Spirit of Joy Podcasts

Heather Wald joins Marnie to talk about the role the Visual Arts team plays in creating the various visual aspects of what we see in worship on Sunday morning and Wednesday night, because worship is designed to be experienced by all our senses. Heather walks through the different colors representing each church season throughout the year (think of it as our own holy rainbow connection). And, for some reason, Heather thinks that show-and-tell will somehow work in a podcast format.

Who was the woman at the well and what makes her interaction with Jesus so authentic? Pastor Eric walks through the structure of the story with Marnie. Along the way, he gives us some background on Samaria and why Jesus chose that specific route. He ends the discussion with the notion of how turning to God turns God to us (yes…you read that sentence correctly).

Spirit of Joy partner, Sioux Falls native, and aerospace engineer, Doug Daniels, joins Marnie in the Full of Joy studio to talk about his complex faith story. Doug shares his history from being raised Catholic to eventually joining the Lutheran church after marrying his wife, Kara. He dives deep into the challenges and questions he has dealt with over the years on his faith journey, and how today he has found the grace he needs to hear. And if you like popular music, he even brings U2 into the discussion.

Pastor Eric and Marnie are in studio to talk about the two sacraments that Lutherans practice. Don't know what they are? You will have to listen in to find out! Eric explains why the Lutheran Church only deals with two sacraments, as opposed to the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. He breaks down the three-part criteria the Lutheran Church uses to determine the two sacraments, walks us through how our Spirit of Joy worship space is organized around these sacraments, and answers a couple questions Marnie has been wondering about.

The Prayer Labyrinth. You may have seen it stretched out on the floor of the Shalom Center during Holy Week or Epiphany. Or maybe you know (or didn't know) that we have one mowed into the grass in our church gardens. But what is it exactly and where did this idea come from? Jodi Hanson joins Marnie to give us more insight into walking the prayer labyrinth. Believe it or not, they have been around since 1200 A.D. (the one at Spirit of Joy is modeled after a labyrinth in the Chartres Cathedral in France). It is a spiritual practice that you can do alone, with a group, at your own pace, to help guide you through prayer and meditation. For more information: https://labyrinthsociety.org/historical-overview

This episode is day two of the story of Moses, building on what Pastor Eric talked about yesterday (if you haven't listened to Part 1, we recommend checking out that episode first). Today, the story heads back to Egypt for the ten plagues (and Marnie's issue with flies). Then, it continues to the Red Sea, God's presence as a pillar of fire & clouds, wandering the wilderness for forty years, Mount Sinai, and the end of Moses' life. Marnie and Eric conclude by connecting Moses to Jesus and the Gospels.

We have something exciting for this podcast: a two-part episode! Pastor Eric is in studio to really get into the “reeds” about the story of Moses, and there is so much included we are splitting it over two days! Today, Eric chats with Marnie about the first part of Moses' life. The discussion includes the baby in the basket, being raised in the Egyptian royal court, fleeing to Midian, and wraps up with the burning bush. Don't worry, Part 2 will be available tomorrow to finish the discussion.

Michele Vogel is in the studio for a special podcast for families. She briefly talks with Marnie Dahle Backer about talking with children about Holy Week. Then, Michele is joined by Spirit of Joy staff members Amy Cauble, Miranda Stahl and Eric Gohl to read a version of the Easter story for our younger listeners to enjoy. (Music credits: https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/a-moment-a-miracle: License code: H1UVBBEQAUHMMP5W; https://uppbeat.io/t/monument-music/mellifluous-mirage: License code: YKZUJ2ILW0SOLTKT; https://uppbeat.io/t/roger-gabalda/winters-tale: License code: ZLGTJQKANSUHPIDW)

Bella Tooley, our brand-new Coordinator of High School Faith Formation (i.e. our youth director), sits down with Marnie to help us get to know her better. Born and raised in Sioux Falls, Bella shares how she ended up here at Spirit of Joy. Along the way she has attended college, been a dental assistant, and is getting ready to start seminary in the fall. She talks about feeling the call to attend seminary and the realities of being a (soon-to-be) seminary student. And Bella and Marnie laugh…a lot.

