Spirit of Joy Podcasts

Carole Chell joins Marnie Dahle Backer in studio to share about her life and her faith. Topics include growing up in a tight knit church community and how that has stayed with her to this day, her life-changing trip to Holden Village, her career as a nurse practitioner, and how her faith has helped bring a sense of calm and peace during the most difficult times in her life. Make sure you listen to the end to hear a great story about looking back to see how God works in your life!

We all know the legend of David and Goliath: The Original True Underdog Story. Pastor Eric sits in to give a more in-depth examination of what makes it one of the most well-known moments of the Bible. At its heart, it is a tale about trusting God and playing to your strengths. And, if you are the type who likes to do a little pre-listening research, our podcast word of the day is WADI!

Did you know it takes between 75-100 people to pull off a typical Sunday morning at Spirit of Joy? Heather Wald is in studio to tell us all the different ways people are involved in putting together everything needed for worship. We try to cover everyone—from bulletin folders to Sunday school teachers to offering counters and everyone in between. And it's quite apparent just how much Marnie loves Sunday morning coffee (she could probably do a whole podcast episode just on that).

Pastor Eric Ohrtman joins us to talk about the things of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that the average Lutheran probably doesn't know. How did it get here and where is it going? We dive into the structure of the ELCA, with congregations on top, followed by synods, regions, and the churchwide national office based in Chicago. And we discuss Spirit of Joy's work with our state synod in South Dakota.

Marnie sits down with Spirit of Joy partner Tim Hazlett to talk about what faith means to him. Tim looks back on his time growing up as a pastor's kid, where being aware of the needs of others was ingrained in him at a young age. He also discusses carrying his faith with him today as the principal of a public high school, the power of hope, dealing with doubt and guilt, and living by the old camp song They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love.

Trying to get a grasp on different translations of the Bible? It's all Greek to us...or Hebrew, or Latin, or English, etc. (you get the point). Pastor Eric Ohrtman talks through how the Bible was interpreted throughout history, what we use today, and some options to help make reading the Bible more accessible and understandable. Consider this episode the New Revised Standard Version of the Full of Joy Podcast!

Worship Stories: Sacred Spaces Chancels and Altars and Naves, Oh My! Heather Wald joins us to talk about the different areas of our church building. What is the difference between a lectern, a pulpit, and an ambo? Is the baptismal candle only lit for baptisms and how long does it take to burn all the way down? What all goes on in the Shalom Center? Do you know how The Well got its name (seriously...do you know)? And what exactly is, as Marnie describes it, the Pit of Glory? Listen in and learn about our Spirit of Joy building!

Lutheran Stories: Protestant Reformation Pastor Eric Ohrtman is in the studio to give the Cliff Notes overview of The Protestant Reformation. Get your pen and notebook ready because there is a lot to cover in 13 minutes! Martin Luther…check. John Calvin…check. Henry VIII…check. Gutenburg Press…check. Formula of Concord…check. Ninety-five Theses…check. Augsburg Confession…check. But the story involves so much more and it all comes back to the doctrine of grace.

Worship Stories: Why Do We Worship? Marnie Dahle Backer talks with Heather Wald, Spirit of Joy's Director of Worship Arts, about why we worship. The short answer: Because God tells us to! But the conversation doesn't end there. Heather dives into the reality that worship is so much more than just Sunday mornings—the truth is we worship all the time, in every way. Topics include confession, forgiveness, communion, community, music, and livestreaming.

Bible Stories: What is the Bible? On this episode of the Full of Joy podcast, we are starting as broad as possible for our first Bible Story topic with the question: What is the Bible? Pastor Eric Ohrtman gives the basics of this “story between two trees.” How was it formed? What is its structure? Are there more books than the 66 we recognize? These are some of the questions we break down in our discussion.

Lutheran Stories: Martin Luther So, who exactly was Martin Luther? On this episode of the Full of Joy podcast, Pastor Eric Ohrtman gives an overview of the life of the man, the myth, the legend. Luther's story is much more than just ninety-five theses nailed to a door, as we discuss his background, the importance of his wife, Katharina, and his unavoidable flaws.

Faith Stories: Alicia Schumacher On this inaugural episode of the Full of Joy podcast, Marnie Dahle Backer sits down with Spirit of Joy partner Alicia Schumacher to talk about her faith story. Alicia's story includes her small-town upbringing, working at a church camp, dealing with moments of doubt, starting her own business, storytelling in her workplace, and how faith influences her relationships. And, if you listen closely, you might even learn about reticulating activators!