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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.