Did you know there are over 30,000 Christian denominations in the United States? Don't worry, we're only going to focus on the Lutheran ones today (and, more specifically, the ELCA). Pastor Eric Ohrtman gives us a brief history of Lutheranism in America, including some things the ELCA emphasizes—i.e. education and the social gospel. For more information, check out these webpages mentioned in the podcast: 1) https://medium.com/migration-issues/a-very-brief-history-of-american-lutheranism-be8b7a26fd59 2) https://www.elca.org/about-the-elca/who-we-are/history

Today we are paging through the Evangelical Lutheran Worship—perhaps you know it better as the ELW or the cranberry hymnal. Heather gives a quick layout of everything it includes: hymns, liturgies, psalms, prayers & services. She also gives an in-depth explanation of all 654 hymns…just kidding. Marnie and Heather share their favorite hymns, Marnie takes issue with bridges in church music, and Heather tells the fascinating and tragic story of the song “When Peace Like a River.”

Our word of the day for this episode is: THEODICY (you need to listen to find out what it means). Pastor Eric joins us to talk with Marnie about the Biblical book of Job. Eric digs into the various components of the story and even relates to how it influenced his decision to become a pastor. So, “gird up your loins,” listen in, and get ready as we walk through this invitation to wrestle with God!

Marnie Dahle Backer welcomes Spirit of Joy partner Jason Ahrendt to talk about his faith story. Jason grew up in Sioux Falls, was high school sweethearts with his wife, Heather, and has raised two college-aged children. He starts by remembering growing up in a house where faith was always important. Jason and Marnie dive deep into questions of faith while dealing with the death of his young nephew to cancer. He also opens up about how those challenges have led to the creation of a foundation to help families dealing with childhood cancer.

Today's episode might sound like it belongs in a seminary class, but trust us, Pastor Eric helps explain what we are talking about! So, what exactly is The Book of Concord? Does it involve grapes? Airliners? A college in Moorhead? Not quite. To put in simply…The Book of Concord helps us answer what it means to be Lutheran. Written in 1580, it is the document that creates the foundation that all Lutheran churches can agree upon. The word “concord” literally means an agreement or harmony between people or groups. Have a listen…we promise you will come away with some new knowledge!

On this week's podcast, you get two guests for the price of one! Heather Wald and Bella Kumagai sit down to talk with Marnie about the different styles of worship we offer at Spirit of Joy. Depending on the service, it's a little bit of hymns, a little bit of contemporary, a little bit of liturgical elements, all blended into one. Bella and Heather talk about the enjoyment of a group of instrumentalists and singers creating music together. They give a little plug to invite more people to join in to play/sing (especially if you play guitar!). And Heather might persuade Bella to give a sample of the Lord's Prayer in Portuguese!

Pastor Eric is in the studio today to talk about the wedding at Cana, which is Jesus' first sign (we'll get into why the Gospel of John calls it a “sign” and not a “miracle”). He gives us a little background to set up the story and then treats us to a retelling of it to fill in the details. And Eric and Marnie discuss how the story is about God encountering us amid our everyday lives and saying He will be present with us.

On this episode of Full of Joy, we welcome into the studio our youngest guest to date, Taylor Quinn. Taylor shares his life story of the last twenty years which has involved major life transitions and personal tragedy, but also how these experiences have helped him to find the good in difficult situations. Currently a sophomore at Augustana University majoring in government and economics (with goals of going to law school and the military), he discusses why service is so important to his faith and why he truly believes in loving your neighbor as yourself. And he talks about the importance to his faith of being surrounded by good family and friends. Trust us, he is no ordinary Gen Z'er!

Okay…let's get down to business (sort of). On today's podcast we are explaining the organizational structure at Spirit of Joy. It's how we do what we do. Pastor Eric lays out the framework of the church leadership and how it all starts at the top with every partner in our congregation. From there, we have our 10-person leadership team, our ministry teams, and various subteams, all of which are organized around our five core values. Eric and Marnie discuss in detail what each team does and how everyone can get involved in the mission of Spirit of Joy.

Heather Wald walks us through the different components of the Taking Faith Home insert included every Sunday in our worship bulletins. For those unfamiliar, Taking Faith Home offers a guidepost for bringing faith into your whole week. Each week it includes the following items: daily Bible readings, weekly scripture verse, prayers & blessing, weekly milestones, devotions, service ideas, rituals & traditions. Heather and Marnie talk through these things and how they have brought faith home in their own households.

