Author and fellow Lutheran lady Katie Schuermann joins Rachel, Sarah, and Erin in a recap discussion of the latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club selection, The Saints of Whistle Grove.

In a book full of memorable Lutheran characters, which are the most lovable? The most frustrating? How does identifying with a problematic character help us identify and own up to our own faults and frailties? What can we learn from the story of a legacy Lutheran congregation about what it means to be members of Christ’s church? How do the tombstones in our cemeteries bear witness to our hope of resurrection?

At the end of the episode, the Ladies introduce the next Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club read: Johann Gerhard’s Meditations on Divine Mercy, translated by Matthew C. Harrison. Order the book at CPH.org.

To learn more about Katie Schuermann and her work, 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 [email protected].

Class is back in session, ladies!

Once again, Sarah’s sharing study notes from her graduate courses at Concordia University Irvine’s Townsend Institute for Counseling and Leadership. In this episode on responsible decision-making, she covers:

• Why pro-con lists aren’t necessarily the be-all-and-end-all of decision-making tools
• How to recognize and defeat the “Four Villains of Decision Making” — narrow framing, confirmation bias, short-term emotion, and overconfidence
• How widening your options first can help you avoid decision-making pitfalls
• Why preparing to be wrong can increase the odds of a right decision

“If you’re a human person, you have to make decisions. That’s just life,” Sarah says. “At the end of the day, people want to know the process for making change was fair and their input was appreciated."

To dig more deeply into the material covered in this episode, check out Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.

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 [email protected].

Happy (Belated) Independence Day! To celebrate in a very "Lutheran Lady" way, we're revisiting a favorite episode from 2022 all about hymns for the nation.

Hymns for the Nation, or Patriotic Songs? Or both? As Americans are celebrating Independence Day, Lutherans once again consider the worth of hymns and songs that focus on God’s gift of land and government. Within the context of our Two Realms (or Two Kingdoms) theology, Sarah considers the hymns found in the “Nation and National Songs” section of the Lutheran Service Book, along with some popular American favorites.

Hymns featured in this episode include “God Bless Our Native Land,” “Before You, Lord, We Bow,” “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” “God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Arm,” plus a few American songs you’ll likely know.

The third hymn in the Nation and National Songs section, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was featured in the Hymns Sing with Sarah episode for Black History Month.

Read all 101 additional verses for “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” in this PDF from alliedmerchantnavy.com.

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), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

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

Inspired by the upcoming 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music (July 9–12), the Ladies are turning their attention to the book of Psalms. In the last episode of this five-episode series, they welcome listener submissions in a new “Write This:” creative challenge, this time showcasing original psalms.

Building on their earlier conversation with Sarah Reinsel about the poetry of the Psalms, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel read and discuss 13 listener submissions and share their own psalmic poetry.

Featuring contributions from fellow Lutheran ladies including ...

• Lisa M. Clark
• Lauren Schaidt
• Melissa Hecht
• Joanna Lee
• Becky Rohde
• Jean Engebritson
• Erin Forsberg
• Hannah Pennell
• Kelly Nava
• Katrina Jurica
• Lisa Rhonemus
• Annette Skibbe
• Alli Bauck

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 [email protected].

Inspired by the upcoming 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music (July 9–12), the Ladies are turning their attention to the book of Psalms. In the fourth of a five-episode series, Erin, Sarah, and Rachel attempt Psalm-inspired menu planning in a new twist on the Iron Ladle Challenge.

From the “apple of your eye,” to “manna from heaven,” from “wine to gladden the heart of man” to “burnt offerings of fattened animals” — and beyond — the Psalms are full of food references. Can the Ladies find them all and suggest a range of recipes that celebrate both the beauty of the Psalms and the goodness of the Lord?

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

— Psalm 34:8

Recipes mentioned:

• Honeycomb Bread (Khaliat Al Nahl) | FalasteeniFoodie
• Baklava Recipe, Honey Baklava, How to Make Best Baklava (natashaskitchen.com)

8"x8" wall print of Psalm 4:7

Download the 8"x8" wall print of Psalm 4:7 here.

5"x7" card of Psalm 4:7

Download the 5"x7" card of Psalm 4:7 here.

Download the 5"x7" card of Psalm 4:7 (with bleeds) here.

5"x7" card of Psalm 104:14-15

Download the 5"x7" card of Psalm 104:14-15 here.

Download the 5"x7" card of Psalm 104:14-15 (with bleeds) 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 [email protected].

Inspired by the upcoming 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music (July 9–12), the Ladies are turning their attention to the book of Psalms. In the third of a five-episode series, Sarah turns her attention to Psalm paraphrases in a special Hymn Sing episode.

Lyrics featured in this episode include hymns by Isaac Watts (“Joy to the World,” “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”), Martin Luther (“A Mighty Fortress,” “Out of the Depths”), Joachim Neander (“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”), Johann Gramann (“My Soul Now Praise Your Maker”), and many more.

Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook group members: visit our ongoing poll in the group to vote for your favorites and see how they rank.

Resources referenced in the episode include:

• Hymnary.org: a comprehensive index of hymns and hymnals | Hymnary.org
• "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need" (arr. Virgil Thomson) (youtube.com)
• Hymnapalooza episode on Louis Bourgeois
• The Westminster Standard – To glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
• 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music - LCMS Calendar
• Engaging the Psalms: A Guide for Reflection and Prayer - Concordia Publishing House (cph.org)
• Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns - 2 Volume Set - Concordia Publishing House (cph.org)

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 [email protected].

Inspired by the upcoming 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music (July 9–12), the Ladies are turning their attention to the book of Psalms. In the second of a five-episode series, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel welcome fellow Lutheran lady Sarah Reinsel (LCMS writer, editor and former English teacher) to the Lounge to talk about the literary beauty of psalmic poetry.

What makes literature literature and poetry poetry? Are the Psalms poetry? What universal and uniquely Hebrew poetic devices do we see in the Psalms? What do we gain by learning to appreciate their literary beauty more deeply?

At the end of the episode, the Ladies introduce an all-new “Write This:” challenge — write your own psalm. Submit your original work by June 12 to be included in our online recap: https://forms.office.com/r/yJCNbUErwN

To learn more, check out the following:

• 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music - LCMS Calendar
• Engaging the Psalms: A Guide for Reflection and Prayer - Concordia Publishing House (cph.org)
• Understanding Biblical Literary Devices– A Key to Correctly Interpreting Scripture | Hoshana Rabbah BlogHoshana Rabbah Blog

Sarah Reinsel is a staff writer and editor for LCMS Communications. She studied English at Hillsdale College and earned her master's in medieval literature from the University of St. Andrews. Find an archive of Sarah’s LCMS online articles here.

Need inspiration? Check out or revisit these authors and poets recommended by Sarah Reinsel during the episode:

• Augustine of Hippo
• William Shakespeare
• John Donne
• George Herbert
• Gerard Manly Hopkins
• Czesław Miłosz

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 [email protected].

Inspired by the upcoming 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music (July 9–12), the Ladies are turning their attention to the book of Psalms. In the first of a five-episode series, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel welcome Chaplain Sean Daenzer back to the Lounge for a Kitchen Table Talk conversation on the theology of Psalms.

How are the Psalms structured (and why is this important)? Where do we find the Gospel in the Psalms — and the Psalms in the Gospel? What can we learn from the Psalms about how to rejoice in — and lament to — the Lord? How has the church used Psalms in its worship throughout history? How can we get the most out of reading the Psalms devotionally?

To learn more, check out the following:

• 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music - LCMS Calendar
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 5 - Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible - Concordia Publishing House (cph.org)
• Reading the Psalms with Luther - Concordia Publishing House (cph.org)

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 [email protected].

In this episode, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel introduce a new interview series: Leading Ladies, a celebration of Lutheran women in notable positions of leadership or influence in the church or the world.

Their first guest in this series is Teresa Todd, fellow Lutheran lady and wife of Chaplain (RDM) Gregory N. Todd, who currently serves as the 28th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy. Chaplain Todd previously served as the 20th Chaplain of the Marine Corps and the tenth Chaplain of the Coast Guard. Over 32 years as a chaplain spouse, Teresa has supported her husband through a variety of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard assignments, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and chaplaincy work at Ground Zero in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

In this episode, Teresa tells her story, shares her wisdom, and offers encouragement to ministry and military wives everywhere.

Click to learn more about LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces, listen to Chaplain Todd on KFUO’s The Coffee Hour, watch a recent television interview with him on The 700 Club (starting at the 11:00 mark), or hear a Story Time with Sarah episode on military chaplaincy in American history.

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 [email protected].

Following up on her earlier foray into liturgical calendar trivia last Advent, Rachel here offers “The Church Year, Part 2.”

Tackling Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Ordinary Time, Michaelmas, saints’ days, the Last Sunday, and more, Rachel quizzes Erin and Sarah with 16 questions ranging from easy to expert level. Will Rachel manage to stump her smarty-pants cohosts? Will they be able to stop laughing long enough to remember whether or not Athanasius wrote the Athanasian Creed? Find out in the latest installment of Rachel’s Trivia Challenge.

“I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: humans need holidays,” Rachel reminds us. “ We need feasts and fasts and seasons to break up the monotony of our days. The church calendar gives us that, and we’d be fools not to accept the gift. Because when we let our holy-days go, we find ourselves with a string of ho-hum secular holidays instead.”

Select sources referenced in this episode:

• Sundays and Seasons - Church Year (lcms.org)
• What Ordinary Time Means in the Catholic Church (learnreligions.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 [email protected].