Month: April 2022

I have always loved and enjoyed Epiphany Sunday at Derry Church. It is a beautiful reminder of the gift of Christ to us. I remember the first time we ever received a star gift (five years ago) and wondered what effect it would have – trying to see and understand that particular word gift as special, central or important to my year. While our star gifts are obviously personal, I would like to share one of mine with you.

In January 2020 I received the word “openness.” Naturally, I was curious about this and with the subsequent turbulence of that winter and spring I continued to think of how that might be applied. One day in the early summer, I got a call from Pastor Stephen to discuss being a deacon of the church. Growing up in a small PCA church we had only one deacon. He was one of my favorite members of the church and we were very blessed to have him. It seemed amazing he could reach so many people with God’s love.

Throughout training, I learned so much from each of Derry’s pastors about the role of a deacon and what it means to be one. I was especially struck, however, during my phone call with Pastor Stephen by my word: openness. Being open to God’s call; being willing to go where God would direct us is not always clear or easy but in this case it was. The PC(USA)’s Book of Order describes deacons as being called to a ministry of “compassion, witness and service, sharing in the redeeming love of Jesus Christ…” I believe that in so many ways, we are all deacons. In the Great Commission, Christ gave us each a command for mission, love, outreach and says that He will be with us always throughout that journey. We may not always know what God wishes of us, or what our own “openness” to God’s call may be. However, God promises to guide us each step of the way.

Psalm 37 has always been a favorite of mine and in verse five it says, “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass” (KJV). Commitment isn’t easy. Here, our prayerful commitment is an offering of our entirety – our “Mind, Soul and Strength” to God’s purpose. By doing this, God will establish our plan and see it through to God’s glory. We may not all be ordained deacons, but we are each encouraged to live the life of a deacon in our own ways: by being open to God’s call and by trusting in God’s plan every day.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you for your promises to always guide us. Please help us to always be open to your call – to trust, serve and follow you. Help us to show the world your love, with our lives each and every day. We know you will bring your plan to pass in and through us. Amen

The oldest, and only remaining original Derry building, the Session House, protected today by a glass enclosure, was built under the pastorate of Reverend William Bertram in 1732, and was utilized as a school in which reading was mainly taught so that all might read their Bible. It was also used as the pastor’s study and a meeting place. 

A separate log church building had been constructed earlier near the spring. Around this time, a burial ground was laid out, recognized today as the present cemetery. A second log church, of an uncertain date, was later built and stood until 1769, after which a similar wooden building was constructed that became familiarly known as “Old Derry Church.”

In 1883, the present stone Chapel was constructed. At this time, there was no permanent pastor and  the church was being served by supply pastors. The addition of the John Elder Chapel was constructed in 1935, under the pastorate of Rev. John Corbin.

In 1951, when Rev. William Blair was pastor, the education wing was added to the Chapel. In 1965, a completely new sanctuary was built adjacent to the chapel under the pastorate of Reverend Ira Reed. Many current members will remember it, and Rev. Reed.

Renovation of the Sanctuary was completed under the pastorate of Rev. Richard Houtz in 1995. Our present sanctuary was updated and refurbished in 2014, under the oversight and care of Rev. Houtz. Numerous devoted church members have participated in those efforts throughout the years. 

Derry is rich in local history and has long been a place of worship. In the early days, parishioners walked or rode long distances, in some cases, ten to 12 miles, to worship on this site. As we approach our 300th anniversary (2024), it might be prudent to think upon those early worshippers, and all those who followed, who have faithfully supported, maintained and continued the vibrant life of Derry through times of travail, hardship, war, peace, prosperity and success, and brought Derry to the special and blessed place it is today.

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month (or close to it), the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In April we’re lifting up community involvement. You can also check the Joys & Concerns section of the weekly eNews for a quick reminder of what we’re focusing on this month.

