Month: June 2022

2021-22 was a very special school year at Derry Discovery Days Preschool!

We concluded our school year on May 26 when 22 of our Butterfly 4s students graduated at a ceremony in the Sanctuary followed by a reception and art show. The children performed several songs for their families and it was wonderful to have everyone gather together to celebrate these amazing students. Each student received a diploma and award that highlighted a character trait they exhibited throughout the year. Jill Felter and I loved teaching these students and are so proud of them for all of their hard work during another year impacted by COVID-19. We wish them the best in kindergarten!

In year two of operating a preschool during a pandemic, we continue to be blessed by having so many dedicated staff members who truly view their students as their second family. This year we re-opened our Turtle 2s class and Morgan Smink led this adorable group, many of whom had very limited previous social interaction due to the pandemic. These shy, nervous children quickly became a family and confident little learners. Our Busy Bee 3s class led by Rachel Bullard was full of vibrant and fun personalities and their energy and excitement was evident daily as they learned, played and made special friendships.

Other highlights from our school year included a visit from the Hershey Fire Department during Fire Safety Week, our annual Halloween Parade with a special visit by Pastor Pam in her dinosaur costume, our Christmas concert, weekly yoga and soccer classes, Lunch Bunch, Mystery Reader visits, holiday parties, our end of year picnic at Patriot Park and our Summer Camp week. Many thanks to our incredibly special families who blessed us with their beautiful children and were beyond generous with many donations and fundraiser support. Lastly, we want to thank the DDD Board for showing our staff such love during Teacher Appreciation Week. We loved the daily treats!

We look forward to the 2022-23 school year starting on September 6 with the reopening of our Ladybug 1s classroom and the return of our enrichment program for pre-K students. Our afternoon Butterfly 4s class has a few openings: contact me for more information. We hope everyone has a great summer!

I’m writing to you from Ireland during my sabbatical in which I’m focusing on the power of story and relationships in the work of reconciliation. I’ve been asked by several people, “What exactly is reconciliation?”

Throughout my time in Ireland I’ve asked peacemakers and reconcilers how they would define reconciliation. You can read more of my in-depth daily notes about those conversations and more. Here are a few of their definitions:

Dr. Jin Kim says, “Reconciliation is building relationships between people who were oppressed because of the conflict structure so they can achieve peace with justice.”

Joe Campbell responded that reconciliation is a journey that takes courage and requires a willingness to let go of old hurts and both accept and give forgiveness. Joe said that reconciliation begins “with me and not the other person.”

Derick Wilson believes reconciliation is the overcoming of enmity and hostility between people, but it’s also about the relationships and structures through which we are at ease with one another. Reconciliation is based upon our relationships and the structures that maintain those relationships. It’s the central message of the gospel, but churches have too often seen it as peripheral.

Jenny Meegan defined reconciliation as forming relationships with people, listening and sharing stories, and meeting people where they are without expecting them to change. Reconciliation often happens by accident, but you have to be open to it and the possibilities of new relationships. 

Rev. David Latimer (shown with me in the accompanying photo) insists reconciliation requires risk. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby defines reconciliation as the “art of disagreeing well.”

As I’ve listened, read, observed, and discussed, I think I’ve settled on a definition of reconciliation that works for me and the work I want to do. I define reconciliation as “mending the tears in society caused by broken and fractured relationships.”

I like the idea of mending because it fixes what is broken, but it doesn’t completely erase the tear or wound. I think of mended pants after I rip them because of some act of carelessness. The thread closes the hole, but the scar remains. Reconciliation helps close the wounds in society, but it will not magically erase histories of trauma and scars of conflict. I don’t think it should. Reconciliation is not about everyone agreeing or even approving of each other. It does not magically solve every problem to everyone’s satisfaction. It begins the process of stopping the bleeding and closing the wound.

It reminds me of Kintsugi. This traditional Japanese art uses a precious metal – liquid gold, liquid silver or lacquer dusted with powdered gold – to bring together the pieces of a broken pottery item and at the same time enhance the breaks. 

The mended cracks become part of the object’s design, reflecting symbolically an event in the life of that object, rather than the cause of its destruction. 

When practicing reconciliation, we may end up highlighting the broken places in our society and relationships, but we will mend them and perhaps they can become something beautiful in our life together in the end. 

When I think about the friendship between Rev. David Latimer, retired pastor of First Derry Presbyterian Church, and Martin McGuinness, the former IRA leader, I see this principle at work (read more in the June 9 Sabbatical note). Many people didn’t want them to be friends and for a while it highlighted differences and struggles, but in the end, it brought healing to both men and the community. One man — whose son was killed by an IRA bomb ordered by McGuinness — eventually shook Martin’s hand after he spoke in the church one day. He told David he was proud of him for doing this work, because if he and others like him had done it 20 years earlier, his son might be alive. The crack remains, but it’s more than a broken shattered place now, it’s part of a story of wholeness. 

