Lemonholm

Migration

2011-05-19T15:25:00.002-05:00

This blog will be migrating more and more to my website, http://lemonholm.com - keeping it simple. I won't completely abandon this space, however.

3 Areas of Exploration

2011-05-11T10:45:00.001-05:00

As I begin/continue my long term continuing pastoral education, I am focusing on three interrelated areas: the Bible/biblical theology, theology/Christian worldview, and ecclesiology/church life. I will move between these three areas of study freely. All of them have a practical focus for upbuilding Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd as a Christian community. Here is how I envision the

Toward a Biblical Worldview for Preaching

2011-04-30T20:18:00.001-05:00

Well, I have finished my D.Min. in Biblical Preaching thesis – it is online at www.opensourcelectionary.com. As I was writing it, I realized that biblical preaching is a never ending challenge, a goal one never accomplishes once and for all. Biblical preaching is a lifelong vocation, living at the intersection of the local church, the world, and Scripture, moving from the congregation’s context

Note from the Pastor

2011-03-23T14:04:00.001-05:00

v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} Dear Friends of the Good Shepherd, A heartfelt thank you for everyone who made the Installation Service and Dinner so special! I was overwhelmed by the powerful worship service and the hospitality shown to all our guests: some people were surprised by

March 15, 2011

2011-03-15T16:02:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I mailed the defense draft of my thesis to Luther Seminary. It’s the beginning of the end of my Doctor of Ministry. In April, I defend the thesis, and in May, hopefully, I graduate. The D. Min. program was a theological lifeline during the last three years at Grace in Detroit Lakes, reconnecting me with the wider church and renewing my mind and heart. I am a better pastor because

Note from the Pastor

2011-02-20T14:02:00.003-06:00

Dear Good Shepherd Church Family, Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, through the love of the Holy Spirit! I have been called to be the new pastor of Good Shepherd, and have accepted this call with great joy and excitement for the adventure of faith that we will share in the years ahead. Mindy, our children, and I thank God for the warm welcome we have

“Love Your Enemies” Missing from the Lectionary for Ten Years

2011-02-19T09:45:00.002-06:00

It is commonly understood by lectionary preachers that some of the texts at the end of the season of Epiphany are skipped some years, because the date of Easter changes each year. [1] The texts for the last two possible Sundays after the Epiphany, the Eighth (Proper 3, Lectionary 8) and Ninth (Proper 4, Lectionary 9), shift to the beginning of the season after Pentecost when there is no room for

Affirmation

2010-09-19T06:10:00.000-05:00

John Price: Let Peace come forth in every mind. Let Love flow forth from every heart. Let Forgiveness reign in every soul. Let Understanding be the common bond. And now from the Light of the world, the One Presence and Power of the Universe responds. The Activity of God is healing and harmonizing Planet Earth. Omnipotence is made manifest. I am seeing the salvation of the planet

Addressing Conflict

2010-08-31T08:16:00.000-05:00

I have uploaded sermons and writings from the fall and winter of 2009-2010, a time of conflict and discernment in our congregation and the whole Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find them here: 2009 Sermons: Preaching in the Midst of Conflict 2009 Writings: Addressing Conflict Of course, the writings and sermons, as we begin to heal from the conflict, continue in 2010 as

12 Guidelines for a Spiritual Odyssey

2010-05-27T15:26:00.000-05:00

Here’s an odyssey to embark upon! Morton Kelsey’s 12 Guidelines for a Spiritual Odyssey 1. Act as though you believe in the spiritual realm 2. Undertake the quest with serious purpose 3. Seek companionship and spiritual direction for the spiritual journey 4. Turn away from the busy-ness of the outer world in silence and introversion 5. Learn the value of genuine fasting 6. Learn to use

A Covenant

2010-04-25T06:47:00.000-05:00

I commit ... to become the best version of myself to make and keep agreements with great care to be constant through conflict to give myself fully to the process of transformation through the expression of love to trust the good intentions of each of us to relate with respect and acceptance to enter fully into life's experiences to awaken to my awareness of my unique role

Holy Week 2010

2010-04-04T06:53:00.000-05:00

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!Here are my Holy Week sermons: 2010-3-28 Jesus’ Passion 2010-4-1 Maundy Thursday 2010-4-2 Good Friday 2010-4-4 Easter - Crazy Talk!

