James Derkits

"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." " Amen. Lord have mercy."  --Book of Common Prayer p. 350, see also, the Bible.  My mentor, the Rev. Beth Fain, often pointed out to people that this is the most commonly broken of the 10 Commandments. What a gift it was to have a rector who modeled self care by going on retreat, and having a weekly "Sabbath Day" instead of just a "day off." My friend and colleague John Price, a Houston-based psychologist and teacher, was recently musing on the sacred act of sleep: that time when we let go of control and allow our bodies to heal and our unconscious to speak to us in dreams. Most of the teachings of our c ulture are against rest, yet rest may be the greatest act of trusting God. In the New Zealand Prayer Book  we pray in the Night Prayer Service " It is but lost labour that we haste to rise up early,   and so late take rest, and eat the bread of anxiety.   For those beloved of God are give...

Originally Published in Reflections Magazine, Diocese of West Texas "Theologians, they don't know nothin' about my soul..." So echoed the chorus from one of my favorite songs from the band Wilco. Fans chanted along, and I can't help but wonder if they meant the same thing the songwriter intended. With what felt like vehemence, the cheering crowd seemed to be speaking against the theologians, the religious professionals, and by association, perhaps, the church; they seemed to sing out against any efforts we who identify with the church might make at speaking truth regarding the human soul. They seem to lash out at some past wrong with the words from the song. A crowd of people disillusioned by organized religion thought they had their opportunity to sing against it. Knowing the rest of the song, I believe there is a very different feeling and intention to that line from the chorus. I believe it is actually invoking a thread of our theological tradition known ...