As the Full of Joy podcast kicks off a new year, you are in for a special treat! If longevity equals wisdom, then today we welcome Spirit of Joy's wisest partner…Adeline Schempp. Adeline sits down with Marnie and shares about her life growing up on a farm outside of Menno during the “Dark ‘30s,” a time that included grasshoppers, cow pies for heat, snakes in the cellar, and lots and lots of dirt. She includes stories about attending & teaching in a one-room country schoolhouse, meeting her husband, raising four children, and working on their farm outside of Hurley. She also talks about the importance God's presence during the death of her brother and how she was raised with the belief “If you can stay out the night before, you have to get up and go to church the next day.”

Christmas in January? Of course! The Christmas season lasts from Christmas Eve until the arrival of “we three kings” on January 6th (for those doing the math, that would be twelve days of Christmas). Pastor Eric sits down with Marnie to wrap up our season of Christmas podcasts by talking about the differences between Matthew and Luke's Christmas stories.

Michele Vogel, Director of Children's Faith Formation, is back for one more story this Christmas season. This one is a little different than the traditional church Christmas tale, but one that will probably be familiar to most: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Don't worry, Michele will explain how it fits into the reason for the season. So, grab the whole family, pour some hot cocoa and, if you have a copy, follow along in the book and look at the pictures! (Music credits: https://uppbeat.io/t/matt-stewart-evans/crazy-circus: License code: 65SOGVADX0GPE2II; https://uppbeat.io/t/matt-stewart-evans/mischief-makers: License code: NMR3NSI1ETTHNQSW; https://uppbeat.io/t/cory-alstad/the-night-circus: License code: 8IM3XVQ9SEKCROQJ; https://uppbeat.io/t/giulio-fazio/snowbound-serenade: License code: KKQHRYZY3DIPY9FU; https://uppbeat.io/t/vocalista/sweet-lullaby: License code: 7L7K7Y7UBRNDZSEY)

On this special Christmas episode, the Spirit of Joy staff shares memories and traditions in their own households, both today and in years gone by. Here's a sneak peek: Idaho potato rolls, family sing-alongs, Advent logs, pig trauma, oyster stew, cassette recordings, and Truman singing Silent Night.

We are excited to welcome our new Spirit of Joy pastor, Dayna Weltzin, to the podcast this morning! Pastor Dayna is here to share more about herself and help us get to know her better. Dayna covers a childhood that sounds a little bit like a Norman Rockwell painting, to attending Gustavus Adolphus, to living in Spain for six years, to meeting her husband (Tim), to deciding on seminary later in her career, to what she loves about being a pastor. She also talks about what excites her about being in Sioux Falls and at Spirit of Joy!

Holy Moly, you're going to like what we have in store this week! Today's podcast welcomes Michele Vogel as she reads a Christmas story for the whole family to enjoy: The Holy Moly Christmas Story, by Rebecca Glaser. (Music credit: https://uppbeat.io/t/roger-gabalda/winters-tale; License code: ZLGTJQKANSUHPIDW)

We kick off our Advent season podcasts with Pastor Eric in studio to dive deeper into Hannah and Mary's songs and explain how they are connected to one another. Mary's song, known as The Magnificat, is the most familiar, and we sing it every week during Advent services as part of Holden Evening Prayer. These are two of the three songs we will be including this year during Advent services: Hannah's song (1st Samuel 2), Mary's song (Luke 1), and Zechariah's song (Luke 1). All three songs of prayer and praise relate to the birth of a child: Samuel, John the Baptist, and Jesus.

On today's episode of Full of Joy, we get to talk to our one and only pastor's wife and potter extraordinaire, Krista Ohrtman. We hear so often from her husband it's more than time for her to get the chance to talk to us! Krista shares about her “classic Lutheran upbringing” growing up in Detroit Lakes, MN, attending Augustana College, and working at Luther Heights Bible Camp in Idaho. She discusses how she lives her faith through empathy, kindness, care, respect and by being in service to others. And, of course, she talks a little about her life as a pastor's wife!