Weekly thoughts from the Rector of Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, where these words remind us that Jesus’ peace goes with us into the world.

I love the phrase “he ran out of prayer” in the following passage, and I’ve known lots of people through the years who’ve experienced that from time to time. Written by Walter Wangerin, Jr., it comes from his book Miz Lil and the Chronicles of Grace:

On a particular evening the pastor came to visit Miz Lil in her living room. While they sat together, he on the sofa, she in a rocking chair, rocking and rubbing her stomach at once, dark grew darker in the room and the faces of both of them dimmed to the other’s sight.

The pastor prayed a prayer. That is what Miz Lil had said he could do for her. But he ran out of prayer before he ran out of yearning on the little woman’s behalf; so he sat in silence.

Sometimes just being there is enough. Thank you for being present to one another in our community of faith at Palmer. It’s a calling that we all share as Christians.

— The Rev. Neil Alan Willard, Rector