Summer Chapels In Maine

Shared By Meg Hurdman - Guiding Ray

In the Episcopal Church we refer to the season after Pentecost as “ordinary time”. This is the longest season of the church year, and it is marked by the liturgical color green, symbolizing growth. But in Maine this season is not ordinary…it’s extraordinary.

It’s a time when 17 summer chapels in Maine open their doors for the season welcoming summer residents, as well as travelers, a tradition that goes back 125 years. For more information visit https://episcopalmaine.org/resources/summer-chapels-in-maine/. Local visitors are always welcome.

Many of our friends’ scatter making their way to family cabins and camps and to beach and lake houses. The highways are clogged with millions of visitors, fortunately Maine is a big state. We are blessed with miles of coastline, as well as inland lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. And, we have forests and mountains protected by national and state parks.

It is a time when the rhythm changes, our choir and children’s program at S. Mary’s take a break. And this year we are coming together for just one service on Sunday mornings. While we may see less of each other during the summer, we are still meant to live out our Christian faith and the teachings of Jesus Christ in our everyday lives.

By August the days are getting shorter, and summer is winding down, but ordinary time will continue until Advent. Order and routine will return in September, and the rhythm of the church year will continue.