The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

In this Adventures in Lutheranism episode, Rachel begins a multi-part odyssey into the unknown world of some of the church’s most unsung heroes: the altar guild.   Beginning with a brief look at what the altar guild is, what it does, its history, and its scriptural foundations, Rachel then outlines her top seven (or is it ten?) reasons—from ironing to anxiety to white gloves—for never having joine...

You may have heard of C. F. W. Walther and the Saxon Emigration to Saint Louis and Perry County, Missouri. You may be familiar with Wilhelm Loehe and the Franconian missionary settlements in Michigan. But how much do you know about the Wends of Texas?   In this Story Time episode—releasing the day after Texas Independence Day—Sarah explores the history and heritage of the large group of Wendish Lu...

Kaye Wolff is a pastor’s wife, a lifelong Lutheran lady, and a longtime leader in the LWML. Born in rural Alabama, Kaye was baptized and spent her early years at Christ Lutheran Church in Rosebud, Ala., the first of many Black Lutheran congregations established by Rosa J. Young’s pioneering missionary efforts. Her family took part in the Great Migration, leaving Alabama and settling in Detroit, Mi...

With Ash Wednesday just around the corner, Sarah’s taking a closer look at 11 “Confession and Absolution” hymns an all-new Hymn Sing episode.    Drawing on a Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook poll to identify crowd favorites in the genre, Sarah covers beloved and not-yet-beloved hymn texts and tunes, including Luther’s gut-wrenching “From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee,” Erdmann Neumeister’s “Jesus Si...

In this excerpt from their February 10 book club recap episode, the Ladies announce their next pick for the Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club: George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin.   From one of many publisher descriptions:  "When Princess Irene and her nursemaid stay out too late one night and are chased home by goblins, a young miner boy called Curdie comes to their rescue. So begins a fantas...

In this Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club recap episode, Rachel leads Sarah, Erin, and Bri in a deep-diving discussion of Joel Heck’s From Atheism to Christianity: The Story of C. S. Lewis.   What factors cause a person to abandon faith and become an atheist? Which plays the dominant role in conversion: the intellect or the imagination? How do the books we read and the media we consume either strengthen...

Anna Hart is a wife, mother, fellow Lutheran lady, and the expert liturgical seamstress behind Anna’s Threads. In this “Conversations with Creatives” episode, Anna educates Bri on the various types of ecclesiastical vestment, nerds out with Erin and Sarah about natural fiber fabrics and vintage sewing machines, and offers pro tips to Rachel on how to smooth out a wrinkly chasuble. Click to connect...

It’s National Lutheran Schools Week—and to mark the occasion, Bri’s hosting an Adventures in Lutheranism episode about this beloved annual celebration of Lutheran education.   Drawing both from social media feedback and her own deep memories, Bri looks at the whys and hows of NLSW—from spirit days to field trips, chapel services to servant events.   Click to learn more about NLSW and discover idea...

In this special, long-awaited Wild Card episode, the Ladies warmly welcome Debbie Larson, president of Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML), to the Lounge for a Wild Card interview.   What’s it like to lead the LCMS’s oldest, largest, and most influential women’s auxiliary? How do the missions of the LWML and the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge align? What’s on the horizons for Lutheran Women in Mission? Why...

Because it’s January (and let’s face it: January is boring), Rachel and the Ladies need something to entertain them … and this time, that something is a Trivia Challenge all about what Martin Luther said and wrote about women!  Offering riddles, true-false questions, and other trivial queries, Rachel covers a range of occasionally outrageous quotes from Luther’s sermons, lectures, personal letters...

Happy Epiphany from the Lutheran Ladies! To celebrate the day, Sarah’s digging into the backstories of Epiphany hymns in an all-new Hymn Sing episode.   Drawing from the results of a Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook poll to narrow and order her selections, Sarah begins her discussion with the so-called “Queen of Chorales,” Philipp Nicolai’s “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” (LSB 395). She then...

As they have for the past two years, Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel are offering blessings, wishes, and prognostications for the New Year. After revisiting last year’s prognostications to see if any came true (one, at least, came eerily close), each of the Lutheran Ladies presents a good wish or word of blessing along with a wild-and-crazy prediction for what life will hold in 2023. Click to revisit...

