July: Sacred Travels

For many of us, summer brings a variety of fun and exciting travel opportunities.  Some will return home to visit family, others will enjoy vacation time and others will head to set out to explore new and exciting destinations.  I was reminded recently as I shared our beach vacation plans with a friend, that not all of us are afforded the luxury of vacation.  We are all at different points on life's journey - some not working, some struggling financially, some too busy to afford the time away and others who prefer to stay put when they have time off (the more popular than ever "stay-cation").While we will not all take a trip this summer, we are all on a journey.  One of The Well's core practices is to recognize and honor that we are all at different places on that journey.  One of the beautiful things about studying scripture is that we find a variety of expressions and reactions to these different places.  Within each character's story, there are changing circumstances, life stages, callings and perspectives.  This is seen vividly in the life of David, one of God's chosen leaders over the Israelite nation.  His journey was full of change and surprise, sorrow and celebration.  Throughout the month of July, we will engage in "Sacred Travels" as we move with David through some critical moments on his journey.  We will discover the depth of his grief, the heaviness of responsibility, and the celebration of gratitude that appeared along the way.  We will think about our own journeys as we hear and learn from one another.When you are not on the road this summer, I hope you can be with us.  Our journeys are richer when we are able to share life with one another.Grace & peace,Susan