James Derkits

The autumn is a season of death. I recently did a whirlwind week of travel across Texas and then up to North Carolina. On my journey I was inspired again and again by the presence of death and how it was celebrated. It is our constant companion no matter what attitude we take toward it. My week of travel started with a funeral and a wedding on the same day; both are occasions to celebrate life in the midst of death. A funeral is an apparent connection, perhaps. The funeral was for a friend of mine who I've known since high school. The exact cause of her death was unknown, but the influence of her life on others is obvious. A church in Houston was full of people who's lives she touched, changed, and inspired. As I said goodbye to my friend, and mourned with her family, it made me want to live. The next stop was a wedding on a hill country river. Once again, it was the occasion of life in the midst of death. Both the bride and groom will one day die.  And during the ceremony, t...

I've gotten away from using our book of Holy Women, Holy Men at our weekly Wednesday Eucharist, in favor of using the upcoming lectionary, so I've missed learning each week about the saints we celebrate on a weekly basis. Today a Lutheran Pastor friend walked in talking about an English day of remembrance for Guy Fawkes . Not wanting to be out anglicized by my German brother-in-Christ, I quickly thumbed through my Holy Women, Holy Men, and was relieved to find that I hand't completely forgotten about Mr. Fawkes, because, of course, he isn't in there. November 3 and November 6, though, are the feast days of Richard Hooker and William Temple , two church leaders who have long given me inspiration, and who's writings have helped me continue to be vulnerable enough to ask the deep questions I need to ask, and to continue my spiritual journey in the context of the Episcopal Church. The things I remember about these guys is that Hooker gave us the three-legged-sto...

Reflection for October 25 Mark 10.46-52 The Rev. J. James Derkits Trinity by the Sea Context: I was away from Trinity by the Sea on October 25 at the Inner Journey Retreat at Kanuga , NC. I wrote this reflection for the worship leader to read. Greetings everyone--I feel a little like St Paul might have, writing you a letter to be read in the context of worship. Only a few differences: It’s in English I’m typing on a laptop and back then they wrote on tiny pieces of papyrus or clay Your worship leaders received it by email, not carried personally by a messenger And, most importantly, I’m not writing to address major problems as St. Paul often had to, I’m just writing to give you a reflection on this amazing story and to let you know I love you and will be lifting you up in prayer...from the mountains of North Carolina at our Episcopal Conference Center called Kanuga on the final day of an Inner Journey Retreat Rather than a digression, that is, perhaps the best p...

Laura and I are coaching soccer again this year. It has already been a lot of fun. That's what it's about, especially at the under-6 level! We tie a team jersey on the goal to help them remember which direction to kick the ball. We work on learning to pass, but that's a difficult concept at that age. Why share the ball, when the goal is THAT way?? It's really hilarious. And a joy to witness those little moments of glory, as well as frustration. We don't even keep score (well, some do I'm sure.) After the game, we always make sure to say a team cheer. This year we are the Dorados. (Go Dorados, go-go-Dorados!) This week, my sister called to let me know my nephew Aidan was playing in Kingsville. It worked out that I had nothing scheduled that night, so Eli and I drove to see Aidan play. They are the Austin Waldorf School Road Runners. They lost that game, but it was a regional game, which means they got to play in a regional game! Way to go Roadies! I was sor...

I am grateful to all those local saints who have been such good stewards of the natural resources of this island, and all who struggle to find the balance between the needs of community, financial responsibility, and protecting this wild island we inhabit. October is the month we commemorate St. Francis of Assisi who had a special gift for paying attention to the needs those who might otherwise be overlooked by the powers-that-be. He is often depicted in statues and icons with birds on his shoulder, and a wolf at his side. The stories tell us that he had a wolf as a companion, and that when no one else was around to preach to, he would just preach the gospel to the birds. As we celebrate St. Francis and his attention to the voiceless, I am mindful of the recent scare around Paradise Pond that resulted in a variety of reactions! I got caught up in fearing it might be a direct attack on one of our island treasures. Conversation with people on the island, and the comprehensive article ...

Thank you to everyone who attended our conversation on Sexuality, Relationships, and the Church. It was a time of holy listening, and sacred sharing around a topic that is quite personal to all of us because our understanding comes from our life experiences and people we know and love. There are gay (lesbian, homosexual...) people in my family. I love them. (There are straight people in my family, too, of course, and I love them, too.) I'm thinking here, first of my biological family, but also my extended friend-family and my church family.  Right now we are working together as a church family to understand how can we best support one another on this Christian journey and share the agape-love of Christ, and not argue over our ideological and theological differences. No matter what your perspective on this issue, Trinity by the Sea is where we come to meet God, receive and become the Body of Christ, and go out in to the community to be spiritual and charitable resource of God...

I had heard about the Abundant Living Conference when I was in the Diocese of Texas. It is an annual event there, in March at Camp Allen . I never had the opportunity to attend, but I've been a fan of The Rev. Dr. Helen Appelberg for some time. When I arrived at Trinity by the Sea, I spoke to some of our older adults, who were looking for something to support them in their spiritual life, and I started dreaming of having the conference here. We've just completed the first Abundant Living Conference in the Diocese of West Texas, and it was a wonderful experience. Plans have begun to have another next September (September by the Sea, March in the Piney Woods!) It is a conference for people over 60, who are engaged in the second half of life, and about encouraging them to live a life full of meaning, and growth. The alternative is what some people do when they retire: feel that life is over, and go about the business of deteriorating. I had the special privilege of attending b...