The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

Rachel leads Sarah and Erin in a lively romp through their latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club selection, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.   What does this book written by a woman about a woman surrounded by women teach us about what it means to be a woman? How comfortable are we really with Jane and Rochester's May/December, boss/employee romance? How well do the book’s many religious moments and mess...

At the beginning of this new calendar year, Sarah’s celebrating beginnings — specifically those hymns in the “Beginning of Service” section of Lutheran Service Book. These classic favorites may sometimes go unnoticed and unappreciated, sitting as they do at the very back of the hymnal, but there’s nothing unlovable about them.   Hymns covered in this episode include “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty (...

There's a star in the East, and Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar — together with their newfound friend and hanger-on Trish (who has just completed her "spiritual road trip certification") — are on an epic journey to worship the Christ child in the manger. Will they opt for meaningful and traditional gifts (gold, frankincense, myrrh), or impulse buy the adorable onesie instead? Will they fall for He...

“ You have told a story that no other living person could have told us.”   This Wild Card episode is a glimpse into KFUO Radio’s rich 100 years of history with audio from KFUO’s 25th Anniversary in 1949. KFUO Host Elmer Knoernschild interviewed Certified Lutheran Lady Mrs. Kretzschmar, who was the wife of one of KFUO’s founders, the Rev. Dr. Richard Kretzschmar. In this conversation, she shared he...

The Rev. Dr. John Kleinig is emeritus lecturer at Luther College, Adelaide, South Australia, and author of several books on Lutheran theology and spirituality, including Grace upon Grace, Wonderfully Made, and the volume on Prayer in the Lutheran Spirituality Series. In this warm and pastoral Kitchen Table Talk conversation originally from February 23, 2024, Dr. Kleinig answers vital questions on...

How well do you know your favorite holiday songs? We're revisiting an episode of Rachel’s Trivia Challenge—all about Christmas carols! Which beloved Christmas Eve hymn originally referenced Baby Jesus’s curly hair? Which carol writer once posed as the Virgin Mary for a famous pre-Raphaelite painting? Which faux medieval ballad is regularly sung at Boar’s Head Festivals around the country? And the...

Five years after their first Christmas Poetry Slam in 2019 (routinely “regifted” ever since), the Ladies have finally picked up their pens to write a fresh batch of poems for the holiday season. And this time, they have help. Joining Sarah, Erin, and Rachel in the Lounge are authors Katie Schuermann and Lisa Clark. Together, they share original Christmas poems ranging from psalms of lament to epic...

“Once upon a time, in a city far, far away (otherwise known as St. Louis), a few men with a big dream and even bigger prayers began a radio ministry that would last the test of time for 100 years ...”  In a major milestone for Lutheran broadcasting, KFUO Radio (home of the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge podcast) is celebrating 100 continuous years on the air this month. In this trivia-rich Story Time epi...

Chaplain Sean Daenzer joins Sarah, Erin, and Rachel for another Kitchen Table Talk conversation — this time on the theological hot topic of individual Confession and Absolution.   What is individual (or private) Confession and Absolution? What biblical basis and historical basis is there for this practice? How did Luther (in the Small Catechism) recommend it be done? How does Lutheran Confession a...

In a special Leading Ladies crossover with Sarah Goes to School, Sarah welcomes Deaconess Dr. Kim Schave for a conversation on leadership, vocation, and psychological safety. What is psychological safety in the workplace, and what happens when organizations do or don't practice it? How can ministry leaders incorporate psychological safety in faith-based environments? Deaconess Dr. Kim Schave is Di...

For most of us, the word “fellowship” brings to mind coffee and donuts on Sunday after church — or perhaps a monthly church potluck or seasonal Lenten soup supper.   For certain intrepid Lutherans, however, “fellowship” can mean much more than that.   In this episode, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel are highlighting and celebrating examples of EXTREME FELLOWSHIP!!! in Lutheran churches. From paintball tou...

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! (Psalm 98:4). In this Adventures in Lutheranism episode, Rachel shares her recent experience joining a new-to-her church choir.   Beginning with a brief foray into the history of sacred choral music — from ancient Greece to Garrison Keillor and beyond — she then examines the physical and mental health...

