The Lutheran Witness Podcast

Anna Mussmann, homeschool mom of four and author of "Making the Most of Your Kids’ Summer Boredom" on The Lutheran Witness Online, joins Sarah and guest co-host Rachel Bomberger, co-host of the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge Podcast, to talk about how healthy boredom is a good thing, why we are so uncomfortable with boredom and solitude, how adults can overcome this uneasiness and lean into the boredom,...

Rev. Dr. Joel Elowsky, Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about when the historic church began observing the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord as its own festival, the sources we have from the early church about the church's practices, what this celebration might have looked like, where we see the Ascension depicted in early church ar...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the April 2022 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled "Reconciled in Christ" on Ephesians 2:11-22. This year, "Searching the Scriptures" will study the book of Ephesians, so stay tuned each month for the next Bible study. Follow along and search the Scriptures with u...

Rev. Dr. Stephen Pietsch, lecturer in pastoral theology at Australian Lutheran College in North Adelaide, Australia, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about acedia and how to respond to it, including what acedia is, the symptoms of this in our lives, how to keep praying through acedia, talking back to Satan (antirrhesis), and more ways to fight acedia. Read his article "Fighting Acedia: Tips for the St...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the March 2022 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled "By Grace You Have Been Saved" on Ephesians 2:1-10. This year, "Searching the Scriptures" will study the book of Ephesians, so stay tuned each month for the next Bible study. Follow along and search the Scriptures...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the February 2022 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Unceasing Prayer” on Ephesians 1:15–23. This year, “Searching the Scriptures” will study the book of Ephesians, so stay tuned each month for the next Bible study. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the January 2022 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Ephesians: God’s eternal work marks the way we walk” on Ephesians 1:1-14. This year, “Searching the Scriptures” will study the book of Ephesians, so stay tuned each month for the next Bible study. Follow along and search...

The church celebrates a number of rather somber festivals in the days following Christmas. We remember St. Stephen, St. John and the Holy Innocents who died at Herod’s behest. Rebekah Curtis offers some perspective for Christians on why we celebrate these days following Christmas. For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound eff...

Have you ever wondered how to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas? And why? If we just finished Christmas, why celebrate another 12 days? Joy Pullmann, executive editor of the Federalist shares how and why her family celebrates the 12 days of Christmas. Read the article here. For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect ob...

Rachel Bomberger is the wife of a navy chaplain. This means she is frequently moving and frequently church shopping. In today’s podcast, she talks about church shopping during the holiday season and how we who aren’t church shopping might welcome those who are. Read the article here. For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound...

In America, our great wealth makes almost every day seem like a feast. The rhythms of the church year that give us fast and feasting help break us out of this mentality. Join Anna Mussmann as she writes about her family traditions of fasting before feasting. Read the article. For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect o...

In this article, the Rev. Jeffrey Hemmer explores our identity as children of God, as beings with body and soul. In our increasingly digitized world, it’s easy to obsess over our screens and forget that we are body and soul, made in the image of God, and renewed in the image of Christ, who redeemed us in body and soul. Read the article on the LW website.

In this article, Katie Schuermann talks about a family tradition, started by her parents, that kept her focused on Christ on Christmas Day. She wasn’t interested in opening presents; she wanted to gather in worship on Sunday morning. How did her parents do it? Listen to learn more. Read the article here. For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit wit...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the December 2021 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “The resurrection of the body and the life + everlasting. Amen.” about the this phrase of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed. Follow along and search the Scriptures and Apostles’ Creed with us! Find onlin...

In this second article by Edward Riojas on church artwork, he discusses imagery surrounding the angelic hosts and why, for some reason, they often appear in gossamer gowns instead of frightening appearances of four-faced, six-winged killing machines.  Read the article at witness.lcms.org.   For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org....

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the October 2021 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “The holy Christian church, the communion of saints” about the this phrase of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed. Follow along and search the Scriptures and Apostles’ Creed with us! Find online exclusives...

After a failed attempt to mediate a dispute between two angry neighbors, Rachel Bomberger offered a “Blessings on your day” as she continued her run. Little did she know what that little, offhand phrase would cause. Read the article on The Lutheran Witness website.   For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained f...

Heather Smith, wife of the Rev. Sean Smith, joins Andy to share insights on their parsonage life in rural Southern Illinois and the many lessons in history, faith, and witness from the church graveyard.  Read her article, "The Very Stones Cry Out" in the September 2021 issue of The Lutheran Witness. Find LW online and subscribe at witness.lcms.org. The Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia Univ...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the September 2021 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “I believe in the Holy Spirit” about the first phrase of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed. Follow along and search the Scriptures and Apostles’ Creed with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Wit...

 Just as Jesus’ parables employed normal life to illustrate the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, so Christian artists have often found examples from non-Christian artists of beneficial ways to depict the teachings of Scripture.  With this article, Edward Riojas, Lutheran artist and illustrator, begins a nine-article series on symbols in Christian art. In this first installment, he addresses the ea...

Rev. Dr. James Baneck, Executive Director of the LCMS Office of Pastoral Education, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the Church Worker Recruitment Initiative, including the roles pastors and auxiliary offices carry out in our Church today, why the church needs pastors and other auxiliary workers, how God raises up church workers, and how the Church Worker Recruitment Initiative will help encoura...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the August 2021 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead” about this last phrase of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed. Follow along and search the Scriptures and Apostles’ Creed with us! Find online exc...

Dr. Mark Bender, retired teacher and minister of music at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Des Peres, Missouri, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how hymn planning for Divine Services is done, the collaboration that happens behind the scenes, the resources available for pastors and church musicians, and how pastors and church musicians decide how these hymns will be placed within the service. Read h...

Rev. Dr. Jason Lane, Associate Professor of Theology at Concordia University Wisconsin, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the doctrine of the Church, what we confess about the Church in our Lutheran Confessions, where our confidence lies when confessing the one Holy Christian Church, and how we confess this in our daily vocations. Read Dr. Lane's article "I Believe in One Holy Christian Church: T...

Three-legged chickens do not usually survive in the savage world of hen-pecked chickens. Join Rachel Bomberger as she tells the story of the three-legged chicken who lived to serve, and how God cares for three-legged chickens everywhere. Read the article on The Lutheran Witness website.   For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. S...