The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

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The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio episodes

October 17, 2025 #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

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].
1 hr 8 min
October 10, 2025 #315. How to Lutheran: Quilting Circles
In their latest “How to Lutheran” conversation, Rachel celebrates the ongoing legacy of quilting circles in Lutheran Churches. Beginning with a look back at the significance of quilts and quilting bees in American history, she then explores biblical examples of women who used their skill with textile arts to help those in need. From there, the conversation examines the heyday of Lutheran quilters after the Second World War and the state of quilting circles today, considers ethical pitfalls to avoid when quilting for charity, and offers a range of novel ideas for using quilts to spread the love of Christ. Click to learn more about donating quilts to the following organizations: Lutheran World Relief Orphan Grain Train Download LWML’s “Blessing of the Quilts” litany here. Listen to our conversation about Adam Minter’s book Secondhand (referenced in the episode) here. Many thanks to Miriam Maassel Neumann (Rachel’s great aunt) for sharing her quilting story in a written interview featured in the episode. Click here to view a list of free downloadable Bible studies by Aunt Miriam, available from LWML. 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].
48 min
October 03, 2025 #314. Hymn Sing with Sarah: Praise & Adoration Hymns
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:10). As we mark the beginning of the end of Ordinary Time and begin our descent toward the end of the church year, Sarah’s turning her attention to Praise and Adoration hymns in this all-new Hymn Sing episode. Hymns featured include “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” (LSB 790), “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” (LSB 803), “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” (LSB 805), “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” (LSB 809), and “How Great Thou Art” (LSB 801), along with more than a dozen other well-loved classics. Get to know the stories behind the hymns you love — and get better acquainted with hymns you may not yet know well — as you sing along with #hymnnerd Sarah. As always: to learn more about these and other hymns in Lutheran Service Book, check out Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns, available from CPH. 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].
1 hr 22 min
September 26, 2025 #313. International Mission 101: Missionary Recruitment
Have you ever imagined becoming an international missionary? Can you think of someone in your life who would make a good missionary? In this third International Mission 101 episode, Erin invites her colleague Anne Gonzalez to the Lounge to answer common questions about missionary recruitment. Who is qualified to be an LCMS missionary? What mission roles are open to (and even ideally suited to) Lutheran lay women? What’s the recruitment process like? DCE Anne Gonzalez is manager of lay missionary recruitment for the LCMS Office of International Mission. Click to learn more about LCMS International Mission, what missionaries do, types of missionary service, and current mission service opportunities. 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].
55 min
September 19, 2025 #312. Sixth Anniversary Vintage Potluck Party!
The Ladies are celebrating their SIXTH ANNIVERSARY in style this week — with a potluck party for the ages. The challenge: prepare and share at least one recipe published in a vintage (pre-A.D. 2000) church cookbook. The result: pull up a chair, grab a fork, and find out for yourself! From perennial favorites like broccoli salad and tater tot casserole, to neglected classics like chocolate eclair cake and corn chip taco salad, to some truly unexpected historical artifacts like beet cake and jellied salmon loaf, this smorgasbord of an episode is bound to have you smiling, sobbing, or even salivating as you listen. 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].
1 hr 28 min
September 12, 2025 #311. Adventures in Lutheranism: Children's Choir
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” — Psalm 150:6 In this episode, Rachel embarks on a new Adventure in Lutheranism as she helps start and lead a new children’s choir at her church. After cruising through a cursory history of children’s music in church, she invites Sarah, Erin, and her own daughter, Emalie, to share their personal stories of singing in Lutheran children’s choirs. She then relates her own recent experience as a children’s choir director, outlines the benefits of children’s choirs for both children and the congregations who love them, and shares advice and encouragement for leading a successful children’s choir in your own congregation. Sources, links, and resources for further study mentioned in this episode include: Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847–1947 - CPH {The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge} Adventures in Lutheranism: Church Choir Why Music Is Important in Church According to Luther - CPH blog American Lutheran History Question- Why did Lutherans not bring the Boy Choir tradition to America? : r/Lutheranism - Reddit Going My Way (1944) - Official Trailer 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].
1 hr 5 min
September 05, 2025 #310. Erin's Big Question: Dungeons & Dragons
For the first time ever, Erin’s asking a Big Question in the Lounge — and it’s a doozie: Is Dungeons and Dragons actually great? Throughout the 80s and 90s, as Erin recalls, many conservative Christians regarded the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons as “a gateway to advance along the primrose path to perdition” — something roughly in the same moral category as “cigarettes and death metal." Now, with the rise of Gen X nostalgia culture, the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons is once again on the rise among players of all ages. Should Lutheran ladies be concerned? Or is there a place for collaborative story-telling games like D&D in the life of a Christian? And if D&D is “actually great” (as Erin posits, having now played for a year herself) are there any simple, practical ground rules that can help make sure it remains a wholesome experience for all involved? 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].
41 min
August 29, 2025 #309. Kitchen Table Talk: Mary and the Saints
What are Lutherans to think about the saints? How, especially, are we to regard the most controversial saint of all — Mary, the Mother of Jesus? In this Kitchen Table Talk episode, aired in honor of Mary’s commemoration on August 15, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel welcome the Rev. William Weedon to talk through pressing questions about whether and how we can faithfully and appropriately celebrate the saints of God. What actually is a saint? How have Lutherans historically thought about saints? How does the Lutheran view differ from that of Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical Christians? What can we learn from the saints today? The Rev. William Weedon is assistant pastor and catechist at Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Hamel, Illinois; host of The Word of the Lord Endures Forever from Lutheran Public Radio; and author of several books for children and adults, including I Remember: A Life of Mary and Celebrating the Saints. Resources referenced include the following: I Remember: A Life of Mary - Amazon.com Celebrating the Saints - Concordia Publishing House Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary – The Lutheran Witness The Word of the Lord Endures Forever Thank, Praise, Serve, and Obey: Recover the Joys of Piety - Concordia Publishing House We Praise You, O God – Kloria Publishing The Sanctoral Calendar of Wilhelm Loehe's Martyrologium 'With All the Company of Heaven': Angels, Saints and Our Departed Loved Ones at the Lord's Table – The Lutheran Witness 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].
1 hr 5 min
August 22, 2025#308. Our Favorites, Revisited: CORN
This riveting episode from August 2024 celebrates America's love of corn culture, so the Ladies wanted to share it again.

