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Today I toured the oldest part of the city of Istanbul and learned a lot about its history. Istanbul is a city that has been at the literal crossroads of the world, and the rise and fall of many empires, which has caused it to undergo several name changes through the centuries.

Though Istanbul may have been inhabited as early as 3000 BCE, it was not a city until Greek colonists arrived in the area in the seventh century BCE. These colonists were led by King Byzas and settled there because of the strategic location along the Bosporus Strait. King Byzas named the city Byzantium after himself.

Byzantium became a part of the Roman Empire in the 300s. During this time, the Roman emperor, Constantine the Great, rebuilt the entire city. His goal was to make it stand out by building monuments similar to those found in Rome. In 330, Constantine declared the city as the capital of the entire Roman Empire and renamed it Constantinople. The city grew to be one of the largest and wealthiest in the world.

After the death of the emperor Theodosius I in 395, however, enormous upheaval took place in the empire as his sons permanently divided it. Following the division, Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire in the 400s.

As part of the Byzantine Empire, the city became distinctly Greek, as opposed to its former identity in the Roman Empire. Because Constantinople was at the center of two continents, it became a center of commerce, culture, and diplomacy and grew considerably. In 532, the anti-government Nika Revolt broke out and destroyed much of the city. It was after this destruction that many of the most famous monuments in the old quarter of the city (called Sultanahmet) were built, including the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom). It became the center of the Greek Orthodox church in the same way Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome was considered the center of the Roman Catholic church.

Although Constantinople significantly prospered during decades following its becoming a part of the Byzantine Empire, the factors leading to its success also made it a target for conquering. For hundreds of years, troops from all over the Middle East attacked the city. For a time it was even controlled by members of the Fourth Crusade after the city was desecrated in 1204. Subsequently, Constantinople became the center of the Catholic Latin Empire.

As competition persisted between the Catholic Latin Empire and the Greek Orthodox Byzantine Empire, Constantinople was caught in the middle and began to significantly decay. It went financially bankrupt, the population declined, and it became vulnerable to further attacks as defense posts around the city crumbled. In 1261, in the midst of this turmoil, the Empire of Nicaea recaptured Constantinople, and it was returned to the Byzantine Empire. Around the same time, the Ottoman Turks began conquering the cities surrounding Constantinople, effectively cutting it off from many of its neighboring cities.

After being considerably weakened, Constantinople was officially conquered by the Ottomans, led by Sultan Mehmed II on May 29, 1453, after a 53-day siege. During the siege, the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI, died while defending his city. Almost immediately, Constantinople was declared to be the capital of the Ottoman Empire and its name was changed to Istanbul.

Upon taking control of the city, Sultan Mehmed sought to rejuvenate Istanbul. He created the Grand Bazaar (one of the largest covered marketplaces in the world) and brought back fleeing Catholic and Greek Orthodox residents. In addition to these residents, he brought in Muslim, Christian, and Jewish families to establish a mixed populace. He reached out in peace and reconciliation to provide a place for multiple religions to co-exist and prosper. Sultan Mehmed also began the building of architectural monuments, schools, hospitals, public baths, and grand imperial mosques.

From 1520 to 1566, Suleiman the Magnificent controlled the Ottoman Empire, and there were many artistic and architectural achievements that made the city a major cultural, political, and commercial center. By the mid-1500s, its population had grown to almost 1 million inhabitants. The Ottoman Empire ruled Istanbul until it was defeated and occupied by the Allies in World War I.

Following World War I, the Turkish War of Independence took place, and Istanbul became a part of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Istanbul was not the capital city of the new republic, and during the early years of its formation, Istanbul was overlooked; investment went into the new, centrally located capital, Ankara. In the 1940s and 1950s, though, Istanbul reemerged. New public squares, boulevards, and avenues were constructed—and many of the city’s historic buildings were demolished.

In the 1970s, Istanbul’s population rapidly increased, causing the city to expand into the nearby villages and forests, eventually creating a major world metropolis as it had been for centuries prior.

It was amazing to walk the streets of Sultanahmet Square and take in historic sites built by both emperors and sultans, as well as Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim leaders. All these sites have seen so much change and transformation, but they remain and are still used and valued by diverse cultures today. I think there’s a lesson to be learned, which I’ll explore in tomorrow’s notes : tomorrow is a travel day to Cape Town.

What teacher made the biggest impact on your life, and why?

Lynn Shirk: Dr. Ion Agheana, my college Spanish professor. He encouraged me to apply to be a teaching assistant during my sophomore year. I was painfully shy and I had never even considered becoming a teacher. I got the job and discovered my passion for teaching.

Elizabeth Gawron: Art teachers have always been the people who created an environment I could grow in as well as make mistakes in. The art teacher who has made the greatest difference in my life is my husband, Luke. His loyalty, commitment, creativity and faith in me have transformed my life into the blessing it is today.

Brian Montgomery: Professor White, my freshman (Plebe year at the Naval Academy) English professor, a very animated teacher, gave his perspective on why a BS degree (yes, bachelor of science) in English would stand me in good stead as a Naval officer. I was convinced and changed my major from Aerospace Engineering to English. It was a big change, and in hindsight, a good one.

Susan Stagg: Mr. Marchetti, my sophomore English teacher in high school. He challenged us (and required us) to be critical thinkers, and I believe that is an essential skill that is served me well throughout my life.