Over the past several months, Derry’s Mission & Peace Committee has been prayerfully considering “adopting” an Afghan refugee family as part of Church World Service’s (CWS) Afghan Refugee Resettlement Program. You are probably aware that tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their country since August 2021 in the hopes of finding safe haven in the United States. One can only imagine the hardships a family must overcome when they leave everything behind. We believe that if they are surrounded by an outpouring of loving, caring, and supportive volunteers, their transition will be much easier.

As the Afghan refugees arrive, CWS forms Welcoming Teams which are tasked with helping to make this country feel like home. Derry will be working with the new CWS Harrisburg Office to form our team of volunteers — one of many being recruited from several Christian denominations. Volunteers will help the families with their housing needs, as well as securing clothing, transportation, employment, and education opportunities. The first several months are very demanding, but the goal is for the family to become independent with the love and support of their volunteer network.

Derry has already started preparing for this process by attending briefings by CWS leadership, talking with members of other local churches who have already been called to action, applying for clearances and background checks, collecting furniture and other items, and recruiting volunteers and assessing their availability. Although the commitment is not an easy one, we believe that this is the right next step for us as a church congregation and we hope that you will be a part of this effort as many more volunteers are needed. The volunteers that we interviewed said that the experience, although sometimes demanding, is very worthwhile. Amazing connections are made as we realize that all families hold similar values. 

In volunteering, you should be aware that this will require: 

1. A personal involvement with an Afghan family, and a flexible time commitment to include several hours of training via CWS
2. A need to obtain all necessary clearance forms
3. Perhaps a translation app on your smart phone to ease language barriers 

The more volunteers Derry has, the easier it will be to cover the family’s needs. A chance to ask questions and obtain more information will be offered at meetings to be held Sundays at 9 am on April 24 in the Chapel and following  10:30 am services on April 24, May 1, and May 8 in Lounge. You may also contact me if you are interested but unable to attend one of these meetings.

Additional ways to help may be through financial donations to assist with food, rent, and utilities, or donations of new items or items that are in good condition to help outfit their home. Please contact Pete Feil or Marilyn Koch to donate household items.

This is a great opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, connect with Afghan people, and learn about another culture without leaving Central Pennsylvania! You are sure to grow in your faith journey by bonding with others through this process. This is also an excellent way for Derry to share God’s love and practice God’s justice in our community.

The journey of faith is a long and difficult road.

It begins with the innocence of a young mind learning the stories and absorbing the first complexities of belief in an unseen God. It continues with the life and death of Jesus and includes a Spirit moving across the lives of every living thing, always.

The journey of faith includes every phase of our lives. From we as children to we who have lived a lot of years. At every turn, there has been doubt, belief, doubt and belief.

I’m going to write about Walter.

My dog. Meet him in this short video.

I bought Walter as a diversion and a way of comforting my ill wife. It kind of worked. But after she passed, he became a blessing to me much more than I expected.Walter became a larger part of my life. Walter was full of love for me. He was faithful. He was calm and loyal. He taught me the value of those attributes by his example. He was accepting of my failures and celebrated my kindnesses. He taught me to be tolerant and respectful of others without regard for race, religion, gender, or status.

Walter loves everyone.

You’re probably expecting an essay on how much I love my dog. While I do, I would rather write about how much my dog loves me.

I’m not perfect, I’ve behaved badly from time to time. I have mistreated others and I’ve mistreated Walter from time to time. For others, reconciliation is often a long and apologetic road. For Walter I need only say, “I’m sorry” and I’m forgiven. Complete and utter forgiveness. While he can’t speak, he can still communicate using a combination of non-verbal gestures and sounds which focus my attention on what he wants. I have to learn to watch and listen very carefully since he is never perfectly clear with his “meaning making.”

He is always there for me. If I’m ill, he stays near and comforts me. If I’m happy he rejoices with me and starts looking for ways to spread that joy around. Racing around my home is a usual tactic.

He welcomes the adoration of others. He is especially fond of children. I’ve known unconditional love. It’s a love which springs from the heart, mind and spirit. I am blessed.

We are all blessed.

We all have the gifts that little dog brings. 

Amen.