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.

This week Steven Patterson retires as Palmer’s Business Administrator after having worked for this congregation in more than one role for almost 16 years. Many of you have interacted with him about calendars and room set ups and, yes, even the temperature inside the church. I will greatly miss his unique sense of humor in the church office! Blessedly, it will continue to be present in the pews on Sundays.

Today we also bid farewell to Yuri McCoy, who has served over the last two years as Palmer’s Associate Organist. That’s been a part-time position. He will soon begin a full-time position just down the street as the organist at South Main Baptist Church. It’s a wonderful opportunity and a natural next professional step for him to take.

— The Rev. Neil Alan Willard, Rector

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.

Today we welcome the Rev. Liz Parker as our new Associate Rector! We will pray for her new ministry with us, and I hope that you will greet her warmly when you meet her after worship. Look for her in the church office, beginning September 1.

Today is also Serve Sunday! At the end of our liturgies, we will be sent out as teams to serve the community that surrounds us. There will even be opportunities to serve right here on Palmer’s campus between the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. services, including kid-friendly ones that families can do together. It’s an invitation to be the church in the world around us. After all, this place is not a destination in a life of faith but a starting point as we are sent out in the name of Christ.

Today we also return to our regular Sunday worship schedule with Holy Eucharist at 7:45, 9:00, and 11:00 a.m. in the church and 6:30 p.m. in St. Bede’s Chapel. While that evening service is organized by the Episcopal chaplain for the students and faculty of Rice University, it’s open to all of us and, in fact, recorded in our parish register. If you enjoyed the use of incense in worship over the summer, consider coming to the late morning service, where incense, like our prayers, rise in the liturgy year round. So choose a service to attend that best fits your schedule each week and join us!

— The Rev. Neil Alan Willard, Rector

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.

This church, which was originally a chapel for students at Rice University, is named in memory of Edward Albert Palmer. He was only 25 years old when he lost his life while trying to save his sister Daphne from drowning. While he did not survive, she did. Later, as Daphne Palmer Neville, she gave the money for this holy space to be set aside for Christian worship. Their family name — Palmer — has also historically referred to someone who had returned from the Holy Land with a palm frond or leaf as a sign of having undertaken a pilgrimage. It’s a wonderful metaphor for our life.

That’s why the image that represents Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church is a cross with a palm frond. In the coming weeks, you will see a refreshed version of that powerful symbol on our written materials and a new church website that will be unveiled at the end of this month. Where it appears in color, you will also notice a shift from black and red to green and gold, which is, in fact, an earlier color scheme for printed materials about this church. I wish to thank Palmer’s own Ashley Tucker who worked with a friend to make the idea of a refreshed logo into a reality.

There will be many opportunities to reflect on that iconic symbol in the coming year, including a real pilgrimage to the Holy Land this fall with Palmer’s own Stuart Kensinger. More details about that will be forthcoming. But the exciting thing that I wish to share with you now is the fact that Palmer will finally have a proper feast day, a time of worship to celebrate our name and, in an intentional way, to reflect on who we are as the people of God. Our feast day will be Palm Sunday, as we, carrying our palm fronds and singing our hosannas, follow Jesus Christ and proclaim him as King of kings. “Let these branches be for us signs of his victory . . . Amen.”

— The Rev. Neil Alan Willard, Rector