The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

How much do you (think you) know about the cultural and theological underpinnings of Mardi Gras? Test your knowledge in the latest edition of Rachel’s Trivia Challenge! Learn more about the meanings of some of Mardi Gras’s many names, what Luther said (or maybe didn’t say) about the festival, how to spell the name of a popular Polish pastry, and the real reason Christians celebrate at this time of...

As couples everywhere prepare to celebrate romantic love this Valentine’s Day, Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel are going against the flow — with a Valentine’s Day celebration of singleness. Inviting Deaconess Ellie Corrow (Missionary Care Coordinator for the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and bona fide single person) into the Lounge for “Erin’s One-Question Interview,” the Ladies explore singleness a...

Dr. Rosa J. Young was an “amazing woman of God who did great things” for Lutheran education and evangelism in the South, helping to found 30 Lutheran schools for underserved black students and establish 35 Lutheran churches in the region. In this edition of “Storytime with Sarah,” Sarah leads Erin, Bri, and Rachel through key moments in Rosa Young’s inspirational biography as together they celebra...

In this episode, Bri leads the ladies in a celebratory discussion of “the one painting of Jesus in every church ever”: Warner Sallman’s “Head of Christ.” Delving into the origin story of Sallman and his famous painting, Bri uses this familiar work of art to open a larger discussion of artistic representations of Christ throughout history and around the world, from early Christian iconography to co...

It’s time to finalize the next pick for the Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club! Will Sarah, Erin, and Bri choose “historical fiction from the perspective of a sadder-but-wiser older character”? Or will they go for “nonfiction guaranteed to make you the smarty-pants at your next church event”? Listen in to this Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge short to hear which book they (and hopefully you!) will be reading next,...

Literature, history, fashion, community, trigger-happy grandmothers … This episode has it all. Wrapping up discussion of the first Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club pick, A Year Down Yonder, Rachel leads Sarah, Erin, and Bri through a lively discussion of key themes in Richard Peck’s Newbery Award-winning young adult novel. Drawing upon listener insights shared through book club conversations in the show...

“What should Lutheran ladies be talking about that we’re not?” In yet another first for the program, Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel welcome special guest Heather Ruesch into the lounge for “Erin’s One-Question Interview.” (Who’d have thought that one question could lead to so much constructive conversation?) Heather Ruesch is a pro-life speaker, advocate, and educator who is currently traveling the...

Twenty-two orphaned babies and toddlers. Daily Japanese bombing runs. Two hundred miles (by foot, through the mountains) stand between the children and relative safety. What’s an intrepid Lutheran woman missionary to do? In the first installment of her new “Storytime” segment, Sarah takes Rachel, Erin, and Bri back in time to China in 1943 as she tells the life story of Gertrude Simon, a Lutheran...

New Year’s Resolutions: good, bad, or utterly pointless? This is Bri’s Big Question for January, and as usual, there may not be one right answer — just lots of lively and constructive conversation. Given that more than three fourths of the people who make New Year’s Resolutions fail within the first month — and that many resolutions are born from an unhelpful and even harmful sense of body negativ...

Merry Christmas from the Lutheran Ladies! In this “super special” holiday episode, Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel each share their own original unpublished Christmas poems. From a Dr. Seuss-themed power ballad to a nativity “limerichard,” from a rhapsodic ode to Christmas hymns to a Hamilton-inspired angelic rap verse, these homespun poems will have listeners snapping their fingers (and maybe even g...

‘Tis the season … for Christmas pageants! Join Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel as they embark on a riotous romp through the past, present and (hypothetical) future of nativity theatricals. What was the go-to costume choice for a mid-century modern shepherd? Which Medieval nativity drama likely incorporated Cirque-du-Soleil-style acrobatics? What do Gladys Herdman, Linus van Pelt, and Dominic the Donk...

In this episode, Sarah invites Erin, Bri and Rachel to share their favorite Christmas carols and caroling memories before waxing rhapsodic herself over the history and tradition of her own favorite Christmas hymn — “The Quempas Carol.” What does Sbarro have to do with Christmas caroling? Why does Rachel still blush sometimes when she hears “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer”? And how, exactly, did l...

