Well, well well – the importance of the wells that we drink from in life (Genesis 26:17-22)
There’s a lot of discussion in the Bible about wells. They were significant places of 
interest and represented a number of things to both the community and individuals, throughout the generations. In current times, with the benefits of taps and plumbing, we, perhaps, feel that this is less relatable to us – yet this passage from Genesis had me pondering about the wells that we drink from, as I wrote this letter.
This passage in Genesis comes after the unfortunate occasion when Isaac had lied to Abimelek about Rebekah being his wife to protect himself from being harmed if the men of Gerar took an interest in her because of her beauty.
When Abimelek discovered the deception, he ordered his men not to touch her, and Isaac and Rebekah stayed in Gerar under his protection until Isaac was seen to be thriving so much that he had become powerful in the land and Abimelek asked them to leave.
As he moved away to the Valley of Gerar, Isaac opened up his father, Abraham’s, wells, that the Philistines had filled up after he had died, and gave them the same names as before. Let’s listen to the details of the story as Isaac’s men dug further wells:
“Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. But the herders of Gerar quarrelled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek (dispute) because they disputed with him. Then they dug another well, but they quarrelled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah (opposition). He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarrelled over it. He named it Rehoboth (room / open spaces) saying, ‘Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.’” (Genesis 26:17-22)
In the hot, dry climate of Israel wells are all about life. Without them animals and humans would not thrive and crops would not grow. People would be overwhelmed by thirst and life would become unsustainable. Without water, what you have is a desert. All of this is clear and fairly obvious. However, wells represent much more besides the above. To possess a well was to be independent and they were often inherited from previous generations, so they spoke of the right to live in a given place. Not only was restoring a re-opened well a sign of prior ownership, but a new well was seen as a symbol of blessing and establishment, and that is a key part of this passage’s meaning.
Wells, therefore, have layers of importance for sustenance of life, making a claim upon the land and demonstrating God’s blessing upon a community’s flourishing in a given place. I find the way in which names are given to the wells to reflect the story behind how they were found, claimed and established fascinating! Imagine going back to the well called “dispute” (Esek) each day and the feelings as one drank deep from the well and was reminded of that very dispute.Throughout history, we have seen the destruction caused to individuals and communities through lack of conflict resolution and openness to healing – the resentment sometimes being carried through generations, until there is no first hand memory of what the dispute was actually about in the first place!
I wonder how one might feel drinking from the well called “opposition” (Sitnah) each day? I imagine myself feeling a bit shifty day upon day, worrying if someone would challenge my right to do so. The third well, named “Rehoboth”, meaning “room” or “open spaces” gives a sense of freedom, peace, a long view, breathing space at last. Drinking deep from that well would bring a sense of blessing and peace where one’s soul can be restored.
When I think of the story of the woman at the well in Samaria (see John 4), we see this idea develop further. To the woman Jesus spoke to, the well wasn’t just a place where you went to get water. It was also a place of historical importance and during the encounter with Jesus (God) it became a place of blessing and promise. A place where she could become re-established. A place where she encountered the living water at the same time as drawing physical water from the well.
We are living in such uncertain times. For many of us, our hearts yearn to open the old wells that nourish our souls and name them just as we used to. Our hearts long to participate in familiar worship in familiar places and to drink deep of the living water that sustains us. It is painful to us when those wells have been renamed by organisations outside the church, in the cause of public health, to imply that what is a safe haven for us may (for the time being) not be such a safe haven. It is jarring to us and, for many, upsetting.
As we reflect back on some of the ideas from Jesus Shaped People, we see how our Galilee (the place where we meet those that can be welcomed and drawn towards Christ) has shifted. We may have met some people in our community that we do not normally see, we may have used the bus less, we may have been supporting neighbours that we have come to know during this time. We are also meeting new people through online worship. We need to think about how we can reach out to these people and draw them to the living water. We need to undergird all of this with discernment and prayer.
At the same time, whilst the wells that were our familiar source had to be temporarily closed, we have had to work hard to dig new ones that open up that source of living water to as many as possible in ways that feel alien. For example, the well that I call “Zoom Worship” may be called “Lifeline” to some “Bemusing” to others and “Technical Challenge” to others! We have dug yet more wells through recordings of YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. We have over 60 people drinking from at least one of these four wells each week, calling them “Connection with My Spiritual Home” yet others see those wells from a distance and find them to be “Inaccessible”, or “Not For Me”.
It is to include this group that we need to re-open existing wells (our beloved church buildings) and find ways to give opportunities to drink deep. During these times of lockdown getting all of the legalities, risk assessments and safeguarding concerns addressed before opening these wells is an enormous amount of work for several people – then the preparation of the building needs to take place. It is far from being a quick decision!
I admit that this season has been challenging and draining, as I try to meet the spiritual needs of all of my flocks and I need to recharge a bit in August before the challenges of autumn and winter that are predicted arrive. Most churches in Calderdale are not rushing to re-open and all are making interim plans that look different from before in terms of days and time of worship.
With that in mind, the PCCs at both St John’s and St Hilda’s have agreed an interim arrangement whereby there will be a live service in the Benefice each Sunday alternating between St Hilda’s and St John’s at 9.30am. This will start on Sunday 6th September at St Hilda’s (where the service will be held on the 1st and 3rd Sundays offering communion). St John’s will then host the 2nd and 4th Sundays (communion on the 2nd Sunday and a Service of the Word on the 4th Sunday).
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT, AS A BENEFICE, ALL ARE WELCOME AT EACH SERVICE REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT IS HOSTED.
This arrangement for service frequency and times will be reviewed by the PCCs in the autumn. It is hoped that, as lockdown reduces further, we will be able to offer further opportunities for prayer and/or worship mid-week.
I have managed to catch most of you by phone to get a sense of demand and find that the majority are still cautious about physically attending church. With that in mind, Zoom Worship will move to 11.00am each Sunday as of 6th September to continue to facilitate worship for those not ready to return to church. The recorded services will continue to go live at 7am each Sunday on the social media platforms to participate in at your convenience.
Whilst our Sunday services begin on 6th September at St Hilda’s, we will be having a modest Receiving of the Rushes Service outside St John’s, Warley on Saturday 5th September at 10.30am. Numbers for this will be limited and by invitation: so, if you are interested in attending, please let me know and I will book you in. St John’s church will remain open for half an hour after this for anyone who would like time there for private prayer to come and enjoy the church.
I would like to thank the members of both PCCs for their incredibly hard work over the last 4 months as we have reflected upon each stage and planned. Our extraordinary situation has caused far more to reflect upon than anyone could have imagined. I am so grateful for their support and encouragement.
Let us, in this season, reflect upon the wells that we drink from and how we are sustaining ourselves with the living water. What do we call those wells and do we need to rename them in these uncertain times? Let us thank God for his goodness and guidance and know his blessing and peace. Amen.
Caroline
St Hilda's Church, Halifax 