The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

#351. Fermented Fun, Part Two: Sourdough!

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal (in its article “Everyone in Trump’s Cabinet Is Eating Sauerkraut”) reported without irony that “JD Vance, RFK Jr. and other officials swear by a diet of grass-fed meat and fermented foods.”   What better time for Erin to resume her multi-part series on “Fermented Fun” with an episode exploring everyone’s favorite fermented baked goods: sourdough bread and all its many close cousins (sourdough pizza, sourdough pancakes, sourdough crackers, sourdough Dutch babies ... the list goes on ...)?   In this episode, the Ladies share their past and present experience with their “pet” sourdough starters and explore a few of the many uses for this versatile and nigh-on-miraculous ingredient.   Referenced in this episode:  Amish Friendship Bread Recipe, Starter Recipe & Gifting Printable  The Friendship Bread Project: Can Baking Promote Unity In A Divided World? (NPR) Erin's Sourdough Pizza Dough Calculator - Download the Excel sheet here Erin's Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe - Download the Word Recipe here 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.

#350. Sarah Goes to School: The Biblical Master Narrative

Class is back in session, Ladies, as Sarah continues her diaconal studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis!     In this episode, Sarah offers a helpful introductory crash course in systematic theology as she revisits themes from her latest seminary class, “The Master Narrative.”  After first taking time to unpack terms like “narrative” and “metanarrative,” she then shows how two narratives in particular wind their way throughout all of Scripture: the creation and redemption of the world, and God’s calling and care for his covenant people. She then examines how these overarching themes regularly show up in sermons, creeds, prayers, and hymns (including “Come Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain”). She explores how all this theology matters for us, embarks on a “tiny sidequest” into cultural influences including Gnosticism, and shares the actual text of the Old Testament narrative story she recently wrote for class.   Resources referenced in this episode include:   Against Heresies: A Modern Translation with Introduction  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.

#349. The Lutheran Ladies' Aid Brigade: Menopause

The hosts of the Lutheran Ladies Lounge long believed there was no podcast quite like theirs ...  until they first met their fictional doppelgängers at the Lutheran Ladies Aid Brigade on April Fools Day, 2022.   In this week’s all-new parody episode, Katie Schuermann’s madcap cast of characters (inspired by the people and places of her Anthems of Zion novels) is back, and the laughs are bigger than ever.   Join “Candice,” “Arlene,” “Rebecca,” “Beverly,” and “Nettie” — along with cameo appearances by Lauren Braaten and Adriane Heins — as they chitchat, chuckle, and bicker over quilt squares, BMIs, ice cream, surviving menopause, and more.   Cast of characters:  Sarah: “Rebecca Jones”   Erin: “Mrs. Arlene Scheinberg”  Rachel: “Candice Bradbury”   Bri Gerzevske: “Beverly Davis”   Katie Schuermann: “Nettie Schmidt”  Lauren Braaten: herself  Adriane Heins: herself  This episode was written by Katie Schuermann and is a work of fiction. The names, characters, businesses, places, events, merchandise, segments, and songs are either products of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual places or events or products is coincidental. Inspired from the Anthems of Zion series of books © Katie Schuermann, published by Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. www.cph.org. To order the titles in this series, please contact Concordia Publishing House at 800-325-3040 or visit them online at cph.org. To learn more about books written by Katie Schuermann, visit katieschuermann.com. 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.

#348. Rachel's Big Question: Should I Thrift?

As inflation continues to rise, the economy continues to struggle, and family budgets continue to tighten, Rachel’s asking a big question that’s no doubt on many minds:  Should I thrift?   A veteran thrift-store shopper herself, Rachel surveys the current landscape of brick-and-mortar thrift stores and breaks down the economic, environmental, ethical, and fashion implications of buying second-hand clothing. She then offers “pro tips for happy thrifting” and advice for Lutheran women and church groups for how to help “fix the thrifting system.”   Resources referenced in this episode include:  Thrifting Statistics (2026): Industry Size, Revenue & Growth Rate  2026 Thrift Store Price Trends: What Shoppers Should Know – ToniOnThrifting  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.

#347. Story Time with Sarah: St. Elizabeth of Hungary

“Once upon a time, a princess was born ...”  Three hundred years before Martin Luther was kidnapped and taken to Wartburg Castle for his own safety, the towering Schloss hosted another notable saint of God: Elizabeth of Hungary.   Born in 1207 in Sárospatak, Hungary, Elizabeth was the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary. At the age of four, she left home to be betrothed to Hermann, son of the Count of Thuringia in present-day Germany.   In this episode, Sarah tells the story of one of the more obscure saints on the Lutheran calendar of commemorations (LSB xiii), celebrating especially her devout faith and selfless acts of charity. Although Elizabeth was a product (and in some ways a tragic victim) of the Medieval church that Luther later sought to reform, her example of piety and generosity continues to inspire Christians to this day.   For further reading, check out the following resources:  Philipp I, Landgrave of Hesse – Reformation 500  Philipp of Hesse: Unlikely Hero of the Reformation - Concordia Publishing House  St. Elizabeth's Church, Marburg - Wikipedia  Elizabeth of Hungary - Wikipedia  Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse - Wikipedia  George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt - Wikipedia  Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt - Wikipedia  George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt - Wikipedia  Anna Sophia II, Abbess of Quedlinburg - Wikipedia  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.