, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as you well know.             Most of our vacationers, of course, are wonderful and are here to enjoy our beautiful island   with families and friends. But, this summer, I have been hearing, brought more visitors than years past. They came in droves releasing whatever pent-up ene...

So begins another year of sitting in a circle with 18-month to 4-year-olds each Thursday for chapel. Adults know how to be polite if my sermon takes a confusing turn,  if they lose interest, or if it's just; usually adults  try to seem to be engaged. Not so with these little ones. They will walk in wiggly. They will not want to sit still. They will wonder what I'm talking about. If I talk, which I try not to do for very long. The best thing is to sing. Sing familiar songs. Hand motions or even dancing helps. If I can bring in show and tell: a bowl made by a friend; a silver chalice; a box with a surprise in it. That helps, too. So begins another year of learning, and I am the learner. They are teaching me how to teach them. Really, it's the same with the polite adults. We sing, we make hand motions across our bodies in the sign of the cross, and we dance: kneeling, standing, following one another up with open hands to receive God in bread and wine. Show and tell: T...