James Derkits

Published in the South Jetty Newspaper While the saint word has fallen away from that mid-February holiday of Eros-Love, I am grateful we have held onto it for this month's celebration of St. Patrick's. Dear St. Patrick did more than the legendary snake-drive, and I don't think it was he who asked people to wear green (or drink green). As a young man of 16, Patrick arrived in Ireland as a slave, kidnapped from his home. There he tended sheep and in that pastoral setting he learned to pray and as he wrote, "felt God's love fill my heart and strengthen my faith." He escaped on a ship, but later returned to Ireland after a series of mystical experiences persuaded him his mission field was there. St. Patrick may be the most popular of the Irish or Celtic Saints , but he is not necessarily the most interesting.  Consider St. Brendan , who like other monks of the region, launched himself off in a small boat, letting the Holy Spirit direct his course to carry the Goo...

Once a week, I get to lead chapel for our Trinity Day School students. We usually gather in the church to sing, pray, and hear scripture. It is a delight each week to see those sweet little faces, even the ones with runny noses. Like in adult church we have some children are really tuned in, singing the songs with the hand motions, screaming "NO!" they will not hide their little light under a bushel. Some are eager to raise their hand, even before I finish the question, "Who here has been in the belly of a whale? Oh really??"  We have others who are enjoying the wonders of imagination, and staring off at some of our stained glass images, or just daydreaming about being anywhere, but in chapel. I know their little brains are soaking it all in anyway, or at least the important stuff...just like the day-dreaming adults on Sunday.  The chapel service is the most consistently attended of our weekly services. While it is adapted for the little ones, we still use elements ...