Lenten Sermons

2010-03-31T16:57:00.001-05:00

I finally uploaded my recent sermons. Find them at http://lemonholm.com/sermons.htm

My Grandpa Henry's Trip to Duluth and Isle Royale, ca. 1928

2010-03-27T18:30:00.002-05:00

Duluth and Isle Royale, ca. 1928 from Eric Lemonholm on Vimeo.

Pastor Orville Lind's Advice - 1999

2010-03-08T15:53:00.000-06:00

I came upon the following notes I took of advice from a seasoned pastor. It must have been at an internship training event. Still seems like good advice. Get acquainted with the people in the congregation Be trustworthy Be diplomatic Get along with all Do not bypass committees Get things approved - go through the process You cannot do it all - do not micromanage Take care of yourself

Healing Grace

2010-03-01T11:56:00.000-06:00

March 1, 2010 Dear Grace Church Family, I recently received a note from a concerned, grieving member of Grace regarding our December 20 special meeting, in which 98 people voted to remain in the ELCA, while 42 voted to leave the ELCA. I have been counseled that we need to move on, and I believe we do – and yet, we still need to reach out to one another and seek God’s guidance and healing, so we

2010-02-05T11:15:00.002-06:00

I am going to get back to blogging, after a long hiatus.Here are my latest sermons on life in the church:2009-12-27 A Colossians 3 Church Family Epiphany 2010: Spirit Driven2010-1-10 Peacemakers2010-1-17 Joining Hands2010-1-24 Body of Christ2010-1-31 Love Chapter

Saving Grace: A Letter on the Issues Our Church Faces

2009-12-05T21:16:00.001-06:00

(For a print version of this letter, click here...) November 30, 2009 Dear Members of Grace Lutheran Church, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, through the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit. As we remember the day, almost four years ago, when we received the call to Grace, Mindy and I thank God for you, and for our life

Law and Gospel Reflections

2009-06-24T08:34:00.001-05:00

Law and Gospel Reflections Eric Lemonholm A Reflection Paper June 24, 2009 This is difficult. Reflecting on the course, Preaching Law and Gospel with Dr. Dirk Lange, is a little like reflecting on a journey one has just begun. The law and gospel dialectic is fundamental theology; it’s the language of faith, the threat to existence and the promise of salvation.

Quote for the Day

2009-06-16T11:31:00.000-05:00

Quote for the day from French and Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas’ book Entre Nous, pp. 99-100. It’s dense reading; spend some time with it: The portion of humanity that, from Sarajevo to Cambodia, witnessed a host of cruelties in the course of a century in which its Europe, with its “human sciences,” seemed to have fully explored its subject – the humanity that, during all these horrors,

The Five Minute Sermon on Isaiah 1:1, 10-20

2009-06-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

Here's a project I did here at Luther Seminary this week: a sermon for my preaching class on Isaiah 1.Eric Lemonholm, June 12, 2009Vision.Isaiah has a vision – or, rather, he sees a vision.The vision is not his own.It’s a vision from God.He’s possessed by it.His life is not his own.It would have been so much easier if Isaiah had not seen his nation through God’s eyes.But once he did,

2009-05-25T16:48:00.002-05:00

My latest sermons, finally all uploaded:2009-4-1 Remain Here and Keep Awake 2009-4-5 Palm Sunday 2009-4-10 Good Friday 2009-4-12 Easter Salvation Spring 2009-4-26 Sin and Forgiveness2009-5-3 A Life for Others 2009-5-10 Love 2009-5-24 Honoring Service

Snake Sin and Entitlement

2009-03-26T14:16:00.002-05:00

Here are my two latest sermons (I'm finally coming up with sermon titles of sorts):2009-3-22 Snake Sin 2009-3-25 The Entitlement Mentality

The Marks of Discipleship

2009-03-19T10:15:00.001-05:00

I have uploaded recent sermons on the Marks of Discipleship to my website:The Marks of Discipleship: 2009-2-25 Ash Wednesday - Free in Christ 2009-3-1 Thin Places 2009-3-4 Prayer 2009-3-8 Worship 2009-3-11 Worship 2009-3-15 God's Word 2009-3-18 Read the Bible

Jonah

2009-01-26T21:40:00.001-06:00

Eric Lemonholm January 25, 2009 Epiphany 3 B Jonah 3:1-10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20 The Bible is an amazing book. Someone once said that the Bible is such an awesome and life changing book that few people actually read it. But the Bible is a rich collection of stories, songs, poems, prophecies, and more.

Samuel, Samuel!

