The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

Americans—including American Lutherans—are a mobile bunch, and the majority of people will move at least a couple of times within their lives. Some folks will move many times over. And whenever a move to a new community does takes place, that inevitably means … church shopping. In this week’s “Adventure in Lutheranism,” Rachel (a regular nomad and veteran church shopper) leads the conversation, ex...

“Why is the holiday season so complicated?!” That’s the “Big Question” at the heart of this week’s episode. Although the winter holidays—Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, New Years, and Epiphany—are treasured as times of joy, celebration, and togetherness, they can also be marked by unmet expectations, unhealthy choices, financial strain, interpersonal conflict, isolation, and other triggers for an...

Elisabeth Cruciger (c. 1500–1535) was the first female poet and hymnwriter of the Lutheran Reformation—and in this Reformation-themed episode, Sarah tells her story. From her early vows as nun in a Premonstratensian cloister to her introduction to Luther’s teaching through Johannes Bugenhagen, from her marriage to Wittenberg theologian Caspar Cruciger to her close, personal friendship with Martin...

Who doesn’t love a good fall festival? And sausages? And pretzels and mustard? In this latest “How to Lutheran,” Bri (a first-generation Lutheran without a discernible drop of German blood in her) celebrates the German Lutheran cultural juggernaut that is Oktoberfest. Starting with Oktoberfest’s German (Catholic) origins in Bavaria, Bri frolics through the past and present of this beloved cultural...

The Ladies choose their next book club pick from a list of lesser known classics by beloved lady novelists: Persuasion by Jane Austen An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery Which book will the Lutheran Ladies read next? Listen to the end and find out! Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (f...

In this episode, Rachel leads Sarah, Erin, and Bri in a recap discussion of the latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club selection: Gene Edward Veith Jr.’s The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals. Why would a Christian author at the height of his career choose a pagan setting (replete with false idols and human sacrifice) for his most mature novel? Why would a man known for both...

In part two of the podcast’s “Hymn Sing with Sarah” Communion hymn odyssey (listen to part one here), Sarah takes Erin, Bri, and Rachel back in time to celebrate hymns composed prior to 1715. Eucharistic hymns covered in this episode include “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence,” “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord,” “Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness,” “O Lord, We Praise Thee,” “O Living Brea...

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and in this installment of “Erin’s One-Question Interview,” the Ladies welcome Elizabeth Entenmann as she shares the heartrending story of her personal experience with pregnancy loss. Beginning with two first-trimester miscarriages and culminating in the tragic loss of her near-term son Rocky, Liz’s honest and open account provides a touching r...

This week the Lutheran Ladies celebrate two years of podcasting with an “All Hands on Deck” walk back through great moments in Lutheran lady history. Bri gets things started with a tribute to Phyllis Wallace, whose long running Woman to Woman show pioneered radio programming by and for Lutheran women in the 1990s and beyond. Erin follows with a short history of the Crock Pot—an essential piece of...

Enjoy an encore presentation of The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge’s “One Year Anniversary Shoebox Extravaganza!” as Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel prepare to celebrate two years of podcasting next week. In their one-year anniversary “all hands on deck” episode—which originally dropped on September 18, 2020—the Lutheran Ladies wanted to know: if you could put one small item in a shoebox that exemplifies th...

In her latest “Hymn Sing with Sarah” episode, Sarah leads Erin, Bri, and Rachel in a wide-ranging, occasionally rhapsodic discussion of “modern” (AKA post-Enlightenment) Communion hymns. Beginning at 1715 and continuing through the present, this Hymn Sing episode covers the stories behind Eucharistic hymns including “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray,” “Eat This Bread,” “O Gracious Lord, I Firmly...

Just in time for the 2021-2022 academic year, Bri’s asking a “Big Question” for back-to-school season: Does Lutheran education make you a Lutheran? Every Lutheran’s educational journey is different—and in this open and honest conversation, the Lutheran Ladies share their own Lutheran school stories as well as those of their listeners online. From pre-K through university, Lutheran schools provide...

Join us this week in the Ladies’ Lounge for an all-hands-on-deck 100th Episode Extravaganza! Rachel gets the party started with a five-question “Trivia Challenge” covering the past, present, and future of restroom ladies’ lounges. She’s followed by Erin, who reveals her “Recipe Card” for a hospitable and well-equipped ladies’ lounge, and Sarah, who offers a pandemic-perfect “Hymn Sing” list of one...