Q: Why shouldn’t you tell secrets in a cornfield?
A: Because the corn has ears!

It’s a “cornival” of craziness as Erin leads Sarah and Rachel in an Iron Ladle Challenge celebrating the joys of “corn culture” (or “corny culture”) in midsummer.

After discussing results from a pair of lively listener polls on how to cook and butter corn-on-the-cob (Facebook group members can find those here), the Ladies share their own favorite sweet corn recipes. Which will you try? Rachel’s creamy corn chowder? Sarah’s cowboy caviar? Erin’s colorful confetti corn salad? Or all of the above???

Still can’t get enough corny goodness? Check out this adorable music video on YouTube.

Erin’s Confetti Corn Salad
Vegetables:
2 cans corn, drained
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
Dressing
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 Tablespoons mayo
Directions
mix dressing
toss with salad
add pepper to taste

Rachel’s Corn Chowder
(Measurements are all approximate.)
Dice ½ yellow onion and ¼ green pepper. Sautee in 2 T butter in a heavy pot over medium heat until soft.
Peel, wash, and dice 3 or 4 medium potatoes. Add to pot with water or chicken broth to barely cover.
Add *either* 2 cans creamed sweet corn or 1 quart garden corn from the freezer.
Add salt and pepper (and chicken bullion in place of broth) to taste.
Simmer until potatoes are soft.
Add 2-4 cups whole milk and return to low simmer. (Be careful not to boil after this point.)
Thicken in one of two ways (or both together):
Melt ¼ cup butter and 2 T all-purpose flour in a small skillet and stir slowly into chowder.
Use potato masher to mash some of the potatoes to release the starch.
Serve with crusty buttered bread.

Sarah’s Cowboy Salad
Mix together:
Cowboy Caviar Salsa (Trader Joe’s)
Lettuce
Shredded cheese
Taco-spiced beef
Any other fun salad ingredients because there are no rules.

Sarah just loves cornbread
Betty Crocker recipe with lots of variation: bettycrocker.com/recipes/traditional-cornbread-recipe/8990e15c-fc1d-4a8d-b8b3-4b37f45eca49

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].
43 min
August 15, 2025#307. Sarah Goes to School: CUI Graduation → CSL Deaconess Studies!
Class is back in session, Ladies — one more time (for now)!

Sarah wraps up her studies at Concordia University Irvine’s Townsend Institute for Counseling and Leadership as she revisits her capstone project on humor in the workplace and celebrates the completion of her M.A. in organizational leadership. She also gives Erin and Rachel an eye-opening crash course in different types of humor and how they contribute (or don’t) to workplace morale, team building, and productivity.

Is your favorite style of humor affiliative, self-enhancing, self-defeating, or aggressive? Listen in to find out what those terms mean and which is your default — and learn, too, about how to optimize your use of humor to bring people together and get things done.

“I hope you’re inspired to think about humor in a different way,” says Sarah. “Being funny, witty, or engaging in banter isn’t just a cute thing to do. It has real positive impacts not only in the workplace, but in relationships and in your own mental health.”

At the end of the episode, Sarah announces her next big academic adventure: Concordia Seminary’s Online Deaconess Studies program. Stay tuned!

Click to learn more:
Concordia University Irvine’s Townsend Institute for Counseling and Leadership
Concordia University’s Online Deaconess Studies

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].
49 min

About The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

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Have you scrolled through your podcasts, searching for one that catches your ear - a place you can escape to with inviting conversations, laughter, and fellowship with your Lutheran sisters? Look no further!