The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

A blessed April Fool's Day to you from Sarah, Erin, Bri, Rachel, and special guest Katie Schuermann, author of the Anthems of Zion series from Concordia Publishing House.

"We are fools for Christ's sake ..." (1 Cor. 4:10a)

Want to hear more from Candice, Nettie, Bev, and Mrs. Scheinberg? Subscribe to the print edition of The Lutheran Witness magazine at witness.lcms.org/Bradbury for new, continuing stories from Bradbury every month.

This episode was written by Katie Schuermann and is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, 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 events or places or works of art 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 find these books and more, 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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

In this excerpt from their March 25 book club recap episode, the Ladies announce their next pick for the Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club: the Rev. Dr. John Kleinig’s Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body.

From the publisher:

"When it comes to thinking about our bodies, confusion reigns. In our secular age, there has been a loss of the body’s goodness, purpose, and end. Many people, driven by shame and idolatry, abuse their body through self-harm or self-improvement. How can we renew our understanding and see our bodies the way God does?

"In Wonderfully Made, John Kleinig forms a properly biblical theology of our bodies. Through his keen sensitivity to Scripture’s witness, Kleinig explains why bodies matter. While sin has corrupted our bodies and how we think of them, God’s creation is still good. Thus, our bodies are good gifts. The Son took on a body to redeem our bodies. Kleinig addresses issues like shame, chastity, desire, gender dysphoria, and more, by integrating them into the biblical vision of creation."

Click to learn more about John Kleinig’s Wonderfully Made, to see a complete list of Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club picks and runners up, or to revisit past online book club events in the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook group.

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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Rachel leads Sarah, Erin, and Bri in a recap discussion of the latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club selection: Elizabeth von Arnim’s The Enchanted April.

How does a woman who feels "miserable" and is absolutely longing "for something else" find renewal and refreshment? How do seemingly impetuous leaps of faith drive both the stories we read and the lives we live? What can we learn theologically from a book that, on the surface, seems hostile to Christian religion?

At the end of the episode, the Ladies announce their next book club read—and for once, Rachel has absolutely nothing to do with the selection. What will it be? Listen to the end to find out!

Click to learn more about Elizabeth von Arnim’s The Enchanted April, to see a complete list of Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club picks and runners up, or to revisit past online book club events in the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook group.

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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

As Lutherans everywhere traverse the valley of Lent and prepare once again to remember Christ’s death and resurrection, Sarah looks forward to Passiontide with a Hymn Sing episode on Holy Week hymns.

Hymns featured in this episode include those for Palm Sunday (“Ride On, Ride on in Majesty,” “All Glory, Laud, and Honor,” “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna,” and “No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet”); Maundy Thursday (”When You Woke That Thursday Morning” and “Jesus, Greatest at the Table”); and Good Friday (“Jesus, In Your Dying Woes,” “O Darkest Woe,” “O Perfect Life of Love,” “Sing, My Tongue the Glorious Battle,” “The Royal Banners Forward Go,” and “Were You There?”).

Listening for a hymn you don’t hear covered here? Check out previous Hymn Sing with Sarah episodes on Lenten hymns, Easter hymns, and Communion hymns (parts one and two).

To learn more about these and other hymns in Lutheran Service Book, check out CPH’s two-volume set Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns.

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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

With the pandemic finally winding down, more and more churches are resuming potlucks, Lenten soup suppers, and other fellowship meals. What better time to turn our attention to the humble, faithful Crock Pot?

In this edition of Erin’s Recipe Card, Erin’s sharing her Uncle Kermit’s spicy, savory Crock Pot gumbo recipe—a dish that’s just as perfect for warming up on cold days as it is for cooling down on hot ones.

Uncle Kermit’s Gumbo

Adapted for the slow-cooker by Erin

Ingredients

• ½ c roux- see note
• 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 med/large onion, chopped
• 2 large green peppers, chopped
• ¼ c parsley, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ t thyme
• ¼ t cayenne
• ½ t black pepper
• ½ t salt
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts- see note
• .5- .75 lb. sausage, sliced ½” thick- see note
• 4-5 c chicken stock
• Optional: .5 lb. shelled shrimp, optional but delicious

For serving:

• Salt, to taste
• Cooked rice
• 1 bunch green onions, including as much green as you can- sliced
• Hot sauce

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients, except optional shrimp and serving ingredients, to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4 hours.
2. Optional: Shrimp cook very quickly, so add them near the end of cooking or cook them separately and add before serving.
3. Taste and adjust for seasonings.
4. Serve in bowls with rice. Top with sliced green onions and hot sauce.
5. Gumbo is even better a day or two after you make it and it freezes beautifully.

Notes:

On roux: If you make your own, use 4 T oil and 4 T flour. Cook slowly in a pan, stirring frequently, until it turns a dark brown, like the color of fudge. This will take a very long time. Don’t go too quickly and burn the roux. If you see dark specks appear, you burned it and need to start over. Alternatively, take Uncle Kermit’s approach and use a jar of prepared Cajun roux. I bought mine on Amazon.

On chicken: Use whole chicken thighs/breasts and shred the meat at the end. Use tongs to remove the pieces to a plate, and shred with a fork. Alternatively, you can cut the chicken meat into bite size pieces before putting it in the crockpot. To make it easier to cut, do so when it is partially frozen.

On sausage: Use a smoked sausage. Andouille is traditional, but if you can’t find that- or if you prefer a milder sausage- kielbasa is a solid non-traditional option.

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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Last week, the Ladies talked coffee. This week, they’re at the other end of the beverage spectrum, with an honest and hard-hitting Wild Card conversation on alcohol and Lutheran churches.

Is drinking a sin? How does Scripture inform our use of alcohol? What did Luther think and say about alcohol and drunkenness? What place (if any) does recreational drinking have in our life together as Lutherans? How can Lutheran women enjoy alcohol responsibly while also extending grace and compassion to those whose lives have been negatively impacted by alcohol abuse?

To learn more, check out the following resources:

• LCMS.org FAQ on “What is the LCMS’s stance on the consumption of alcohol?”
• Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller on “Martin Luther’s Top Five ‘Beer’ Quotations”
• Eleanor Health on “Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism—How to Know if Someone Has a Problem with Drinking”
• “Alcohol Facts and Statistics” from the National Institutes of Health
• “Data on Excessive Drinking” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

If you are shackled by addiction, let the chains fall. Jesus took your pain and struggles to the cross and you are loved and forgiven. There is hope and help for you on this earth until we await Christ’s return. To speak to someone right away about problem drinking, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hotline: 1-800-662-4357.

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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

We all know and love enjoying coffee hour together after church. (Click here and here for recent evidence of how much we at The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge love this venerable Lutheran tradition.) But how much do you know about the connection between coffee and Christianity? Test yourself with the latest round of Rachel’s Trivia Challenge—all about coffee!

Which religious group pioneered the brewing and drinking of coffee? What was Pope Clement VIII’s reaction to his first sip of the stuff? Which 90s Christian rock band penned an ode to “good coffee, strong coffee”? And, perhaps most importantly, did Martin Luther drink coffee???

To learn more about this fascinating subject, check out the following resources:

• “A Reformation History of Coffee” (Rev. Chris Gillespie/Coffee by Gillespie)
• “Father, Son, and Holy Roast: How Coffee Became Christians’ Acceptable Vice” (Washington Post)
• “Coffee: The Beverage That Fuels the Church” (Christianity Today)
• “The Sipping Sacrament” (BeliefNet)
• “The Beloved Church Coffee Hour May Soon Return as COVID-19 Fades” (Religion News Service)
• Holy Grounds: The Surprising Connection between Coffee and Faith by Tim Schenck
• “What Churchgoers Missed Most about In-Person Services” (Barna Group)

Need more trivia? Click through to listen to previous Rachel’s Trivia Challenge episodes.

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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Amanda Husberg (1940–2021) was a church musician, early childhood educator, lifelong Lutheran lady—and the composer of hundreds of published hymn tunes, texts, choral pieces, and liturgies. In this episode, airing almost a year to the day of Husberg’s death (February 15), Sarah tells her story.

Drawing not only on published sources but on firsthand interviews with those who knew her, Sarah describes Husberg’s childhood in a Chicago-area LCMS congregation; her education at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska; her decades of service to the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York; and her astounding contribution to the American musical landscape as an organist, choir director, music educator, and composer.

Learn more about Amanda Husberg in Concordia University Chicago’s new documentary “The Life and Legacy of Amanda Husberg,” available to view freely on YouTube. Also, view Amanda's Funeral Mass Memorial Service on YouTube.

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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Bri’s Radio Theatre is back, and this time, it’s all about coffee hour.

