A Community Well...

Throughout the Bible wells played a vital role in the lives of people, towns, and animals. Wells were places just outside the main gate of the town where people, especially the women went to connect with each other and to draw water for their families and animals. A lot of important things happened at wells. When Abraham wanted to find a wife for his son Isaac, he sent a servant to the town of his ancestors. And the servant decided to sit by the well outside the main gate and watch the women who came out to get water. That is how he found a suitable wife for his master's son, Isaac. (See Genesis 24)

It was at a well in Midian that Mosses found his wife. (see Exodus 2) It was in a well that Saul's son Jonathan hid in 2 Samuel 17:19.

Probably the most important biblical well encounter was the one Jesus had with the Samaritan woman in John 4. Jesus got into town and decided to sit by the community well to wait for someone to come to offer water. At this well he had a life-changing encounter with the woman that not only affected her life, but the life of countless of her friends.

Wells were important to the people and communities of the ancient days. They are important to our communities and people now. Only they look a little different now. They are places where people gather to share the joys and struggles of life, where people gather to connect with old friends and meet new ones. There is a term that is often used for these modern wells... it is called "third places". With home and work being place number 1 and 2. These third places are wells where people gather, like starbucks, barnes and noble, panera. It used to be dinners. But now that is changing.

Wouldn't it be neat for the church to operate a modern well... where people could gather to connect with each other, share the joys and struggles of life, meet old friends and make new ones, and even connect with God in the process? A place where people would naturally come just as they did of old to get water from the well. A place where the followers of Jesus and the not-yet followers of Jesus could connect and relate to each other in a way that is not happening inside the church today. Once in our culture... the church was the center of community life...no longer... but a modern well could be that once again! I'm excited about that possibility. And am praying about just that!