Month: March 2022

When one retires and reflects on their vocation, it’s like looking at the tip of an iceberg. Some say that what is visible on an iceberg is only 10% of it. When I think about my ministry at Derry, all you can see from your perspective at Derry is the tip of my iceberg, these last 25 years where I’ve been privileged to serve as one of your pastors. Just below the water line are my previous pastorates in southern WV (Trinity Presbyterian Church, Shady Spring, WV- 1990-1996) and central Virginia (Rustburg Presbyterian Church, Rustburg, VA 1982-1990)

But that data does not tell you all. The base of my iceberg goes much deeper. It includes generations of hard-working and faithful Scottish ancestors who valued education and had a dedicated trust in a loving God and shared these priorities with their children and grandchildren. Although they did not realize it at the time, they were from a privileged, dominant group as white people, and that reality helped to create my stable iceberg. 

From my generations of North Carolina farming ancestors, I learned the love of land and creation, valued hard work from each family member, including young children. I was given the opportunity to explore whatever was of interest.  I thrived in a rich diet of southern farm to table cuisine when it was an ordinary occurrence of self-sufficiency. This was all covered with layers of unconditional love, like gravy on mashed potatoes. My iceberg grew and was surrounded with Presbyterian ancestors who were church leaders and thoughtful, questioning Christians. My home church and its congregation were an extension of my family and home.  This is a significant part of the 90%  that is below the surface.

But wait, there’s more: the gifts of people who made time to guide and mentor me over the years: a home pastor who took me on my college visit, because it was a busy farming season for my dad; a campus minister who gave me a local church job and nudged me to consider seminary; caring professors who encouraged me when I was doubting my sense of call; pastors who supervised me in church internships in Moorefield, WV and Pulaski, VA providing me with models for preaching, conducting funerals, conflict management, and pastoral care that I still use; gifted colleagues here at Derry where I learned the joy of team ministry, and presbytery staff who taught me and provided opportunities to serve other congregations. These important folks helped to broaden that iceberg of my learning and ability to answer this call to ministry. And along the way it was the many members of various congregations who added to my education and faith development. From them and you I learned and saw profound trust in God in the midst of unthinkable tragedies and shared the wonder of God’s presence and direction in indescribable joys.  Through all of you, I have experienced the commitment and love of Christ and been inspired.

At this milestone of retirement, when I reflect on my ministry, I give special thanks to the many here at Derry who I have enjoyed serving alongside. Together we have been good teams in faithful service to God. 

But most of all I am grateful to God who has gifted me with such abundant grace in my ministry through people like you. Retirement is a good opportunity to reflect in gratitude, but you don’t need that reason. I encourage you to pause and consider the iceberg underneath your surface and give thanks.

On March 27 we will recognize and give thanks for Rev. Marie Buffaloe’s 25 years of pastoral service to Derry Church. I invite you to  join in person or by live streaming as Pastor Marie leads worship and preaches one last time. I appreciate Marie’s sermons because she speaks and proclaims the good news with such authenticity and love. I’m fed, comforted, and challenged by her words, and I know this Sunday will be no different. Her love of God and this congregation is so evident when she leads worship. I hope our presence and our participation in worship this Sunday clearly reflects our love of God and our love and appreciation for her. 

Following the 10:30 am service, a post worship fellowship in Fellowship Hall will be held in her honor. 

Then at 3 pm, I invite you to attend a program held in the Sanctuary and streaming. As we honor and give thanks for Pastor Marie’s ministry, Dick Houtz, Debbie Hough, and I will share our memories and reflections on Marie’s ministry. The puppets will offer a tribute to Marie, we’ll present gifts, and there will be music for all to enjoy. We’ll join together in a liturgy of thanksgiving for all the ways Marie has ministered to us. Finally, we’ll have an opportunity to give thanks for Marie and Brad’s time at Derry and bless them as they enter a new chapter of life together. 

After the program, come to Fellowship Hall for a reception that will include some of Marie’s favorite foods. There will be a basket to receive cards and a keepsake guestbook where you can write a personal note to Marie. This book will be available over the next few weeks so that everyone who wants to can have an opportunity to sign it.

Pastor Marie has meant so much to all of us at Derry Church. She has been a pillar of strength, care, compassion, wisdom, and love when we’ve needed it most. She has prayed with us through our saddest and most difficult days and celebrated with us when we’ve been filled with joy and thanksgiving. She’s baptized our children and buried our loved ones. She’s united us in marriage and counseled us in distress. She’s visited us in the hospital and in our homes and shared the love of God with our congregation. She’s been the manifestation of God’s abiding love and care in our lives for 25 years, and she will be deeply missed. 