2009-01-24T11:10:00.003-06:00

Here is last Sunday's sermon. Please note my bipartisan prayer. Eric Lemonholm January 18, 2009 Epiphany 2B 1 Samuel 3:1-10; John 1:43-51 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. This week we will witness an historic event, something that was once rare in the world – a peaceful, democratic

Russian Sailor's Dance

2008-12-19T09:10:00.002-06:00

Here is a YouTube video of our boys playing the Russian Sailors' Dance:Also, here is my latest sermon, composed at the last minute because of our blizzard last weekend (I was planning on being gone last weekend).2008-12-7 Luke 1:26-38

Lemonholm Family 2008

2008-12-10T09:01:00.004-06:00

Here are some Lemonholm family highlights for 2008:Also, here is my most recent sermon, on the angel Gabriel's visit with Mary:http://lemonholm.com/2008-12-7_Luke_1_26-38.htm

Zechariah and the Angel

2008-12-02T10:51:00.002-06:00

I have started a new sermon series for Advent this year: four Sundays on the first chapter of Luke.Much of Luke 1 never shows up in the Lectionary, and certainly not in order. And yet, it is an important part of the background of the Christmas story. It is also, I believe, a good series for Advent, the season of waiting for the coming of Christ. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary are certainly

2008-11-24T11:23:00.002-06:00

Here are my last two sermons on Acts.2008-11-16 Acts 20 2008-11-23 Acts 27I have very much enjoyed focusing in on the book of Acts for 12 weeks of sermons. I will continue to do sermon series like this. It is very interesting and fruitful to get into a particular book for a focused period of time, and have a thread that connects the preaching from week to week.

Sermon on Paul and the Athenians

2008-11-10T11:03:00.001-06:00

Click here for my latest sermon: 2008-11-9 Acts 17I am also sending this sermon to my professor and fellow students for a seminary class. Eventually, I'll post my reflection paper about it, and possibly podcast it.I do address the recent presidential election in the sermon in a non-partisan way. You'll have to see how I did.

New sermon

2008-11-03T10:36:00.002-06:00

Click here for my latest sermon on Acts 16, the story of the slave-girl possessed by a spirit of divination (literally, 'a spirit of the Python') and the jailer. Here are my sermons on Acts so far:Sermons on Acts, Fall 2008: 2008-9-7 Acts 1 2008-9-14 Acts 2 2008-9-21 Acts 4-5 2008-9-21 Acts 4-5 Exegesis 2008-9-21 Acts 4-5 Reflection 2008-9-28 Acts 6 2008-10-5 Acts 6-7 2008-

2008-11-02T04:19:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple clear thinking articles relating to our current political and economic scene:"Spread it around," athttp://www.slate.com/?id=2203433"There's such a thing as a smart deficit", athttp://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/10/31/deficit/

Say What?

2008-11-01T19:21:00.001-05:00

Here are just some quotes, which I gleaned over the last year or so from the “Say What?” column on http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/I guess these are some of the quotes which made me ask, "Say What?" the most."For the majority leader of the United States Senate, in the time of war, with soldiers dying on the ground, announcing that we have lost the war, is very close to treasonous. I

An 'Idiot Wind'

2008-10-31T09:07:00.003-05:00

This editorial is a good summary of the slander/ad hominem attacks against Obama occurring in this presidential race.What I am struck by in so much of this election season is how what is forgivable about one's own candidate is unforgivable about the other candidate. For example, if Barack Obama was an adulterer like John McCain (who apparently left the mother of his children for a younger,

2008-10-29T09:51:00.001-05:00

My friend Dylan alerted me to this link to a great political ad:http://crookedtimber.org/2008/10/28/before-after/Watch the top one first, then the bottom.Peace!

Honor, or the lack thereof

2008-10-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

I am non-partisan as a pastor, because it's the right thing to be.But here's an email I just wrote. I know it won't do any good. But I am sick of the dishonorable fear mongering and false witness bearing of Barack Obama's opponents. It is really getting ugly.By the way, I think it is time our spell checkers learn how to spell both 'Barack' and 'Obama.' I have a feeling we'll be writing about

2008-10-26T15:44:00.003-05:00

Okay, it's been about two months. I've finally caught my breath with everything going on. It's been a very difficult, growing time - but also a joyful time! If you read today's sermon, you may understand a little where I am at, in terms of both spiritual struggle and good times here at Grace. We had 20 new members joining our little congregation today, and when I asked if anyone else wanted to

