Greetings from Maine
I’ve always thought I lived under a lucky star, and by this I mean I get to live and serve with you at Saint Luke’s.
For the past seventeen years, I’ve also been lucky enough to serve a church in Maine. I don’t have any Maine roots or even connections, but rather stumbled upon a Summer Chapel called St James’.
A Summer Chapel only opens in the summer months, and is staffed by summer clergy. I open the church on the last Sunday of June, and another priest closes on Labor Day.
My adventures began in the summer of 2000. We were on a family vacation to Maine when a classmate from Seminary dragged me down there to interview, the priest who had my spot had retired after 40 years. Another priest in August just retired after 40 years, and his FATHER held the post for 40 years before!
So there is not a lot of turnover.
St James’ was built in 1890 by Winslow Homer, the iconic American painter, and his studio is across the road. Our church sits amid a village of Summer Homes, some a century old, called Prout’s Neck.
Over the coming weeks I’ll offer reflections from this quiet corner of the world, and hopefully let you see a bit of what I see.
For now I’ll close by saying that any of us can claim a lucky star, but in the end it is more than luck, but the Providence of God who watches over us and protects and guides along the way.
Happy Summer,
Rich
