On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Edward Riojas joins us as our guest to discuss his new book A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Edward dives into the importance and history behind sacred symbols and how they can deepen our faith.

Get a copy of his book at cph.org/christiansymbols.


Show Notes

Listen now as author and artist Edward Riojas dives into the world of Christian symbols.

Edward joins host Elizabeth Pittman to talk about his new volume of more than 600 historic Christian symbols. The pair explore how in today’s church, we now use these same symbols throughout the sanctuary and in worship materials that Jesus Himself used in his teachings. Edward emphasizes the importance of symbols and art in understanding Scripture and why church leaders should carefully treat each symbol they use during worship. He also talks about how this volume came to be, some of his favorite symbols to investigate, what young artists should know, and more.

Edward’s website
Edward’s Facebook Page

Questions

- Tell us about your life as an artist in the Christian and secular space.

- Talk about the impact that art in general and symbols have on our faith and understanding of Scripture.

- Where do you see symbols being used well in the church today?

- How have you seen some denominations embrace or shy away from using symbols?

- How long ago did you start this project? Tell us a little bit about how this book started.

- Who else is this book for besides pastors and worship leaders? How will history buffs benefit from reading this?

- Did anything surprise you while working on the book?

- Do you have a favorite symbol from the book? Or three that you gravitate towards?

- Why is it important for us as Christians to understand these symbols rather than just passing by them?

About the Guest

Edward Riojas graduated summa cum laude from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a BFA degree. He has worked professionally for more than forty years, including thirty-one years in the newspaper industry. Riojas has returned to his fine-art roots, creating sacred art for commissions and collaborations with various Lutheran entities. His work can be found in sanctuaries, institutions, private collections, and markets throughout the United States and across the globe.

Easter Hymns | Part 2 | Peter Reske

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Peter Reske, senior editor of Music/Worship at Concordia Publishing House, returns to share his insight into some of his favorite hymns during the Easter season. Peter highlights three hymns and discusses the themes found in each piece.

Shop all the different editions of the Lutheran Service Book by visiting cph.org.

Show Notes

Guest Peter Reske and host Elizabeth Pittman dive into three Easter hymns from the Lutheran Service Book in the newest episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast. Peter’s selections may surprise you but will certainly enrich your understanding of how music is used throughout the Easter season. Peter goes into the history behind each of his selected hymns, explains the themes throughout each hymn’s text, and even mentions the way he is commemorating the 500th anniversary of Lutheran hymnals in 2024. Listen to the full episode now to hear what Peter has to say about these favorite Easter hymns.

Learn more about the Europe Music Tour that Peter is leading with Christian Travel Planners on their website at christiantravelplanners.com/tours/best-music-tour-072024.

About the Guest

Peter C. Reske, senior editor of music/worship at Concordia Publishing House, holds degrees in English literature and historical musicology from Marquette University and Pennsylvania State University. He was the editor of the Lutheran Service Book and its attendant resources.

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Rev. Dr. Gregory Walton and Rev. Thomas Eggebrecht join as guests to discuss the importance of caring for the health and well-being of our church workers. Greg is the vice president of Grace Place Wellness Ministries, a part of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), and Tom is the senior vice president for ministry solutions at LCEF.

Learn more about Grace Place Wellness at lcef.org/grace-place-wellness.

Show Notes

Listen to the full episode as Greg and Tom provide an overview of the mission of Grace Place Wellness and the history behind this organization that has led to its work today. The pair also provide insight into how we the laity can help care for our church workers and leaders, give advice for ministry leaders, talk about some of the most common concerns they see in church workers’ wellness, and preview what their goals are for the Grace Place Wellness Podcast.

Learn more about Grace Place Wellness Ministries at lcef.org/grace-place-wellness.
Listen to the Grace Place Wellness Podcast wherever you listen podcasts or at lcef.org/gpw-podcast.

Questions

· Tell our listeners about Grace Place Wellness.

· What is the Lutheran Wellness Wheel?

· As you work with church workers, what are the most common concerns you hear?

· How can church workers find a balance between ministry and their personal lives?

· Conflict happens—even in the church. What advice do you have for ministry leaders who are experiencing conflict in their church or school?

· What are your goals for the Grace Place Wellness Podcast?

· How can the laity help care for our church workers?

About the Guests

Rev. Dr. Gregory Walton is the vice president of Grace Place Wellness Ministries, which is a part of Ministry Solutions at LCEF.

Rev. Thoms Eggebrecht is the senior vice president of ministry solutions at LCEF.

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Pastor Chris Kennedy joins host Elizabeth Pittman to preview his newest book, Unfailing: God’s Assurance for Times of Change. Pastor Kennedy talks with Elizabeth about finding hope in God’s Word during the big changes we experience throughout life.

Get a copy of Unfailing at cph.org/unfailing.

Show Notes

Change, whether big or small, can unnerve us. The good news is that God does not leave us to go through the ups and downs in our lives alone. Assurance and encouragement can be found in Scripture.

Looking at the life of the prophet Samuel, Pastor Kennedy writes about the changes Samuel endured and uses these examples to show readers how they can trust God to lead them through the shifts in their own lives. Listen to the full episode to hear from Pastor Kennedy as he dives into

Pastor Kennedy’s website: pastorchriskennedy.com

Questions

- Why Samuel? What led you to him as the catalyst for this conversation about change?

- Why do you think it [change] can be so hard for us?

- Is there a time in your life when there's been a change that you'd like to share and what you learned from that?

- In chapter 3, you go through God’s Word and where He speaks about change. Can you speak to some of those verses and where we can find comfort there?

- You reference the research you did with your congregation and with others you know. What did you learn from that survey and what people told you where they struggle with change?