2008-09-07T18:16:00.004-05:00

Greetings! I have finally begun the Acts series. Here is my first attempt, on Acts 1:2008-9-7 Acts 1As you can probably tell from my sermon, this is an exciting, and busy fall here at Grace.I also have finally uploaded a couple other sermons:2008-8-24 Proper 16A 2008-8-31 Proper 17ASo, who is that skinny guy with no fashion sense?Actually, it's me in my Topicort shirt and fish shorts at

D.Min. Project 2008: Acts for Today

2008-08-12T11:13:00.003-05:00

My family and I just spent a week camping in Itasca State Park – it was awesome! My friend Kris has inspired me to upload some pictures of the trip to this blog, so stay tuned – I’ll do that soon. In the meantime, I am going to share with you my project for this year for the Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Preaching, the course I began in June. What’s cool about the D.Min. is that it is an

New Preaching

2008-07-22T17:01:00.002-05:00

Hey, I'm back.With the D.Min. in Biblical Preaching and other things to do this summer, I've been very busy. I'll have to write more soon.In the mean time, here are some 'new' sermons, finally uploaded:Proper 4A 2005-5-29 2008-6-8 Proper 5A 2008-6-15 Proper 6A 2008-6-22 Proper 7A 2008-6-24 Acts 6 2008-6-29 Proper 8A Proper 9A 2005-7-3 2008-7-13 Proper 10A

hell

2008-05-29T20:54:00.002-05:00

There is an interesting set of theological reflections on “What to say about hell” in the latest Christian Century (June 3, 2008). Here is the article... There is indeed an anemic tendency in the church to minimize hell or do away with it. We often don’t know what to do with it. The roots of hell lie deep in Scripture, so we cannot simply do away with it, much as we’d like to. Hell is also

Music and the Word

2008-05-27T11:03:00.006-05:00

Here are my latest sermons (for the Sunday in between - Holy Trinity - we had a presentation from our JUMP team that went on a mission to Jamaica in January, so I did not preach):2008-5-11 Pentecost A 2008-5-25 Proper 3AI want to share some concert experiences of the past year, in reverse chronological order.1. This past Friday, my whole family and I saw Lost and Found in concert in Pelican

The Spirit Moving, & a Prayer for the Imprisoned and Persecuted

2008-05-08T11:50:00.005-05:00

Here are some of my recent sermons: 2008-4-20 Easter 5A 2008-4-27 Easter 6A 2008-5-4 Easter 7A-AscensionParticularly this past Sunday, Ascension Sunday, the excitement and enthusiasm was palpable in our congregation. Lots of people attended, with some new people in the pews. The music was wonderful, our small but enthusiastic choir sang beautifully. The Spirit is moving in our

Good News

2008-04-18T14:39:00.004-05:00

Here are my last couple sermons:2008-3-30 Easter 2A 2008-4-6 Easter 3A Easter 4A - 2005 (an old sermon)This past Sunday, my family and I went on a dream vacation in the Dells (Gear is Good) with Mindy's mom, sisters, and families. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of water up the nose as we plunged down gigantic water slides. Here is some personal good news: I have been accepted into the

2008-03-27T15:00:00.002-05:00

I have finally uploaded my last few sermons.For this whole Holy Week, I was sick with what ended up being some strep throat thing. Plus, we had two funerals, one on Monday, one on Wednesday, of Holy Week. I had almost no voice left by Wednesday, and got by by grace. Plus the Passover Seder meal and Holy Communion service Thursday, the Seven Last Words on Good Friday. I crashed after Easter

2008-03-12T13:44:00.001-05:00

My latest Wednesday Lenten homily dates me as a mid to upper thirty-something preacher: I quote U2. But how could I resist quoting from my daughter's favorite song, when it is called 'Grace'?Read it here...

Lenten Homily: Jesus & Pilate

2008-03-05T09:21:00.001-06:00

Here is my latest Wednesday Lenten homily.I worked to address and counter the anti-Semitic way that John's Gospel is sometimes read by Christians, and proclaim the Gospel in one short message.Read it here.

2008-03-05T07:00:00.002-06:00

I must be the luckiest person in the world.For the hundredth time at least, I have received the ad on Yahoo mail:"You are the 999,999th Visitor!Congratulations YOU WON!"One of these days, I may even click on the ad...

