Christ In All Things

This November-December (2023) is an interesting time. On the world stage there are disturbing wars in Ukraine and in Israel. There is metaphorical saber-rattling for the 2024 presidential election. There’s much about which to be concerned. But here, in our Christ In All Things 2023 Advent-Christmas Preview, we preview the St. Paul’s—Oconomowoc (WI) mid-week Advent series, “Peace on Earth” and our...

In Part 2 of our interview with Cheryl Tesch we talk about how Cheryl was formed by her service to the church, and by some very challenging situations in her life. Here, again, Cheryl’s candor and faithfulness are on display. It is a delightful conversation about how Christ forms His servants by the Word of God, suffering, and the fellowship of believers. (Recorded on August 30, 2023.)

Every Christian congregation needs at least one Cheryl Tesch. She is a "get things done person." This is the first of our two-part interview with Cheryl, who (You will see 😊) is a Christian of deep faith, humility, candor, and good humor. Over the years she has served St. Paul’s in more ways than we could probably count. For the pastors who interview her and serve along side her, it’s a great hon...

Part 2 of our interview with Dan Eifert is an American symphony of sorts. It is the story of a man and a woman (Dan and Rachelle) who are at a liberal arts university to pursue medical careers, but whose participation in a university choir—and the addition of a music major for one—becomes a prelude to a grander journey involving unforeseen career paths, travels around the world, and—both metaphori...

Dan Eifert comes from a long line of church workers; though he doesn’t have a formal “Divine Call” from the church, he and his family serve in many ways. In Part 1 of our interview with Dan we explore the power of a name, and of a family of people molded by Christ and Christ’s service in His Church.

“Since the spiritual life is produced by the Holy Spirit for people with bodies, Christian spirituality is embodied piety.” Thus says Dr. John Kleinig in the Introduction (“Body Matters”) of his book, Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body. This is Part 2 of our ongoing conversation about Dr. Kleinig’s book. If you didn’t listen to Part 1, you’ll do well to start there. This overall t...

“Our life in the body is messy,” says one of our hosts during this discussion, which is the first of several episodes wherein we will discuss Dr. John Kleinig’s book, Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body. The overall topic, which is called "the theology of the body," is the topic of our time, for it is a discussion about what it means to be a human being. These discussions on Christ...

In Part 2 of our interview with Sara Benes, we continue the conversation about a life that flows from the centrality of church and family to a very moving conversation about the importance of Christ and daily meditation on His Word. For those who desire some kind of a devotional life, this interview with Sara will be both an inspiration and an example. Hers is a life marked by receiving and giving...

Sara Ruth (Mueller) Benes was a seventh grader when her family moved to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin from Salt Lake City, Utah. The rest is living St. Paul’s history. Except for a time out-of-state in college and then early in her career and married life, Sara has been a fixture at St. Paul’s, where for some years she has been the third grade teacher at St. Paul’s Lutheran School. In this episode we refl...

On August 8, 2022, Rev. Gary Schockman died in The LORD. In the last year Pastor Lance O’Donnell has been interviewing his colleague, Rev. Jason Schockman, about “grieving with hope.” In this interview, recorded one year after his father’s death, we hear through the discussion the abiding and life-changing hope that Christ gives, and—among other things—we hear about the importance of conversation...

In Part 2 of our interview with Dale Stratil, we probe for the top 3-5 things that have formed Stratil Enterprises, Inc. ( www.stratil.com ) In the process we discovered that the Stratils laugh about operating a “boomerang factory.” We also discover how Dale and Kim enjoy working together, a fascinating correspondence with friendship, and that above all, Christian entrepreneurship “is not about ho...

While pursuing a business and information technology degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a classmate of Dale Stratil (Pronounced STRAY-till) asked him if he was getting lots of questions about how to solve computer problems. The friend thought there would be a way for them to get paid for this. In 1994 that led to formation of Stratil Enterprises, Inc. ( www.stratil.com ), a cu...

Season Two of Christ In All Things will bring more teaching on the “theology of body,” worship, holiness, and friendship. We also plan to explore the joys and challenges of Christian entrepreneurship. In this conversation our hosts ponder the great opportunities for discussion ahead.

