The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

#320. Sarah Goes to School: Deaconess Studies, Commence!

Class is back in session, Ladies, this time at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis! What even is deaconess ministry, and how do deaconesses serve the church? Sarah begins her studies in the Online Deaconess Studies program at Concordia Seminary, and she’s revisiting experiences from Orientation Week at the Seminary and her first class in Deaconess Ministry, including insights into personality types and theological frameworks. Are you an eagle, parrot, dove, or owl? Sarah shares how understanding another person’s tendencies in group work, stressful situations, or everyday relationships helps you walk better together. Building on this understanding of self and others, she briefly describes how we can rightly understand insights from God’s First Article Gifts and discern theological wisdom to grow into better leaders and guides for those around us. “I’m understanding more and more why they call it church worker formation. Wearing the blue, putting on my crucifix every day, being more bold about talking theology with people, it’s all part of the formation. This program isn’t just to learn theology and be let free in the wild. We’re learning about what it means to serve people, to serve in the church, to really bring God’s Word to people in a hugely wide variety of ways. It's the unexplainable feeling of growth. You are wildly conscious that you’re a different person than you were a week ago because of what you’ve learned and experienced, and it’s wonderfully scary and amazing.” Next time, Sarah will share insights from her Introduction to Spiritual Care class. Stay tuned! Click to learn more: Concordia University’s Online Deaconess StudiesThe DISC Assessment Birds and Taking Flight Profiles Dr. Mark Rockenbach’s Practical Theological Framework Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at lutheranladies@kfuo.org.

#319. Kitchen Table Talk: Sabbath Rest with Dr. Joel Biermann

Following their recent book club discussion of Joel Biermann’s Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play, the Ladies welcome Dr. Biermann himself to the Lounge for a Kitchen Table Talk conversation all about Sabbath-keeping and the Third Commandment. What does Sabbath have to do with the meaning of life? What does the Bible teach us about how we are to “remember the Sabbath”? How are work, leisure, sleep, play, and worship all woven together in the fabric of creation and the life of the believer? How does Christian theology inform how we spend our time? The Rev. Dr. Joel Biermann is professor of systematic theolog [https://www.csl.edu/directory/joel-biermann/]y at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. His books include Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play [https://www.cph.org/day-7-for-work-rest-or-play] (CPH) and Wholly Citizens: God’s Two Realms and Christian Engagement with the World [https://www.amazon.com/Wholly-Citizens-Realms-Christian-Engagement/dp/1506420354] (Fortress). Hear more from Dr. Biermann on his YouTube channel, [https://www.youtube.com/@JoelBiermann] in our previous Kitchen Table Talk episode [https://www.kfuo.org/2024/09/13/lutheran-ladies-lounge-episode-259-kitchen-table-talk-voting-as-lutherans-with-dr-joel-biermann/] with him, or his interviews on The Coffee Hour with Andy and Sarah [https://www.kfuo.org/tag/delighting-in-sabbath/]. Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at lutheranladies@kfuo.org.

#318. Party Planning Committee: Reformation + All Saints' Day

While “Halloween” for most people involves scary costumes, candy, and jack-o'-lanterns, the Ladies are tracing the word back to its roots — “All Hallows’ Eve” — as they team up to plan a Halloween-alternative All Saints/Reformation Day party around the theme of “saints, reformers, and heretics.”* The episode starts with each of the Ladies suggesting a pair of apropos costume ideas. Sarah then shares a curated Spotify playlist (link here) to set the musical mood before providing a range of ideas for party decorations, favors, and crafts. With the party “vibes” all in order, Erin offers recipes fit for a feast and Rachel demonstrates a handful of fun party games, including “Two Doctrines and a Heresy” and saints-based pub trivia. Check out ... Companion Party Spotify PlaylistRecipe for eyeball buckeyes Pics and instructions for a fake fire craft *Fun fact: Martin Luther fits all three categories. Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at lutheranladies@kfuo.org.

#317. Book Club Wrap Up: Day 7 - For Work, Rest, or Play

In this Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club recap episode, Rachel leads Erin and Sarah through a discussion of Joel Biermann’s Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play. What does it mean to "remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy"? Does how we think about "leisure" change how we "remember the Sabbath"? How does a biblical understanding of Sabbath help us recognize good and bad ways to use the days that God has given us? At the end of the episode, Rachel reveals the Ladies' next book club pick — one of her all-time favorites, which Sarah has never yet read: C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at lutheranladies@kfuo.org.

#316. One Question Interview: Infertility

“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 Carrie Ill to the Lounge to share her personal experience with infertility. Why is it so hard for women to talk about infertility? What is it about this condition that makes it so painful and fraught with grief? How does Lutheran theology shape our ways of thinking about infertility? How can Lutheran women show compassion and sensitivity in their conversations with one another — regardless of family size and fertility struggles? Carrie Ill is a pastor’s wife, Lutheran schoolteacher, and fellow Lutheran lady. Resources referenced include: He Remembers the Barren by Katie Schuermann The National Infertility Association (resolve.org)* *Note: This is a helpful but not Christian resource; not all guidance given may be in accord with Lutheran doctrine. For more insight into a Lutheran view on IVF, these posts from The Lutheran Witness provide theological and ethical guidance: witness.lcms.org/tag/ivf [https://witness.lcms.org/tag/ivf/] Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at lutheranladies@kfuo.org.