I know I will miss her very much. Marie has been the kind of colleague every pastor deserves but few ever have. I count myself lucky to have been able to minister alongside her these last five years. She made my transition to ministry here so much easier, and for that I will be forever grateful. She has taught me about Derry’s history and traditions, and its wonderful people. She’s been a colleague, a counselor, a confidant, and a cherished friend. I will miss her humor, passion, advocacy, intuition, and heart for God and God’s people. While I will miss ministering alongside her, I am glad to wish her a happy and blessed retirement. She deserves it and she deserves to leave knowing how loved she is, how grateful we are, and what a difference she has made in our lives and the life of this church. 

The last time I wrote to you in this space, I was focused on the Sunday morning live stream and recruiting for the AV crew. This time I’m writing about something ultra low tech: new outdoor signage for Derry Church. 

If you’ve been on the church campus recently, you may have noticed that some signs are deteriorating, have incorrect information, or are missing altogether. Since 2018, the Communications & Technology Committee (CTC) has been vetting sign vendors and figuring out what signs are needed, what they should look like and what they should say. We considered an electronic sign along East Derry Road that would have scrolling text, but dismissed it when we realized it would be hard to read driving by… then we discovered our neighborhood wasn’t even zoned for that kind of signage. 

We knew we wanted to incorporate the church’s new tree logo and colors into a unified brand. Working with the security committee, we also knew we needed to number all of the doors in a logical sequence that would make it easy for everyone to locate the entrance they want, especially emergency personnel. 

As we met with sign vendors, shared our ideas and listened to their proposals, one company rose to the top, offering a great combination of thoughtful design and competitive pricing: Stoner Graphix. If you’ve been to the Hershey Story Museum, Chocolate World or Hersheypark, you’ve seen their work. They’ve been in business for 30 years and even better, their Hummelstown facility is practically in our back yard. 

Their package includes a new sign at the corner of Mansion Road and Chocolate Avenue, a new sign that offers clear directions when you’re at the T by the Session House and don’t know if you should turn left or right, and an illuminated tree logo over the courtyard entrance that effectively bridges our outdoor and indoor spaces.

In January we presented Stoner’s proposed sign package to the Session, and in February it was approved with minor modifications. You can expect to see the signs installed later this year, while the CTC turns its attention indoors to begin the process of updating interior signs. Our goal is to have all the new signs in place in time for Derry’s 300th anniversary in 2024. 

While the sign project isn’t as glamorous as live streaming, it’s a key element in making our campus more welcoming. We want to make it easy for everyone to find their way around and let them know we’re glad they’re here. Stay tuned: exciting changes are on the horizon!

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In March we’re lifting up the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. You can also check the Joys & Concerns section of the weekly eNews for a quick reminder of what we’re focusing on this month.

Received during the season of Lent (March 2-April 17), the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) Offering is the single, largest way that, for over 70 years, Presbyterians have come together to work for a better world by advancing the causes of justice, resilience, and sustainability. These efforts of the Presbyterian Church USA to provide relief from natural disasters, food for the hungry, and support for the poor and oppressed are administered through three programs: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA); Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP); and Self-Development of People (SDOP).

PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (PDA) is  well-known for its rapid response to natural and international disasters by supplying funds to help initiate the recovery process. In recent years this has been readily apparent following Hurricane Ida, tornados in the midwest, California wildfires, typhoons, and several earthquakes. With the pandemic, this year’s efforts have been directed toward providing grants to communities pushed to the margins by COVID-19. PDA is also involved in programs supporting the refugee crises in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, and the southern US border.

PRESBYTERIAN HUNGER PROGRAM (PHP) partners with various food and farming projects to alleviate poverty, hunger and its causes throughout the world. Some of this is accomplished through providing animals, bees, and seeds, promoting better crop selection and agricultural methods, fair trade practices, and family gardens. They also seek to supply better and more nutritional foods, secure loans for income-producing projects, and address local environmental and labor issues.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE (SDOP) works in partnership with people in low-income communities in the United States and around the world. The aim is to invest in communities responding to their own challenges of oppression, poverty and injustice, thus helping them to develop solutions to their particular problems in areas such as youth-led activities, disabilities, farming, skills development, and immigration/refugee issues.  

This year our OGHS Offering will be divided equally between PCUSA and Bridges to Community (BTC), the non-profit organization which has coordinated Derry’s trips to Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic for the past 20 years. Following a two-year pandemic hiatus, we will return in June to the Dominican Republic to build a house for a family in need. We will work with the family, local masons, and community members to provide safe and secure housing in this poor area. We’ll also participate in Bible School activities in the afternoon. Under the BTC model, new homeowners are encouraged to pay into their local community fund, which can then be used by the community at their discretion for selected improvement projects. 

The Mission & Peace Committee has set a goal of $18,000 for this year’s OGHS Offering. You may give online or by check made out to Derry Presbyterian Church and notated OGHS, or use envelopes in the pews.  Taken together, your contributions to the OGHS offering will enable both PCUSA and BTC to improve their quality of life for many people. Thank you, Derry, for your generous support!