In 1952, Ralston Purina first published a recipe for its now-famous Chex™ party mix as an advertisement in Life magazine. Although few people now make Chex™ mix (or any party mix) from scratch — especially since the advent of a pre-packaged version in 1985 — in this Iron Ladle Challenge, Erin, Sarah and Rachel are bringing back homemade party mixes.   With fun add-ins like Goldfish crackers and Sr...

The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison is president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. His published works include At Home in the House of My Fathers, A Little Book on Joy, and an English translation of Johann Gerhard’s Meditations on Divine Mercy — recently featured as the Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club’s 2024 Reformation read.   In this episode, Pastor Harrison tells the stories behind this little boo...

On October 26, the church commemorates THREE notable Lutheran hymnwriters: Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann, and Paul Gerhardt.   Hold onto your hymnals, friends: this Hymn Sing with Sarah episode is a harmonious hymn fest in triplicate. Hymns featured in this episode include:   “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying”  “O Morningstar, How Fair and Bright”  “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”  “O Sacred...

Sarah, Erin, and Rachel “close the book” on their latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club discussion with this episode on Johann Gerhard’s Meditations on Divine Mercy, translated by the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison.   Can a 400-year-old prayerbook help Lutherans grow in their faith today? How can we more faithfully structure and prioritize our prayers to make the most of every moment before the throne o...

Who says Lutherans don’t have a sense of humor?   Beloved Lounge alum Bri once again visits the podcast — this time as her hilarious alter ego “Trish,” who “after, like, three years” of calls and emails has finally scored a meeting with Sarah, Erin, and Rachel to pitch all her best podcast episode ideas.   Will Trish’s pitches on “canning the fruits of the Spirit” or “forging handmade spiritual ar...

Sarah, Erin, and Rachel welcome Julianna Shults to the Leading Ladies interview series, in which they seek to celebrate and learn from Lutheran women in notable positions of influence in the church and the world.     Julianna Shults is a fellow Lutheran lady and rostered Director of Christian Education (DCE), currently serving as program manager of resources and leadership for LCMS Youth Ministry....

Class is back in session, ladies!   Once again, Sarah’s sharing study notes from her graduate courses at Concordia University Irvine’s Townsend Institute for Counseling and Leadership. In this episode on achieving “wildly important goals,” she covers how to:   Identify and focus on life goals that are “wildly important” — and worth going after wholeheartedly  Act on “lead measures” of progress whi...

September 20, 2019: The first-ever Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge episode dropped.   FIVE YEARS LATER ...  September 20, 2024: The Ladies are celebrating a milestone birthday party!  In this five-year anniversary episode, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel challenge each other in their own versions of vintage television game shows.   Rachel quizzes Erin and Sarah in a Lounge-themed homage to “The Newlywed Game” —“T...

The Rev. Dr. Joel D. Biermann is the Waldemar A. and June Schuette Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and author of several books, including Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play (new from CPH) and Wholly Citizens: God's Two Realms and Christian Engagement with the World (Fortress).   In this lively and insightful Kitchen Table Talk conversation, Dr. Biermann answers timel...

As Lutherans young and old head back to Sunday school this fall, Rachel wants to know: How much do you really know about the history of Sunday school?   It’s a Trivia Challenge for the back-to-school season, full of eye-opening factoids about the roots of Christian education in the church.   Where and when did the first “Sunday school” begin? What did pastors originally think about this ecclesial...

“What should we be talking about that we’re not?”  That’s the starting prompt for every installment of “Erin’s One-Question Interview.” While the answers to this question may change, the quality of these vital, hard-hitting conversations remains the same.   In this episode, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel welcome special guest Cassie Moore into the Lounge to talk about one of the thorniest and most uncomf...

According to Lutheran Service Book, the commemoration of St. Monica falls on August 27 each year. But who exactly is St. Monica? And how does one celebrate her? To answer these questions (and more), the Party Planning Committee is back!   Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, is remembered today as an example of faith, patience, and godliness in the face of complicated family relationships.  ...

Sarah, Erin, and Rachel welcome their second guest — Elizabeth Pittman — to the Leading Ladies interview series, seeking to celebrate Lutheran women in notable positions of leadership or influence in the church or the world.    Elizabeth Pittman is director of public relations for Concordia Publishing House and host of the CPH podcast. In this episode, Elizabeth tells her story: from high-profile...