Reconciliation is about mending the broken places so we might become whole; as individuals and as a society. My hope is I can participate in the work and in mending the tears we’ve seen and experienced in our community and nation through the power of story and relationships.

Thursdays are busy days in my corner of Derry Church as I finalize the eNews for you and prepare the content that’s needed for Sunday morning worship and live streaming. Thursdays are also when I look forward to two fun treats: it’s the day many of us on staff order a take-out lunch* and it’s the day I post one of Pam Whitenack’s delightful “Heritage Notes.” 

You may not know that before she retired, Pam Whitenack was in charge of the Hershey Community Archives. Now Pam spends a day here at the church just about every week, sorting and organizing materials in our church’s historical archive. Not only is she preparing for our 300th anniversary in 2024, she’s also looking for little gems of history to share with all of us. If you follow Derry Church on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably seen and read many “Heritage Notes.” An easy way to find them is by searching for the hashtag #derryheritage (most of the posts are ours, but you’ll also find posts from a few other sources that have used that hashtag).

As we draw closer to our 300th anniversary, these glimpses into Derry’s past have been good for me to read and ponder. Looking back across the centuries, I’m reminded that times haven’t always been easy for our church and this community. The sepia photo of “Old Derry” with broken windows and holes in the siding is just one example. There have been years when this church has had no pastor, and times when the congregation was so small that others from the community stepped in to keep the church going: when “Old Derry” was torn down In 1884, a group of people, many of them descendants of early church members and former pastors, came together to support the construction of the Presbyterian Memorial Church of Hershey (our current Chapel). It would be many more years before Milton Hershey returned to this area and not only the town, but our church, grew and prospered.

It has helped me to reflect on Derry’s history as we live into this post-pandemic time. In the past two years, much has changed in all of our lives, and that includes our church family. There has been sadness and loss. Ways of doing things have changed. Not everyone has been excited about technological advances and hybrid meetings. I know who’s missing when I scan the pews and see empty spaces instead of familiar faces. I have to be honest and say there are times I walk these halls and my heart just hurts. 

Then a note from Pam pops into my feed to remind me that the long arc of Derry Church history always bends back toward hope. I know we have been here before, and it’s not the end but a new beginning. I have faith in this church, this congregation, and the God who has seen us through the past three centuries, and I can’t wait to see where God takes us next. 

* Long-time readers will remember that the staff used to get pizza every week. I’m happy to say we’ve branched out to other local restaurants: let me know if you have a favorite place we should check out.

As we exit the COVID lockdowns and restrictions, now is a good time to re-engage Derry’s commitment to our mission partners. The Mission & Peace Committee invites you to participate in Mission Week Lite. In conjunction with the Dominican Republic international mission trip, these close-to-home volunteer opportunities have been organized to support our local mission partners:

7-10 PM FRIDAY, JUNE 10
Work at the Bethesda Mission Mobile Mission
Distribute food, coffee, and supplies to homeless individuals at locations pre-determined by the Mobile Mission Coordinator. Meet at the church and carpool to Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg. Five volunteers needed, age 12 and older. 

10:30 AM – 1:30 PM SUNDAY, JUNE 12
Bag Lunches for Downtown Daily Bread
Meet at the church kitchen to assemble and then deliver and distribute lunches at Downtown Daily Bread in Harrisburg.  Supplies and transportation provided. Age 14 and older.

4-6:30 PM TUESDAY, JUNE 14
Serve Dinner at Bethesda Mission Men’s Shelter
Serve prepared soup line dinner to Bethesda Mission clients.  Meet at church and carpool to Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg. Five volunteers needed, age 12 and older.

6:30-8:15 AM FRIDAY, JUNE 17
Serve Breakfast at Downtown Daily Bread
Help prepare, serve and clean up breakfast at Downtown Daily Bread in Harrisburg. Up to two volunteers age 16 and older.   

JUNE 19 – 26
Volunteer to Help Families in Transition
Help homeless families by preparing meals, driving the van, or spending the night at Seventh Day Adventist Church on Chocolate Avenue in Hershey when they host client families sponsored by Family Promise of Harrisburg Capital Region. Learn more in the announcement in this week’s eNews. 

1 – 4 PM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29
Pack Food at Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Pack food boxes at Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg. Meet at church and carpool to the Food Bank warehouse. Five people needed, age 14 and older.

To participate in any of these activities, add your name to the signup sheets on the Mission & Peace bulletin board in the Narthex or contact Craig Smith at (717) 574 9296.

The Mission and Peace Committee thanks the congregation for your generous support to Derry’s local mission partners throughout the year.