In this Erin’s Recipe Card adventure, Erin’s tackling a classic German-American side dish culled from a vintage Lutheran lady cookbook: The Heritage of Cooking: A Collection of Recipes from East Perry County, Missouri. Beginning with a ordinary, unpretentious ingredients—baked potatoes, day-old bread, flour, butter, salt—Erin whips up a fluffy, satisfying batch of Kartoffel Kloesse. These simple p...

From small-town Midwest girl to ground-breaking medical doctor, from pioneering homesteader to Lutheran pastor’s wife, Dr. Bessie (Efner) Rehwinkel’s life was anything but humdrum. In this history- and drama-packed episode, Sarah tells her story. To learn more about Bessie Rehwinkel, check out the following resources: Bessie Rehwinkel (CPH Heroes of Faith series) by A. Trevor Sutton Dr. Bessie by...

In this episode, Rachel leads Sarah, Erin, and Bri in a recap discussion of the latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club selection: John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley: In Search of America. How does Steinbeck's account of America square with our own experiences? Have Steinbeck's observations about societal issues proven true, and have we really learned anything since the 1960s? Is Steinbeck accurate i...

In this final episode of Hymnapalooza 2021, Bri debuts a brand new set of Radio Theatre sketches starring everyone’s favorite “overly eager, irreverent, and sometimes accidentally heretical worship leader, Trent.” “He’s very on fire for the Lord, bless his little heart, even though he misses the mark 98% of the time (if not more),” explains Bri, adding, “Fortunately for the Lutheran Church Missour...

How does an enthusiastic foodie celebrate #Hymnapalooza? With a hymn-inspired four-course menu, of course! Join recipe maven Erin as she shares her ideas for a feast of hymn-tastic proportions — from savory roast lamb (inspired by LSB 633 and 550) to home-baked bread (LSB 629), from veggies and sides (LSB 561 and 892) to milk-and-honey desserts (LSB 672). Recipes and recipe books mentioned in this...

This July, the Lutheran Ladies are celebrating Hymnapalooza in the Lounge with a blowout #hymnnerd giveaway and four fun hymn-related episodes. In this second installment, Rachel takes the lead, with a Rachel’s Trivia (non)Challenge highlighting “11 things you may not have known were in Lutheran Service Book.” From operatic superstars to A-list poets, from “dudes with Greek and Latin names writing...

This July, the Lutheran Ladies are celebrating Hymnapalooza in the Lounge with a blowout #hymnnerd giveaway and four fun hymn-related episodes. In her opening salvo, Sarah kicks things off with a quick dive into the life of one of her “newest favorite composers”: Louis Bourgeois.  While not a Lutheran, the French Calvinist composer Bourgeois made an ongoing contribution to post-Reformation hymnody...

Recorded on location from the 2021 Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) convention in Lexington, Ky., this installment of Rachel’s Trivia Challenge celebrates over 80 years of mission and ministry made possible by the LWML. Meandering meaningfully through time from the 1920s through the present, Rachel does her best to stump Sarah, Erin, and Bri on “a few great moments in LWML history.” How did Luther...

Heads up! An exciting new LCMS podcast—dedicated to sanctity-of-life conversations—has recently joined the KFUO Radio line-up. In this special crossover episode, Sarah talks with Stephanie Neugebauer at Friends for Life, a new podcast from LCMS Life Ministry. Together, they explore answers to the thorny question: “How do we have a conversation about life issues on social media without losing frien...

In this Iron Ladle Challenge, the Lutheran Ladies forego a common ingredient in favor of a common theme: Vacation Bible School snacks that double as craft activities. Rachel leads off with a gelatin-based tableau of Jonah and the whale (which was of course, really, a fish), followed by Bri, whose fashion sense is on full-display with a customizable, candy-laden coat of many colors. Sarah’s tree of...

Let’s face it: some Adventures in Lutheranism are just a little more adventurous than others — and this episode, showcasing the 29 partner camps in the National Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Association (NLOMA), is proof positive. Bri (camp name: Rex) leads this laughter-filled conversation, celebrating the “fire, friends, and faith” that both kids and counselors experience at Lutheran summer camp. Fr...

The Lutheran Ladies present a short from behind the scenes, as Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel prepare to record while Rachel is brewing hotel coffee and relying on spotty hotel Wi-Fi. Erin tries to enjoy her seaweed snack while Sarah and Bri try not to melt down in laughter. (Fair warning, you'll hear some food crunching, in case that's not your thing.) Join us for this comedic interlude. Connect wi...