James Derkits

originally published in the South Jetty Newspaper After Labor Day, I found myself wanting to do some cleaning and organizing for the seasons ahead. It probably has something to do with school starting back and shifting into a different rhythm of life. It also has to do with a busy summer with lots of guests and travel, and now finally having a chance to catch my breath. Some places, people do spring cleaning that may be historically associated with the Persian new year or churches preparing for Easter; it is probably associated with colder climate zones opening up their homes after a cold and snowy winter. Fall cleaning makes good sense to me here where we live, and it does fit into the school year starting. It also works well with the liturgical year ramping up--walking through those seasons of Jesus' life. Advent doesn't start until December this year, but my mind is already mapping a course to Lent. I'm wondering: "What do we need to study for Sunday school?...

originally published in the South Jetty Newspaper It feels a little early in the year to be talking about the coming reign of God. I tend to talk coming-of-Christ in Advent, the four weeks before Christmas. It's been very much on my mind though in our divided political climate. We are in a difficult situation (which has been growing for some time) leading to a breakdown in any communication. The most extreme voices benefit from the rift, because people tend to want to stop and watch a good fight (which helps sell advertising.) Following the way of Love that Christ taught probably won't make anyone rich because it is a way of sacrifice and self-giving. (With apologies to the ad department of the South Jetty.) I'm praying for God's reign to stir up our hearts to heal our collective wounds: When we pray the Lord's Prayer, in the traditional language version, we pray, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The Lord's prayer...

Ugh. I just renewed my "Safeguarding God's Children" training. It has to be done every few years, and I dread it every time. I've been renewing for about twenty years now, ever since I was a youth minister at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, and working with Camp Allen, and Camp Capers, each Episcopal Camps.  I always dread it, and I'm always glad it is part of our church life. Everyone who works with youth or children, and everyone who has access to our church building takes this course. It is so important because it teaches respectful boundaries with children, youth, and even adults. It also educates our leadership about what to look for to protect against abuse. Particularly child molestation.  The church is one of the few places where intergenerational learning still takes place. Several generations on a journey together: learning and teaching one another about the love of God, and passing down stories of how God has moved through our community. The ...

Originally Published in the Port Aransas South Jetty Newspaper This summer, I am spending three weeks at our three Episcopal camps. I want to share a bit of what I'm teaching, and what we are learning together. I sought our stories from the Bible of people on their journey encountering God, and learning to walk in love. The stories that I recalled probably says as much about me and my theology as about the theme. Abraham, Sarah, and the Strangers (Genesis 18.1-15) In this bizarre story, strangers show visit Abraham and Sarah as they are camped in the wilderness in the shade of some famous oaks. Abraham, following Torah, rushes to prepare a meal for the strangers to show hospitality. Actually Sarah does a lot of that work; it turns out to be the God, or Angels of the Lord. By showing hospitality to strangers, Abraham and Sarah show kindness to God. St. Paul's Encounter with Christ (Acts 9. 1-19) This guy Saul had everything figured out: he knew he was right, and his...

Sermon Preached at Trinity by the Sea Pentecost IV, July 7, 2019 The Rev. J. James Derkits A poem by the Sufi Poet Hafiz If God invited you to a party and said,  “Everyone in the ballroom tonight will be my special Guest.”  How would you then treat them When you arrived? Indeed, indeed! And Hafiz knows There is no one in this world Who is not upon [God's] jeweled Dance Floor.  (from The Gift , Hafiz, ed. Daniel Ladinsky, Penguin Books, 1999) I return to that poem from time to time and try to remember I’m living on God’s jeweled dancefloor, and to wonder if I’m listening deeply to the Spirit's music… I don’t know how much time you spend thinking about the purpose of the church--I hope it's no surprise that I spend a lot.  Summer seems to be a good time for that; one of my friends calls Summer the least religious time of the year, by which he means, quite spiritually, God’s abundance is on parade, the rhythms of the earth point ...

The last time I read the Shel Silverstein book The Giving Tree  it was to a group of young campers out at Mustang Island Family Camp (dwtx.org for more info.) It is a beautiful story that reminds me of God's creative and abundant love. If you haven't read it, I recommend it. The giving tree is just that: she gives and gives supplying for the needs of the boy as he grows to be an old man. It's a story of grace. Homes for Displaced Marlins Celebration I've learned a lot about grace in the past two years. Our church recently dedicated a new stained glass window to the volunteers who came to our aid after the hurricane. It is symbolized by one hand reaching up from a turbulent sea, and many hands reaching down symbolizing those who reached out to us from nearby and far away. Although we are still on the journey toward our new normal after the storm, we have made amazing progress. I volunteered on the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina, and on the East Texas Coast af...

(No spoilers.)     I watched the final episode of Game of Thrones last night and found it appropriate to the show. I won't say it's satisfying or everything I hoped for...I would love another few episodes, or another season even. It was a conclusion to a complex story that my wife Laura and I started with the books: first reading them, then listening to an audio version, then thrilled when the first season was released.    I can't say I recommend it, it's violent and there are a lot of sex scenes in it (one friend even calls it "Dragon Porn.") It's a rich story told in a metamodern way: The heroes are flawed, the evil people have love for others, and there are all these mystical elements throughout. The final season has ended. Winter was coming, then it came, and now it is over.    I listened to my favorite podcast, the Sacred Speaks , recently and learned that term "metamodernism" in John Price's interview of Linda Ceriello. She talke...