In part 2 of our Season 1 wrap-up, we start with a laugh . . . and then decide to keep laughing. . . because—as we look ahead to the Season 2 discussions and teaching about the “theology of the body”—it is a joy to be a redeemed child of God and enjoy the company of others. Laugh along with us as we talk about practical jokes we played on one another and give a glimpse into things we’ve been learn...

Christ in All Things is a local, congregational podcast. It is designed to be an ear into pastoral conversations about the life in Christ that has its epicenter at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. We teach on the podcast, and we listen to the stories of some wonderful people. As we wrap-up Season 1 we consider what we learned, reflecting on the joys and challenges of the Christ...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead changes everything. It means that all Jesus said is true. He is God in the flesh, who forgives the sins of all and gives new and eternal life. We encourage everyone to join us for that celebration, which is commonly called “Easter.” But, with this preview we want to encourage you to deepen your appreciation for Jesus’ resurrection . . . by participati...

So often we go about our lives—going to school or work, going to the grocery store or out to eat—we see all kinds of different people… and have no idea of the incredible stories that are playing out among them. Dorothy Duchow is a sweet and kind church lady. She loves the Lord, loves to sing, loves to serve, but there’s a fascinating adventure story that formed her. Part 2 of our interview with di...

Dorothy means “God’s gift.” Fay in Hebrew means “loyalty, trust,” or “hope.” To meet Dorothy Fay Duchow is to know someone who confesses Jesus Christ as God’s gift, someone who lives in abiding hope. Part 1 of our interview with Dorothy discusses the significance of her name and her Great Depression-era beginnings in West Allis, Wisconsin, including a fascinating living situation as a girl, a wond...

Family life has all kinds of “unintended consequences.” For example, you may walk the path together in one way for years and then have to take a different route because of construction… and discover a new and fascinating path. Something analogous happened at St. Paul’s in 2022. After years of struggling with a sound system that didn’t work well in our acoustical environment, a new line array speak...

From ancient times, the Church has kept the season of Lent as a time of prayerful and penitential reflection. We fast. We refrain from “Alleluias” (Hebrew for “praise The LORD”). Musical adornment is diminished, etc. It is also, historically, a time of intense teaching leading up to the remembrance of Jesus death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. In this “2023 Lent Preview” Pas...

This is our second-last conversation with Rev. Jason Schockman about “Grieving with hope.” We recorded this, by design, was one half-year after his father’s death. There isn’t a great “milestone” in this episode, and every grief journey is unique, but this conversation is a journey of memory, and as such it is an example of the kind of questions one might ask as one walks with another in grief.

Our last conversation with Rev. Jason Schockman occurred just a month after his father’s death. That was a conversation filled with Christian hope and thankfulness. This conversation in our “Grieving with Hope” series picks up after the Schockmans passed through “the holiday season”: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. The hope and thankfulness remain a steady current… but it’s different. As...

Full of energy and the joy of Christ, Mary Hickenbottom serves as a sister, a friend, a realtor, a property manager, and as the volunteer Director of The Lord’s Cupboard, the food pantry of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Part 2 of our interview with Mary is an exploration of how Jesus Christ led Mary to quietly direct a service of the congregation by which God gives daily bre...

Mary Kay (Zastrow) Hickenbottom is a “lifer” at St. Paul’s: Baptized, confirmed, married, etc. Oconomowoc community members may know her as a realtor and property manager; many others know her as the volunteer Director of St. Paul’s food pantry, “The Lord’s Cupboard.” In Part 1 of our interview with Mary we explore—even as flawed as she admits that she is—how Jesus Christ began to mold her into a...

Glenn Leidel is a tall, strong, gentle man, This, Part Two of our interview with Glenn, takes us from some very formative childhood experiences, to the exploration of his “pun-y-ness,” to his courtship and marriage to Linda (nee Eggers), to children, grandchildren, the importance of Christian education, and service in the church, where he is—as Pastor Schockman says—“immensely active.”