Children of Light

2008-03-02T10:51:00.000-06:00

Here is my latest sermon.Light and darkness. Vision and blindness. We seem to have an innate fear of the dark. In the dark, our vision is limited. Familiars places and things are shrouded in mystery.Continue here...

The Saga of Andrew and Christine Kindall

2008-02-29T10:18:00.006-06:00

I have recently begun to piece together some of the stories of our family histories. Here is the first installment, an interesting story of love lost, the struggle to survive at the turn of the 20th century, and the strength of family in the face of the Moose Lake Fire, possibly the worst disaster in Minnesota history.THE SAGA OF CHRISTINE AND ANDREW KINDALL This is the story of my

Lenten Homily: Denial

2008-02-28T14:11:00.001-06:00

This year, our Lenten worship services have been both fun and moving. Here is my latest homily. We had 20 children at an after school Lenten event, and many of them stayed for worship, so it was fun to put a children's message in the middle of the homily and have them come forward. Many of them knew all about Rosa Parks and were eager to share.Read it here...

2008-02-27T06:40:00.002-06:00

I just got the message that William Lazareth, pastor, professor, bishop, died yesterday, age 79, of cancer. Blessings and the comfort of the Gospel be with his family and friends.This news led me to a website that has some of his recent writings: The Augustine Institute. I have not had time to read much, but it seems worth a look.My latest sermon is here:Lent 3A, February 24, 2008 Where do we

2008-02-22T10:22:00.002-06:00

Here are my latest homilies. The first is a sermon on faith, reflecting on Abraham and Nicodemus' stories. The second is a homily on Jesus the Suffering Servant, reacting to an interview of Bart Ehrman and Jesus' washing. Though I have not read enough of Ehrman's writings to judge them, his personal agnosticism seems anemic compared to the courageous faith of those who have actually endured

Soul of a Pastor 2

2008-02-15T10:42:00.000-06:00

With the blessing of our church council, I am applying to Doctor of Ministry programs. The D. Min. is basically a three year program, with a few weeks per year of intensive courses on site, and online course work throughout the rest of the year. It is a degree program that does not take one out of the context of ministry; in fact, the whole focus is practical, and the course

Lenten Sermon: Betrayal

2008-02-13T14:46:00.000-06:00

Here is my homily from our first Lenten Wednesday night service (after Ash Wednesday). I did not give this homily enough time - I wrote it in about three hours, though the message was percolating for a while before that - but it was a powerful message (for me, at least). If you read my newsletter article for February, you'll see that we as a congregation are beginning to address our Natural

Temptation

2008-02-10T06:33:00.000-06:00

Here is my Lent 1 A sermon for today.The Bible readings for this first Sunday in Lent are about temptation and sin, grace and forgiveness. Let's talk about temptation. In the center of the Garden of Eden, there were two special trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam, the first human – his name means “human” in Hebrew – that he could eat from any tree

Prayer and Fasting

2008-02-06T13:32:00.000-06:00

Hello! I've been busy... Here are some of my recent sermons & writings:2008-1-27 Epiphany 3A 2008-1-29 Newsletter2008-2-3 Transfiguration A Here is a comment I just made in response to Pastor Eric Hullstrom's question, "What are you giving up for Lent?Eric, Thank your for getting me thinking some more about this, as I am getting ready to preach an Ash Wednesday sermon. I think you are correct

“Come and See”

2008-01-20T10:54:00.000-06:00

Here's my latest sermon...“Come and See” The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a big movie phenomenon a few years ago. How many of you have seen it? How many of you have read the books by JRR Tolkien? I guess you could call me a fan. I’ve read the books a couple of times, and the movies a couple of times. It is an awesome fantasy series, if you like that kind of thing. The

Baptism of Jesus

2008-01-13T08:54:00.000-06:00

I actually did not preach this, since I was at a confirmation retreat. Instead, I published it in our church newsletter for January.In the church calendar, Jesus grows up quickly. During Advent, the season before Christmas, we waited for the coming of the Lord. We celebrated his birth on Christmas Eve and Day. Sunday, January 6, was the day of Epiphany, the day we remember the wise men, the

Epiphany 2008

2008-01-06T09:24:00.000-06:00

Here is my brief Epiphany sermon. This Sunday, we commissioned the JUMP team, which is going on a mission trip to Jamaica. JUMP is a community based, interdenominational organization here in the Detroit Lakes area that sends multiple groups to the same area of Jamaica for cooperative ministry with the people there. I hope to go with them someday!--------------------------- The Wise Ones from

