10151 US Hwy 70
Clayton, NC 27520

PO Box 752
Clayton, NC 27528

919-553-2810

Office Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Rev. Barbara Platt-Hendren

Senior Warden

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Pastor's Message


“Re-digging the Well”

 

A good teacher friend of mine loved to tell me that it was time to “re-dig the well” during the summer months.  The message he was gently giving me was that if you draw water from a well in great amounts or too often or for too long, the liquid will soon become clouded and relatively useless.  This little story he gently told me at the beginning of every summer was not only for those who taught or those who led congregations, but also for all others who needed to live into the joy of summer. 

 

              We too often drive ourselves week after week, month after month, and sadly year after year at tasks both great and small without realizing that it would be best if we backed off for awhile and gave it a rest.  Realizing that despite all our best efforts to keep the world afloat none of us is indispensable but all of us can run dry. Give yourself permission this summer to re-dig your well.

 

              Remember all the summer chores won’t get completed, all the good books will not all get read, and vacations should be enjoyable not stressful and a chore.  The word “vacation” comes from a French verb, meaning to be empty.  This is the purpose of summer and vacation … to permit yourself to become empty of the worries and concerns of your life, to grow back in touch with your identity, your family, your God.  Vacation is a time to be still, to recollect who it is that you are … in your own eyes and in the eyes of God. 

 

              Avoid too much together-ness because tensions and strains exist in all relationships.  Often these tensions explode on vacations, under the twin pressures of idleness we are not used too and unfamiliar or uncomfortable conditions, including lengthy waits in airports or too long drives in a car.  Be sensitive to the fact that every individual needs some “space apart”, and especially in unfamiliar surroundings while on vacation.  Remember also that God does not go on vacation and is there in your life everyday so take time to stop and worship.

 

              Clear water is a symbol, which has many meanings but the fact that it represents renewed life and might bring divine blessings (aqua benedicta) is most important for us this summer.  Happy re-digging of your well!  

Barbara Platt-Hendren+