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 ...

When Jesus sends his disciples out to do ministry he advises them to stay where they are welcomed (and to shake off the dust and move on where they are not.) He also advises them: "Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.  Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you;  cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”" From Luke Ch. 10 Since I arrived in Port Aransas in 2012, I've mostly "stayed in the same house" aside from a few short term lodgings the year after the hurricane. More than that literal stability of my dwelling place, I have found such deep meaning in the stability of living in one place and with one church for ten year, and anticipate it will only become a richer experience the longer I am here.  On a recent Sunday, I got to baptize a third generation member of Trinity...

Some of you may be getting tired of Christmas Carols, the red and green palette, and white-bearded reindeer racer already. Some of us have been finding ways to wait and watch in eager preparation before we welcome the Christ Child on the first day of Christmas. Then for 12 Christmas Days we keep the party rolling until the the arrival of the Magi from the East. They came to welcome the newborn king, which was more than a little disturbing to the nearby authority who was in the habit of calling himself king.  There are a variety of estimates of how long the Magi, or wisemen, or three kings traveled, following yonder star to pay homage to the child of Mary. They all agree it was a haul; probably more than 12 days, but it helps us to tell the story this way. Our Magi figureines are already making that journey. Now they are settled near the doors of our church and they will hop from the oblation table to the piano, then to the baptismal font, and finally to the nativity scene set in ou...

In November, I traveled to Florida, where I delivered the generous donations our church and community gave for Hurricane Ian relief. After that storm, I looked up Episcopal Churches in the pathway of the hurricane, and reached out to All Souls' in Fort Myers. Sunday, November 13, I preached at their church, sharing some of our experience of Hurricane Harvey recovery. I encouraged them to take care of themselves, their community, and to persevere. It was a powerful experience, and my eyes leaked to match theirs as they sent their thank you back with me to deliver to you.  Outside Westminster in London That is what I love about our church: we are connected with churches across the country and globe who share a similar piety and style of worship. In a small church across the Gulf that I had never visited before, I led the familiar service nearly from memory because we pray Common Prayers. I had a similar experience years ago in South Africa, even though one of the churches I atte...

 My Favorite News Channel I have visited a lot of hospital rooms, sometimes before or after a surgery, or to pray with someone drawing near to death. It is a sacred privilege, and while often uncomfortable to deal with the realities surrounding those visits, it always feels holy, and sometimes I bear witness to the holiness with tears on my way out.  When I was first learning to go on those visits, sometimes I'd be surprised to walk into a hospital room with Extreme News!!!  blaring in the corner. Here in a place of healing, where energy should be put into recovery, people succumbed to their addiction to constant information, adrenaline inducing headlines, and the onslaught of commercials that is part of that whole circus. As a people pleaser, early on, I was reluctant to dare ask them to turn off what they obviously wanted to be playing. But that didn't last too long after enduring a blaring viagra commercial during through the Lord's Prayer. Now, I go straight for the r...

I love the scene in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when Uncle Eddie is talking absently, wandering around, and Clark is following him around making snide remarks that Eddie misses completely. At one point Uncle Eddie approaches the Griswold's Christmas carousel and swipes at the delicate fan blades sending the wooden pieces flying. Clark rushes in to pick up the pieces, and Eddie lumbers on, ready for another glass of egg nog.  We received one of those Christmas carousels several years ago, and we keep it stored away with our stockings and ceramic Advent wreath. I think of those items this time of year especially when the weather turns cold. Soon we will take the Advent wreath out of the attic, as well as the church's Advent wreath from the closet. We will begin to build the nativity scene across the season of Advent, and finally place Jesus in the manger on Christmas eve.  So far, no one has taken swipe at our Christmas carousel, and no one has mistaken our nativity...