The Golden Compass

2008-01-02T15:35:00.000-06:00

With the Golden Compass movie in theatres to fairly poor reviews (I’ll wait for Netflix, if ever) and attacks from Christendom, here is a paragraph I wrote in November of 2006 about Pullman’s trilogy: I often listen to recorded books while I drive or occasionally exercise. Over the past years, I have listened to history, classics, children’s literature, horror, and more. The limited selection

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T15:34:00.000-06:00

I am back online after a very busy Advent and Christmas season.Sorry for the lack of online sermonizing. Here are links to my final sermons of 2007:2007-12-9 Advent 2A 2007-12-16 Advent 3A 2007-12-23 Advent 4A 2007-12-24 Christmas Eve

Advent 1

2007-12-02T10:53:00.000-06:00

Here is today's sermon. I skipped the material in italics because of time constraints and flow of the sermon. Andrew Greeley tells this story: Once there was a young woman who was eager to have a baby. One of her friends said to her, "Why are you and your husband so set on having children? ·

Christ the King

2007-11-25T15:00:00.000-06:00

Here is my Christ the King sermon for today: Today is Christ the King Sunday. Jesus the Christ is our King. Now, what does that mean for you and for me? In the US, we aren’t used to talking about kings and queens. In a visit to France, Benjamin Franklin was invited to play chess with the king. As the table was being set up, Franklin took the two

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T09:09:00.000-06:00

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving with your loved ones. For a Thanksgiving message, click on my Thanksgiving Eve sermon.Read it here...

The Soul of a Pastor, part 1

2007-11-21T14:52:00.000-06:00

I begin, or continue, a project of reflection on pastoral identity. The pastoral vocation has gone from being the most healthy vocation in the US in the 1950s, to being one of the most unhealthy vocations today. Burnout rates are high, pastors are leaving the ministry in droves, addictions to alcohol, work, or pornography are rampant among pastors, as are boundary violations like adultery, etc.

November 18, 2007

2007-11-18T11:13:00.000-06:00

Click here for today's sermon.I preached it a little differently than written - I summarized the litany of world woes (such as my long quote about global warming) in my own words. As we move toward Christ the King and Advent, I felt we needed a reality check about the world situation.Read it here...

November 11, 2007 sermon

2007-11-11T15:48:00.000-06:00

Here is today's sermon, short and sweet: God “is God not of the dead, but of the living.” To God, all the saints are alive and present. Our Bible readings today speak of resurrection life. The age to come. The day of the Lord. Everlasting life in the kingdom of God. Resurrection is the truth that God brings new, everlasting life out of

All Saints 2007

2007-11-04T09:44:00.000-06:00

Here is my All Saints sermon for today: All Saints Sunday. A day to remember and celebrate those who have gone before us in the faith. A day to remember and celebrate that you and I are saints too. We tend to think of saints as superhuman, as giants of the faith. Perhaps we think of saints as the martyrs, those witnesses for Christ who have lost their lives.

Reformation Sunday, 2007

2007-10-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

My Grandma Bea Holm died this past Wednesday, in her 89th year. Her obituary is here. Grandma was a beautiful person of faith, hope, and love. She is missed dearly by her four children, eight grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, and many more dear friends and family. At her funeral on Saturday October 27th, my father played her favorite hymns on the organ, my sons played a beautiful piano

2007-10-21T11:24:00.000-05:00

Here is my sermon for October 21, 2007, on prayer and wrestling with God... (click here)

October 14, 2007 - Proper 23C

2007-10-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

Here is my sermon for today. It's a stewardship sermon, with a personal testimony thrown in.

Ordination Process

2007-10-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

In my meanderings through old writings, I found my Entrance Essay, Endorsement Essay, and Approval Essay from my preparation for ordination as pastor in the ELCA. They are kind of interesting to me, since I wrote each one about a year apart between 1997 and 1999. The Entrance Essay and Endorsement Essay are quite biographical, while the Approval Essay is more of a case study,

"Christ the Man"

2007-10-05T09:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a paper I wrote as a freshman in college on the Book of Hebrews. Note that my last name was Holm before I married, and note the note quite politically correct, though historically correct title - what is essential is that Jesus was fully human (and fully divine); he also happened to be a First Century Galilean Jewish man. Christ the Man: Jesus’ Identity

