Neela Banerjee of the New York Times visits some seaside congregations, two of them Episcopal, and find vibrant, welcoming communities of faith.
Often the beauty of the mountains or the sea opens vacationers and second-home owners to a deeper spiritual experience. A break from the routine of work and children’s activities gives them a chance to think about the bigger questions of life.
“Part of it is when you’re down here and walking on the beach and there is nothing between you and Mauritania, you start taking yourself not as seriously,” said the Rev. Thomas Wilson of All Saints Episcopal Church near Kitty Hawk, N.C., on the Outer Banks. “The tide comes in and the tide goes out, and you can’t control it, and the things you worry about don’t seem as important.”
One of the other congregations featured is St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes, Delaware, the stomping grounds of Mark Harris, who is pictured in the story.