It’s Christmas cookie season! Who’s hungry? In this installment of Erin’s Recipe Card, Erin goes beyond the beloved-but-mundane sugar cookie to introduce Bri, Rachel and Sarah to a new-to-them Christmas classic: the lace cookie. Blending flour, sugar, oats, nuts and lots of butter (never margarine!) into a satisfyingly crunchy treat, Erin’s latest recipe is sure to be a sweet addition to seasonal...

In this Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge ICYMI short, Sarah, Erin, Rachel, and Bri talk through their options as they finalize a choice for their inaugural book club pick: A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck. Want to join them in the Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club? Here’s how: Listen regularly to the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge podcast. A new book will be announced on air every 2-3 months. Buy or borrow the book....

In the latest installment of Rachel’s Trivia Challenge — focused on the Last Sunday of the church year and the End Times — Rachel embarks on a dystopian romp from rock band R.E.M. to evangelical A-lister Kirk Cameron and beyond, as she does her level best to stump Sarah, Erin, and Bri on all things eschatological. Which event in American history became known as the “Great Disappointment”? How did...

In 1957, an enterprising Lutheran lady named Frances Kipps Spencer created the first Chrismons™ — the now-familiar handcrafted gold and white ornaments that adorn so many church Christmas trees to this day. In this episode, Sarah, Bri, Erin and Rachel share the origin story behind these ornaments, delve into their rich Christological meanings, and get ready to craft their own versions of these tim...

Looking for a savory new casserole to add to your fall potluck lineup? Look no further than Erin’s Recipe Card. In this episode, the ladies bake up and try an Erin original: Spaghetti Squash Casserole with spicy sausage, kale and a crispy Parmesan crumb topping. With vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and allergy- and intolerant-friendly variations all possible, this healthy and easily customizab...

Warm up your vocal cords and join the Lutheran Ladies as they indulge their love of hymns with a new musical segment: “Hymn Sing with Sarah”! In this first installment, Sarah digs into the background and meaning of the beloved All Saints Day hymn “For All the Saints” as she and her co-hosts explore what makes All Saints Day (and the seasons and festivals of the liturgical year more generally) so s...

This Sunday is Reformation Day (observed), and what better way could there be to celebrate in the lounge than with a Reformation-themed quiz? In her latest “Trivia Challenge,” Rachel stumps the ladies with a lively round of questions about women in the Lutheran Reformation. Listen, laugh, learn, and play along at home as Sarah, Erin and Bri answer questions about the Reformation that they never th...

It’s a Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge short! Have you ever been on the phone, only to have the dog bark or the kids yell for help. So have we. For bonus content from the show and a chance to help shape future on-air conversations—and enjoy friendly fellowship with other Lutheran ladies—join The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and follow Sarah (...

Should Lutherans go Trick-or-Treating on Halloween — or not? That’s Bri’s “Big Question” for October, and in this episode of The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge, the ladies are considering all the arguments and doing their level best to hash out answers (with a little help from their friends on Facebook and the LCMS’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations). Whether you dress up on Halloween and gree...

Put on your thinking caps and play along with Rachel’s Trivia Challenge! In this episode of The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge, Rachel stumps the ladies with a series of trivia questions about LCMS Lutherans in show business. What can J. S. Bach’s signature sign-off teach us about Lutheranism and celebrity? Where can a Lutheran celeb always go and not be fussed over? Which Hollywood character actor grew...

Some people look forward all year to Christmas, but in this episode, the Lutheran Ladies are already getting excited for Lent (143 sleeps, in case you’re counting!) — and with it, the Lenten soup supper. In Bri’s new segment “How to Lutheran,” she waxes rhapsodic over styrofoam bowls of chicken noodle soup, leaky yellow drink coolers and all the other austere culinary delights of a traditional Lut...

In their second episode, the Lutheran Ladies head down to the church basement for “Erin’s Recipe Card,” a segment celebrating classic recipes from Lutheran cookbooks. Taste-testing a vintage concoction of pineapple, tuna fish, and magical “goo” (that totally isn’t a New England snack cake, despite what it sounds like), they learn how to “Ring It!” — and why it’s always so important to let your fel...

It's a Lutheran Ladies' Lounge short! Every Lutheran lady shares unique experiences, and Sarah, Erin, Rachel, and Bri have a real conversation about the good and bad of pantyhose, and whether it's even still a thing for Lutheran ladies. For bonus content from the show and a chance to help shape future on-air conversations—and enjoy friendly fellowship with other Lutheran ladies—join The Lutheran L...