2007-10-03T15:18:00.000-05:00

Here is my October newsletter article, written September 27, 2007: Dear friends, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. God speaks to us in many and various ways. Sometimes, our ears are ready to hear what God wants to say. Sometimes, our ears are plugged up, closed, distracted by the many

Reply on Inerrancy

2007-10-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

This got too long for a comment on my September 19, 2007 post, so I'll post it here too.simul justis, Thank you for your comment. Here is what the ELCA’s constitution says about Scripture (2.02b and 2.03): The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Inspired by God’s Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God’s revelation

Stewardship Sermon

2007-09-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

Here is my printed sermon for the day. I did not use the scripture for the day, but substituted other short stewardship texts. In the preached message, I built on a layperson's great 'temple talk' about the reality of our mortgage payment, and about how much we are paying on interest right now - he asked, "What could we do as a church with an extra $110 per day?"Read the sermon here...

September 23, 2007 - Proper 20C

2007-09-23T14:19:00.000-05:00

Here is my sermon, finally uploaded:The topic of money and property comes up often in the Bible. That is because money, as someone has said, is stored up time and talents. Money represents work that someone has done. Whether our money has been gained justly or unjustly matters. What we do with our money matters. How we treat people who do not have money matters. Continue here...

On Inerrancy

2007-09-19T15:06:00.000-05:00

My latest document recovery: an article I wrote in response to William Dembski (of intelligent design fame) back in seminary on the question of the inerrancy (BTW, I almost made an error in how I spelled "inerrancy"):Inerrancy? Eric P. Lemonholm January 29, 1997 William Dembski wrote an intriguing article in the March 1996 Princeton Theological Review entitled “The Problem of Error in

2007-09-16T16:35:00.000-05:00

I have uploaded today's sermon here.I have also uploaded a seminary paper I wrote on Religious Conversion, and one I wrote on A Christian's Encounter with Hinduism.I have found a lot of stuff I wrote long ago by sifting through old floppy disks and forgotten folders. It's kind of interesting to me (and hopefully to someone else), even though some of it is a bit adolescent. I'll continue to

2007-09-13T14:46:00.001-05:00

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men [and women!] do nothing. - Edmund Burke Here is a comment I wrote on NewProclamation.com, to hopefully get a discussion started: A perennial challenge for me is how to preach faithfully about potentially partisan issues. Now, I know our call is to preach the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. But we are also called to preach

2007-09-13T08:04:00.000-05:00

I know I got a little hot under the collar on Tuesday night, when I wrote the long blog on the Word Alone Network. I am just sick of their claiming that title, when the ‘word alone’ that seems most important to them is sex. Another comparison between the Word Alone and ELCA websites: “Sudan” - Word Alone: 0, ELCA: 186. About genocide, the ELCA has 97 substantive references, compared to one

Breaking the Silence

2007-09-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

On this sixth anniversary of 9/11, I remember and honor those who lost their lives in the acts of terror that day. I also honor all the American soldiers who have lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq since that day. I remember the hundreds of thousands of Afghan and Iraqi citizens killed directly or indirectly because of our actions in those countries. I must reflect on the issue of

Five Things My Children Should Know

2007-09-06T07:22:00.001-05:00

I’ve been tagged by David at Here I Stand to write five things I want my children to know. It’s a great question as we prepare for a new year of Christian education at church. Here are my five (finally), sitting on the shoulders of giants: See things as they are, not as you wish them to be – including yourself. David McCullough lifted this up as a strength of George Washington, and it was

August 26, 2007

2007-08-26T08:20:00.000-05:00

Here is my sermon for today as written. It preached a little differently.The Lord God speaks to the people of God through the prophet Isaiah. The whole of Isaiah 58 is a message about worship. When some people think of worship, they imagine serious, slow, incredibly dull worship services, where the music is stale as old bread and the preacher pulls out a dry crusty old sermon

Wedding Message

2007-08-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've ever posted a wedding homily here before, so here's my latest: 2007-8-25 Wedding Message for Robert and Tanya Pastor Eric Lemonholm Lessons: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 I Corinthians 12:31-13:13 What a beautiful day for a wedding. What a beautiful day to celebrate the joining together of two beloved friends. Bob

Reply to David

2007-08-13T13:33:00.001-05:00

Here is a comment I tried to post to David's reply to my August 5 sermon (blogger wouldn't let me post it):Thank you, David. Perhaps our challenge as Christian leaders is to give people good compelling reasons to give. I remember, as a child, my grandfather giving $1 each Sunday at church. It was also what he always left as a tip. I think that, at some point, it was a generous offering and