Ron Hetrick: My junior high school teachers. They recognized that I had academic potential and encouraged me to want to exceed in school. Because of this experience, I decided I wanted to be an educator as my future occupation. This decision led to a very fulfilling career.

• The Session approved a motion that would permit Debbie Hough to administer the Sacrament of Communion. This measure will be presented to the presbytery with a request that they commission Debbie in this capacity.
• Derry’s annual blood drive will be held on Sunday, December 11, 2022.
• An application for credit cards issued by Northwest Bank were approved for certain administrative staff to make church-related purchases.
• Approved the transfer of $12,000 per year from the property rental income account to an administrative account which will cover the costs of obtaining outside financial consulting services.
• Received information on this year’s Stewardship campaign and the preliminary 2023 budget.

The fall series of New Member Discovery Classes will be held 9-10 am Sundays, Oct 30 – Nov 20 in the John Elder Classroom. Child care is available. You’ll learn about the mission and ministry of Derry Church and how you can be involved. Registration is always appreciated, never required: click to RSVP.

Those who choose to join Derry Church will be received on Sunday, Nov 20 at the 10:30 am service.

10-11 AM IN THE DERRY CHURCH PARKING LOT

Families, you’re invited to enjoy a safe space to “Trunk or Treat” with your little ones. There is no cost to participate, simply come in costume and enjoy saying hello and trick-or-treating with your church friends. 

Individuals, couples and families can join the fun by decorating their vehicles and providing candy for the “Trunk or Treat” experience. Let us know you’ll participate:

• Register a Trunk or Treat Vehicle
• Register Your Trunk or Treaters

Candy donations welcome! Drop candy in the designated box between the doors at the Mansion Road entrance.

Presbyterian Women’s Jumbles Shop will return this year along with the Cookie Walk on Saturday morning, Dec 3. Due to limited space, donated items are restricted to jewelry, nice Christmas decorations, collectibles, and items suitable for gifts, all in good condition. NO furniture, books, CD’s, tapes, or clothing. NO JUNK! It will be tossed.  

Items can dropped off in Room 1 from Nov. 21-30. Anyone out of town at that time who wishes to donate, please contact Nancy Kitzmiller.

Volunteers are needed for Friday, Dec 2 to set up and for Saturday, Dec 3 for sales and cleanup. To volunteer, please contact Nancy, Sally McKinney, or Linda Chidester.

This year, Derry Church’s Advent devotional will be reflections and thoughts on lines from our favorite Christmas carols. Click here to add your name and a line or phrase from a Christmas carol of your choice. Make sure that line has not already been chosen by someone else. You may share thoughts, reflections, or memories inspired by the line of your choice. Send your devotion of 500 words or less to Pastor Stephen by Tuesday, Nov 15.

Devotionals will be available on the first Sunday of Advent (Nov 27) and will be delivered to those who are unable to leave their own homes easily.

2 PM SUNDAY, OCT 23 ON THE MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL GROUNDS

Join Derry friends by raising money for local food banks and support Church World Service’s effort to end hunger across the globe!

CLICK TO SIGN UP AND/OR DONATE TO THE CROP WALK

You can also sign up and turn in donations at a table in the Narthex on Oct 9, 16 & 23.

Derry Church is a strong supporter of alleviating hunger in our local communities. Not only is this a national problem but it affects many families locally as well. We hope to have a strong turnout to show our support for the Central PA Food Bank, the Hershey and Hummelstown Food Pantries and other local organizations. More details coming soon. Get ready to walk!

10 AM – 3 PM SATURDAY, OCT 8 AT THE HARRISBURG KOREAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1127 SLATE HILL ROAD, CAMP HILL

Come experience Korean culture through activities, and folk performances! A variety of Korean foods are available for purchase (Bibimbob, Bulgogi, Kimchi, etc) for $10-$20. Enjoy performances by the Harrisburg Korean Culture School and Selahart group from 11 am – 2 pm.

If you could have a meal with any three people from history, who would they be?

Jan Nixon: Dolly Madison, John Adams, Queen Elizabeth II

Richard Carty: Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Queen Victoria

Pam Whitenack: Milton Hershey, Eleanor Roosevelt, Julia Child

Courtney McKinney-Whitaker: Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Gaskell, Frederick Douglass

Cindy Warnock: Benjamin Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Grace Banker 

Cash Flow – Operating Fund as of 8/31/22

	ACTUAL	BUDGETED
Income YTD:	$930,702	$833,333
Expenses YTD:	756,962	862,622
Surplus/(Deficit) YTD:	173,740	(25,634)

Notes from the treasurer:

• Contributions are about $86K ahead of 2021 and $79K ahead of estimated contributions through August,
• Mission and Peace is $27K behind 2021, and Building & Grounds is about $28K below 2021. We do expect these committees to spend their 2022 budget.

4:30 PM SUNDAYS BEGINNING OCT 9 ON ZOOM • CLICK TO REGISTER

You are invited to join a transformational Bible study sponsored by the Presbytery of Carlisle and led by Honduras mission co-worker Dori Hjalmarson. “Church, Community and Mission” examines God’s mission of jubilee and salvation in the world and the church’s participation in that mission.

Over the past two years, the Honduras Presbyterian Church has used the study to generate transformation and energetic reflection on its relationship to the larger community, redefining “evangelism” and Christian responsibility. The study was written by professors at the Latin American Biblical University in Costa Rica and translated to English by Presbyterian mission co-workers. It is participatory, conversational, and open-minded.