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Corktown is an old neighbourhood, one that has weathered the rises and descents of a steeltown like Hamilton. You can see century homes on the same stretch of block as faceless apartment buildings, and you can walk from one end to the other in about five minutes and 30 seconds to see the whole range of then until now. And sometimes you can guess who’s renting and who owns their small patch of this railside neighbourhood by how many mailboxes you can see or how well the gardens are tended.

When Joey woke up, he ran across the bedroom and pushed his sleepy face against the icy window. Oh, yes! It had snowed! With all his might he had wished for snow before he fell asleep, and now the bird feeder had a mountain of snow on the roof. He jumped up and down with joy!

Gifts are of no use if we keep them to ourselves; our spiritual gifts can’t be used in isolation. We need to use them to strengthen each other, to become communities bearing witness to Christ’s love. Giving is the expression of love.

When pastors and churches enter into a relationship, both parties arrive with their own set of expectations. Some of these expectations are spelled out in the letter of call, but in fact these often use broad brushstrokes which leave significant room for interpretation. But this simple reality is not the real challenge. What makes these relationships such a challenge is the fact that expectations are often unspoken, unwritten, sometimes unrealistic and often unmet.

In my youth, pastors moved every five to six years. Their job descriptions were to preach, teach catechism and make pastoral visits. Today, pastors often stay in one church longer and their job descriptions include managing staff, casting vision and attending meetings. The Christian Reformed Church (CRC) of today is hardly recognizable from 50 years ago.
With these changing times come new blessings and new hazards.