August 12, 2007

2007-08-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

Eric Lemonholm Proper 14 C August 12, 2007 Genesis 15:1–6; Psalm 33:12–22; Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16; Luke 12:32–40 Faith, Forgiveness, and the Kingdom In our Gospel passage, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” This verse is the Gospel, the Good News, in a nutshell. Allow me to dwell on this one little verse, Luke 12:32,

Proper 13C Sermon

2007-08-05T11:26:00.000-05:00

On July 22, we dedicated our church’s new addition and celebrated 43 years of Grace Lutheran Church. Grace’s founding pastor, Richard Hofstad, preached at that service (and four other former pastors also took part in the services). Then, my family and I went on a two week vacation to see my cousin John Schmalzbauer and his family in Missouri and other family and friends along the way. So, I

Law and Gospel

2007-07-15T07:21:00.000-05:00

I've uploaded a new sermon here. In it, I comment on a local (Fargo) controversy about the Ten Commandments.Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, through God’s Spirit of love and life. As we read or hear the Bible, God confronts us with two realities: the Law and the Gospel. In our readings for today, we get a healthy dose of both... (continue here).

July 1, 2007

2007-07-01T15:51:00.000-05:00

I have updated my website with today's sermon and a few old writings.

G00qle Adz

2007-06-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

I just experimented with having G00qle Adz on this blog for a day or two, but I found that what was advertised were creepy religious websites that did not reflect what I'm trying to say - anti-Trinitarian, anti-Christian, etc. So, no more of that.

Plurality. Rationality, and Christian Faith

2007-06-29T12:38:00.000-05:00

This is the beginning of putting some of my old writings online. The basic idea is a personal project, to recover or dig up my old writings, with the help of scanning technology, and share them.The following paper was the final version of a longer paper I wrote on the subject of the rationality of religious belief. The original paper, which I completed for a NEH Younger Scholars program,

2007-6-24

2007-06-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

At last, I have begun a website of my own, to which my sermons and sundry writings will be migrating over time. This will save this blog for blogging. Our Gospel lesson for today is a story about demon possession and healing, about salvation and fear. Jesus and his friends sail across the Sea of Galilee to a Gentile land. As he gets out of the boat, Jesus is welcomed

2007-06-17T21:34:00.000-05:00

Eric Lemonholm June 17, 2007 Proper 6C 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15; Psalm 32; Galatians 2:15-21; Luke 7:36-8:3 This week has been an amazing week. Last weekend, Tom and Linda Hunt, and Mindy and I spent three days at the NWMN Synod Assembly in Moorhead. We’ll let you know about some of the highlights in our next newsletter. Now, last summer, we had 24 children at our Pathways Day Camp, led

Trinity

2007-06-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been so quiet here lately, except for sermons.Here are some quotes I shared on NewProclamation.com about the upcoming Holy Trinity Sunday: Greetings! Holy Trinity Sunday is fast approaching. It has been a long time since I have contributed to the community forum. In the interest of changing that trend, here are some fruits of my reading this week. In the past few months, I have

May 13, 2007

2007-05-13T16:33:00.000-05:00

We departed from the Lectionary this week, because we had a special presentation by our church's JUMP team, which goes on a mission to Jamaica each year.Eric P. Lemonholm May 13, 2007 Jump Team Worship Psalm 70:1-6; Romans 12:3-9; Matthew 25:34-40 iThere’s a wonderful children's story entitled Martin the Cobbler. In a certain town there lived a very honest cobbler called Martin. He lived in

Easter 3C

2007-04-22T06:59:00.000-05:00

Eric Lemonholm April 22, 2007 Easter 3C Acts 9:1–6 [7–20]; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11–14; John 21:1–19 What a week. In some ways, it’s been a week of highs in our church and lows in national and world news. Highs. Last weekend, 10 of our confirmation youth went on a fantastic faith growing retreat at Maplelag. On Wednesday night here at Grace, Brenda Houts shared her story of grief and faith to a

Bedtime Theology

2007-03-29T20:18:00.000-05:00

I'm putting my youngest child, age 4, to bed tonight. Here's part of the dialog:So, is Jesus in heaven?Yes.Is Jesus also here?Yes.How?God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can be in lots of places at the same time.How can God do that?Well, God's pretty amazing...So, can God ride a unicycle, paint, and wear a dog costume at the same time?I think so.