Ember Days

They are rather old fashioned, but they are also old: the Ember Days, times for praying for the ministry of the church and especially for ordained ministers. They come, roughly, at the turns of the seasons. They come in threes: Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The autumnal Ember Days begin on the first Wednesday after Holy Cross Day (Sept 14) and thus, in 2021, they are Sept 15, 17, and 18.
     Similarly, Ember Days come in Advent (in the second week), Lent (in the first week), and in the week of Pentecost.
     Spare a thought this week for the ministers in your own parish, lay people whose lives are God's ministry in the world as well as your clergy, and for the bishops of our church and around the world. Pray also that God will raise up for us new and faithful candidates for the ordained ministry.
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    Out & About. This Sunday, September 19, I am to preach at Good Shepherd in Cedar Hill, Tex. The eucharists are at 8 and 10:30 a.m. At 9:30 I will teach a class on “Friendship as a Key to the Bible.”
    The fall theology lecture will be at 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 17, at Incarnation in Dallas. My theme: “Borders: The Necessary and Yet Tragic Matter of Drawing Lines.”

The Rev. Canon Victor Lee Austin. Ph.D., is the Theologian-in-Residence for the diocese and is the author of several books including, "Friendship: The Heart of Being Human" and "A Post-Covid Catechesis.: