The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

This July, the Lutheran Ladies are celebrating Hymnapalooza in the Lounge with a blowout #hymnnerd giveaway and four fun hymn-related episodes.

In this second installment, Rachel takes the lead, with a Rachel’s Trivia (non)Challenge highlighting “11 things you may not have known were in Lutheran Service Book.”

From operatic superstars to A-list poets, from “dudes with Greek and Latin names writing really old hymns” to “people alive today whom you may actually know in real life,” Rachel’s list highlights a few of the most interesting and the even downright unexpected sources for the 635 hymns in the LCMS’s signature service book.

“Lutheran hymnwriters, like Lutherans in general,” says Rachel, “look a lot of different ways. They come from all over history and all around the world. Many of them may not even consciously identify as ‘Lutheran,’ despite having written texts that jive perfectly with Lutheran doctrine or tunes that jive perfectly with those Lutheran hymn texts. Some of those hymnwriters liked to set make-up on fire.

Yet thanks to the careful theological work and frankly enormous imaginations of the people who put our hymnal together, we have a beautiful, varied, sometimes surprising, and altogether remarkable collection of hymns.”

Look for more Hymnapalooza content in future episodes, and click here to enter our fabulous #hymnnerd giveaway now!

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

This July, the Lutheran Ladies are celebrating Hymnapalooza in the Lounge with a blowout #hymnnerd giveaway and four fun hymn-related episodes.

In her opening salvo, Sarah kicks things off with a quick dive into the life of one of her “newest favorite composers”: Louis Bourgeois.

While not a Lutheran, the French Calvinist composer Bourgeois made an ongoing contribution to post-Reformation hymnody with his landmark 1551 edition of the Genevan Psalter, from which come five of the most familiar and beloved hymn tunes in Lutheran Service Book: “Freu dich sehr,” “Wenn wir in höchten Nöten sien,” “Old 124th,” “Rendez à Dieu,” and “Old Hundredth.”

From pioneering four-part singing in the home, to advocating for the teaching of sol fege, to being officially censured and briefly jailed after changing Psalm tunes without a license, Bourgeois’s life was one of musical innovation and adventure, the fruits of which hymnerds everywhere continue to enjoy today.

Look for more Hymnapalooza content in future episodes, and watch for the launch of our fabulous #hymnnerd giveaway this week in the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group!

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

Recorded on location from the 2021 Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) convention in Lexington, Ky., this installment of Rachel’s Trivia Challenge celebrates over 80 years of mission and ministry made possible by the LWML.

Meandering meaningfully through time from the 1920s through the present, Rachel does her best to stump Sarah, Erin, and Bri on “a few great moments in LWML history.”

How did Lutheran women make history in 1938? What strong ethical stand cost the LWML a convention in 1955? When and where was the first LWML “bat-phone” installed? Who was Flat Jan? And, of course: how is an LWML convention like the iconic 1980s mullet haircut?

Think you know the answers? Play along at home and discover how much you know (or don’t know) about the LWML.

Learn more about Lutheran Women in Mission at LWML.org, or dig deeper into the ongoing legacy of the LWML with three free ebooks, available at the LWML history page.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

Heads up! An exciting new LCMS podcast—dedicated to sanctity-of-life conversations—has recently joined the KFUO Radio line-up.

In this special crossover episode, Sarah talks with Stephanie Neugebauer at Friends for Life, a new podcast from LCMS Life Ministry. Together, they explore answers to the thorny question: “How do we have a conversation about life issues on social media without losing friends?”

With her characteristic blend of expertise and effervescence, Sarah walks listeners through some helpful considerations and provides common-sense guidelines for engaging life issues in a winsome way on social media.

Learn more about Friends for Life here, or visit the online home of LCMS Life Ministries here. To see a complete list of LCMS partner podcasts, visit KFUO.org and click the drop down menu “LCMS Partner Podcasts.”

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

In this Iron Ladle Challenge, the Lutheran Ladies forego a common ingredient in favor of a common theme: Vacation Bible School snacks that double as craft activities.

Rachel leads off with a gelatin-based tableau of Jonah and the whale (which was of course, really, a fish), followed by Bri, whose fashion sense is on full-display with a customizable, candy-laden coat of many colors. Sarah’s tree of life sets a new high bar for “healthiest VBS snack ever,” while Erin’s savory goodies inspired by the book of Judges challenge the VBS status quo in a gut-splitting, paradigm-shattering way.

Laugh along as you glean a few tasty and mostly practical ideas for your church’s VBS or Sunday school snack time.

Rachel’s Jonah Jiggly Squares

• Make two large (3 oz.) packages of blue gelatin according to package instructions for “jigglers” (using only boiling water, no cold). I used Starburst Blue Raspberry gelatin, which was delicious.
• Pour gelatin into a casserole dish (13x9 or larger).
• While you wait for the gelatin to cool to room temperature, mark out squares using masking tape across the top.
• After the gelatin is lukewarm to the touch, add one Sourpatch Kid and one Swedish fish or gummy shark to each square. Talk with the children as they choose and place their gummies about how God sent the fish to swallow Jonah and save him from drowning.
• Carefully move the pan to the refrigerator, using a chopstick or butter knife to reposition gummies that will inevitably shift en route.
• Chill at least one hour.
• Dip the pan in hot water for 15 seconds before cutting and serving jiggly squares.

Rachel's Jiggly Squares for the story of Jonah.

Finished product of Jonah Jiggly Squares.

Bri's Joseph's Candy Coat of Colors

• Using 2 graham crackers, use a full one as the coat body and a half for each arm.
• Spread cake frosting (or another semi-sticky substance) on the crackers.
• Use colorful candy (or other colorful treats) to decorate the coat with many colors.

Bri's Joseph's Candy Coat of Colors

Sarah's Creation Tree

• Arrange 4-5 thin apple slices in a circle on a small plate.
• Make a small pile of "tree leaves" with kale or other green fruit or veggie (i.e. baby kale, microgreens, or kiwi) in the middle of the apple slices.
• Decorate the tree leaves with dried cranberries or other colorful dried fruit or candy
• Using a knife or spatula, shape a tree trunk out of almond butter or other nut butter or caramel sauce.
• Optional: add a drizzle of honey for a little sweet kick.

Sarah's Tree of Life.

Erin's Lion Pull-Apart Bread

• With one roll, draw a lion's face.
• With another larger roll, cut into shapes for the lion's mane.
• Drench the whole thing in honey butter.

Erin's Lion and Honey pull-apart bread.

Erin's Jael Meatballs

• Make meatballs according to your favorite recipe.
• Place meatballs into your favorite sauce.
• Use a pretzel stick to peg the meatball.
• Enjoy what might be the best VBS snack idea ever.

Erin's Jael Meatballs

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

Let’s face it: some Adventures in Lutheranism are just a little more adventurous than others — and this episode, showcasing the 29 partner camps in the National Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Association (NLOMA), is proof positive.

Bri (camp name: Rex) leads this laughter-filled conversation, celebrating the “fire, friends, and faith” that both kids and counselors experience at Lutheran summer camp. From falling off horses to raiding the dining hall after hours, from finding spiders in the dark to singing the Superman prayer before meals, the summer camp memories shared in this episode will almost certainly put you in the mood for a long, woodsy hike (with campfire devotions after, naturally).

To learn more about Lutheran summer camps, visit NLOMA.org.

Check out previous KFUO conversations with camp people here, and previous Adventures in Lutheranism here.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

The Lutheran Ladies present a short from behind the scenes, as Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel prepare to record while Rachel is brewing hotel coffee and relying on spotty hotel Wi-Fi. Erin tries to enjoy her seaweed snack while Sarah and Bri try not to melt down in laughter. (Fair warning, you'll hear some food crunching, in case that's not your thing.) Join us for this comedic interlude.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

Is gardening a creative pursuit? Do microgreens have magical powers? Will kids eat chard?

In this next "Conversations with Creatives" episode, Beth Ritzman, a micro-farmer of microgreens, gardener on many levels, former missionary to Papua New Guinea, and fellow Lutheran Lady, joins Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel to share how creativity infuses every part of growing things. She also shares stories about how her microgreens small business got started, the differences of gardening in Fort Wayne versus Papua New Guinea, and the wonderful simplicity of growing and eating your own food. Listen in as she shares tricks and tips for gardeners in any stage of green space from three acres to just a patio. Whether you love to grow food or just eat food, you'll laugh along with the Ladies as they talk about creativity in God's creation.

Follow Beth Ritzman online! Click for her website SomethingBetterWithBeth.com and view photos of her beautiful microgreens on Facebook and Instagram. If you're local to Fort Wayne, visit Beth's plant sale on Sundays from 12:o0–2:00 p.m., and you can find more information on her Facebook page.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

Deployment represents one of the greatest challenges to faith and life a military family can face. How can churches help?

In this frank and open conversation, Rachel (herself currently undergoing a lengthy separation from her deployed husband) answers questions from Sarah, Erin, and Bri about what life is like for a military family, what it takes to survive an extended deployment, and how Christians can support their military brothers and sisters in Christ throughout this difficult season of life.

With timely tie-ins to Memorial Day, Mental Health Awareness Month, Armed Forces Sunday, and National Military Appreciation Month, this episode also builds off Rachel’s recent Lutheran Witness article “How the Church Can Support Military Families During Deployment.”

Read Rachel's article in The Lutheran Witness online magazine at witness.lcms.org/2021/how-the-church-can-support-military-families-during-deployment.

Learn more about LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces, including the Adopt-A-Chap program, at lcms.org/armedforces.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).

Lindsay Hausch is a pastor’s wife, mother of three, blogger, Lutheran lady, and author of Take Heart: God’s Comfort for Anxious Thoughts. In this episode, she talks with Sarah, Erin, Bri, and Rachel about her own mental health journey and how her faith has grown in spite of (and even sometimes because of) her long-term struggles with social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Along the way, she offers a range of helpful ideas and strategies for living with anxious thoughts and putting them in Gospel perspective.

To learn more about Lindsay Hausch, check out the following:

• Take Heart: God’s Comfort for Anxious Thoughts (available from CPH)
• LindsayHausch.com (website and blog)
• @comfortforanxiety (Instagram profile)

To hear more Mental Health Awareness Month-themed conversation from the Lutheran Ladies, listen to their episode on “Stewardship of the Mind and the Emotions.”

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).