In three brief comedy sketches—each written, performed, and produced by Bri herself—the members of St. John (or is it St. John’s?) Evangelical Lutheran Church navigate the ins and outs of coffee hour, Sunday school, and Bible study, with expert play-by-play analysis from commentators “Justin Fication,” “Andi Fechtung,” and “Vicky Atonement.”

Enjoy NFL-style coverage of your favorite education-hour activities, from choosing a donut to wrangling hyperactive Sunday school children, in these lighthearted, laugh-out-loud vignettes.

New to Bri’s Radio Theatre? Listen to past episodes 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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

In their latest “Iron Ladle Challenge,” the Lutheran Ladies each try their hand at making a tasty contribution for that most Lutheran of culinary events: the after-church coffee hour.

Erin leads off with a plate of picture-perfect, sweet and savory apple-cheddar scones, while Sarah samples a new-to-her, vegan- and allergy-friendly blueberry-almond cookie. Bri goes rogue with a vanilla bean syrup sure to fancy up even the plainest and most austere church coffee, and Rachel ‘fesses up after smoking out her house with a disastrous (yet somehow still delicious) batch of coffee cake muffins.

Laugh along (and learn from Rachel’s mistakes) as you glean a few appetizing ideas for your next turn at coffee hour baking.

Read the full recipe at smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/apple-and-cheddar-scones.

Makes 6 generous scones

• 2 firm tart apples
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus additional for egg wash
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes plus additional for baking sheet if not lining it with parchment
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded (white is recommended, I assume for aesthetics)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 large eggs

1. Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Peel and core apples, then cut them into one-sixteenths. (I assumed this meant chunks, not slivers.) Placed them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them until they take on a little color and feel dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. They will be about half-baked. Let them cool completely. (You can speed this up in the fridge, as I did.) Leave oven on.
3. Sift or whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, along with cooled apple chunks, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.

• [Don’t have a stand or hand mixer? I’d rub the cold butter into the flour mixture with my fingertips or with a pastry blender, hand-chop the apples coarsely and mix the rest together with a wooden spoon until combined. It might feel awkward, but it should all come together. Again, don’t overmix it though it will be harder to do this by hand.]

1. Generously flour your counter top and place the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll (or use your hands to pat) the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 6-inch circle. Cut circle into 6 wedges. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has either been buttered or lined with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone.
2. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. With a spatula, lift them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Before you eat one, make sure you realize how addictive they might be. Once you’ve got that down, go for it anyway.

Do ahead: Scones are best the day they are baked. However, they can be made ahead of time and stored unbaked in the freezer until you need them. Simply brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle them with sugar, and bake them still frozen for just a couple extra minutes. This way they are always freshly baked when you want them. These scones were passable on day two and terrible on day three.

Recipe from mybakingaddiction.com/homemade-vanilla-coffee-syrup.

• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together water, sugar, and vanilla bean.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
3. Simmer for about five minutes - the sugar should be completely dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
5. Once simple syrup has cooled, remove the vanilla bean and pour the syrup into a glass jar or bottle.
6. Store in refrigerator.

Edited from the original recipe from Simple Veganista: simple-veganista.com/almond-flour-thumbprint-cookies.

• 2 cups fine ground almond flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup (approx) frozen wild blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
2. Remove blueberries from freezer and let them thaw slightly.
3. Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, olive oil and vanilla. Add the almond flour and salt, mix well until the mixture forms a soft dough consistency. Mix in the blueberries until evenly spread.
4. Shape the cookies: Scoop dough with a 1 tablespoon measuring scoop, scooping up rounded tablespoons full of dough. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, and press into flat circles. Reshape as necessary to incorporate blueberries.
5. Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes, oven may vary. Cookies should be golden brown around the edges. Once done, the cookies will be soft and harden as they cool.
6. Makes 16 – 18 cookies.

Begin with your favorite basic muffin batter. Here’s mine:

• 2 c. flour
• ½ c. sugar
• tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¾ cup milk or cream
• ½ cup melted butter
• 2 large eggs

1. Mix dry and wet ingredients separately before combining.
2. Make a cinnamon streusel topping by mixing softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little flour (measurements to taste).
3. Fill greased muffin cups 1/3 fill with muffin batter. At a table spoon or so of streusel. Add more batter on top. Optional: top with more streusel. Handy hint: DO NOT OVERFILL.
4. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 min.

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), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].