The Lutheran Ladies present a brand-new edition of Bri’s Radio Theatre—and this time, they’ve all got a part to play. When Bri gets into a verbal tussle with a BMW driver in a Target parking lot, she’s got some repenting to do. Thankfully, two ghostly figments of her imagination and one very real, very macabre Lutheran Lady friend are there to help her find the grace she needs to set things right....

It’s a seasonal Iron Ladle Challenge—and this time, Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel are mixing up festive holiday beverages. Listen along as the Ladies laugh and quaff their way through mock champagne punch, creamy coffee, German glühwein, homemade cream soda, “hot buttery goodness,” and an extravagant (if imaginary) hot chocolate buffet. Rachel’s Go-To Holiday Beverage Ingredients: Coffee Half and h...

In this excerpt from their December 9 book club recap episode, the Ladies announce their next pick for the Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club: Joel Heck’s From Atheism to Christianity: The Story of C. S. Lewis From the publisher: This is the story of how one of the world’s most famous atheists became one of its most famous Christians. From Atheism to Christianity: The Story of C. S. Lewis is the spiritual...

In this Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club recap episode, Rachel leads Sarah, Erin, and Bri in a wide-ranging discussion of Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead: A Novel. How does the past shape the present and the future (whether or not it’s remembered)? What does it look like to live with absolute commitment to a moral cause? Is it possible to love, forgive, and even bless an unrepentant prodigal? How can a stor...

Once again, the Lutheran Ladies welcome a man (GASP!) into the Lounge for a Kitchen Table Talk conversation, inspired by Martin Luther’s famous Reformation “table talk” conversations with his students. In this episode, LCMS International Center chaplain Pastor Sean Daenzer returns to offer wise and friendly counsel on a seasonally appropriate theological hot topic: the Incarnation. What do Christi...

Black Friday—the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season—is a longstanding American tradition, as famous for rowdy crowds as it is for irresistible bargains. In this edition of Bri’s Big Question (BBQ), Bri’s asking: Should we observe Black Friday? Beginning with a brief cultural history of Black Friday, Bri then relates her own personal history with the holiday. (Spoiler alert: it’s tra...

With Thanksgiving Day on the near horizon, Sarah covers six beloved hymns of praise and thanksgiving in an all-new Hymn Sing episode. Beginning with “Come Ye Thankful People Come,” Sarah tells the inspiring stories behind the texts and tunes of “Sing to the Lord of Harvest,” “For the Fruits of His Creation,” “We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator,” “Praise and Thanksgiving,” and crowd-favori...

Just in time for averting awkward conversations around the Thanksgiving table comes an all-new edition of Rachel’s Trivia Challenge, in which Rachel quizzes the Ladies on a veritable trove of Thanksgiving trivia tidbits. What’s the connection between Thanksgiving and the English Reformation? Where was the first day of Thanksgiving in the English American colonies actually celebrated? What’s Americ...

It’s an Iron Ladle Challenge—and this time, the Ladies are solving a culinary problem that may or may not actually exist: What can you do with leftover Halloween candy? Sarah melts candy corn (and smokes out her kitchen) to make homemade gourmet Butterfinger-style bonbons. Bri goes sugar-free (and also candy-free), decoupaging empty candy wrappers into fun notebook covers. Rachel tries her hand at...

Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 –1548) was Queen of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII, the final queen consort of the House of Tudor, who outlived Henry by a year and eight months. She was also a devout Christian with distinctly Lutheran convictions and the author of several devotional and theologic...

With midterm elections just around the corner—and voters faithfully contemplating the many post-Roe v. Wade candidates and referenda on their respective ballots—the Ladies welcome Donna Harrison, MD, to the Lounge for a heartfelt, hard-hitting conversation about abortion and women’s health. Dr. Harrison is a board-certified physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology who currently serves a...

Just in time for Stewardship Sunday, the Ladies tackle the thorny subject of personal finance in Lutheran perspective … well, sort of. For this Adventure in Lutheranism, Bri digs deep into her past to dig up a core memory of Tracky, a 90s-era mascot of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) designed to get kids excited about investing their quarters in the work of the church. Is Tracky really r...

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and to help navigate the rocky waters of this challenging topic, Erin has invited Sandra (Ostapowich) Madden into the Lounge for a One-Question Interview. This episode’s hot question: What aren’t Lutheran ladies talking about when it comes to domestic violence that we should be? Sandra (Ostapowich) Madden is a farmer, accountant, Lutheran lady...