- Sometimes we’re with a friend or a loved one who's experiencing change. What can we learn from Samuel about why we should advocate for that person?

- As you set the book up, you include some discussion questions at the end of every chapter. What do you hope readers will take away from this, whether they're reading individually, or if they're reading this as part of a Bible class or a small group?

About the Guest

Christopher M. Kennedy is the senior pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, School, and Childcare in San Antonio, Texas. He is also the author of Equipped: The Armor of God for Everyday Struggles, Grace under Pressure: Responding Faithfully to Stress, and Jesus Said What? He earned a bachelor’s degree in communication, a Master of Theology, and a doctorate in ministry. Pastor Kennedy and his wife are parents of four children.

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, guest Michelle Bauman joins Elizabeth Pittman to discuss life issues and how she helps youth address these topics from a Gospel-centered perspective. Michelle is the director of Y4Life, an organization that seeks to equip high-school- and college-aged youth to be Gospel-motivated voices for life.

Learn more about Y4Life and the Y4Life conference by visiting y4life.org.

Show Notes
A wide scope of life issues exists in today’s world. In this episode, Michelle Bauman shares her insight into the depth of life issues impacting our world and how she works to help youth address these issues head on. Michelle also gives a glimpse into Life Week and the Y4Life conference that took place this past January in Washington D.C., what supporting life looks like in a post-Roe V. Wade society, and how youth across the country can get involved with Y4Life to support the promotion of life-affirming values in their schools, communities, states, and nation.

Y4Life website: y4life.org
Y4Life on Instagram: @lfly4life

Questions

- Tell us about the structure of Y4Life and how that looks at different schools across the country.

- Why do you see youth wanting to be involved (in Y4Life)?

- Life issues go farther than abortion. Tell us why we should care about all life issues.

- Our culture often tells women, “My body. My choice.” How does Y4Life suggest responding to that and pivoting to the point that all life is valuable?

- How did the overturning of Roe V. Wade affect your work and the work of Y4Life and Lutherans for Life?

- If one of our listeners is at a school or in a place that doesn’t have a Y4Life team – how can they get started?

- Leave our listeners with a word of encouragement for supporting life and how we can serve our neighbors through this work.

About the Guest
Michelle Bauman is the Director of Y4Life and joined Lutherans for Life in 2019. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Lutheran teaching from Concordia Nebraska and a master’s degree in English from the University of Indianapolis. Michelle helps young adults understand and address life issues from a Christian perspective. Learn more about Michelle at y4life.org.

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, co-authors Ted Kober and Mark Rockenbach join host Elizabeth Pittman to discuss their new book, Unforgivable? How God’s Forgiveness Transforms Our Lives. The trio talks about how unforgiveness is a prison – mentally, emotionally, and spiritually – and dive into what true forgiveness from Christ looks like. Get a copy of Ted and Mark’s new book at cph.org/unforgivable.

Show Notes
We have all faced situations where we feel we can’t forgive someone else or where we feel we are unforgivable for what we’ve done or said. Only through Christ do we see what real forgiveness and being forgiven look like. Listen to this episode of the podcast to hear from co-authors Ted and Mark as they debut their new book and discuss important topics such as what unforgiveness is, how we can learn to forgive someone by Christ’s example, and what happens when we refuse to forgive. Listeners will hear from the authors themselves as they reflect on how their book can be used in different settings and what they believe will bring you back to their insight on unforgiveness again and again.
Get in touch with the guests…
Ted’s website: tedkober.com
Ted’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-kober-24b117a/
Mark’s bio from Concordia Seminary: https://www.csl.edu/directory/mark-rockenbach/
Mark’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mark-rockenbach-b4429713/

Questions

Tell us why the topic of unforgiveness is so important to address.
How do you define unforgiveness?
What does that process (of being able to forgive) look like?
“Why can’t I just forgive and forget?” Tell us about that question.
In many cases, an action leading to someone needing forgiveness leads to consequences. Tell us why forgiveness does not necessarily remove those consequences.
Could you share an example with us of a situation where someone has overcome unforgiveness in their life and what that looked like?
What happens when we don’t forgive?
What can we do if we have someone in our lives who is stuck in that place of unforgiveness?
How do you imagine the book being used in a congregational setting or by a counselor working with people?
Tell us a little bit about what being a reconciler means and where you have seen God at work.
Mark, how has your teaching and research over the years set you up to write this book? What encouragement would you leave listeners with as they wrestle with forgiving someone or accepting someone’s offer of forgiveness?

About the Guests
Ted Kober, a Certified Christian Conciliator™ since 1992, reconciles personal disputes, lawsuits, and church conflicts. He has published numerous resources and taught reconciliation on six continents. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, awarded Ted a doctor of letters degree, honoris causa, for his writing, speaking, and impact to the global church.
Mark Rockenbach (MDiv, MA, PhD) is an associate professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where he also directs various programs. Previously, he served as a parish pastor, an executive for church worker health and reconciliation, and a mental health counselor. Mark and his wife, Darlene have three children, Joshua, Rachel, and Andrew.

Guest Rev. Dr. James Voelz joins host Elizabeth Pittman on the first episode of season 5 of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast. Dr. Voelz is the author of two volumes of the Concordia Commentary series on the Gospel of Mark. During the episode, Dr. Voelz shares an overview of Mark as well as some of the linguistic themes and the grammatical ideas that make Mark unique.

Get a copy of each of Dr. Voelz’s Concordia Commentary editions on Mark by visiting cph.org.

Show Notes

Unpack the richness of the Law and Gospel of Mark during this episode with guest Rev. Dr. James Voelz.

Listen now as Dr. Voelz dives into the unique Gospel of Mark and uncovers the relationship between Mark and the other Gospels. Listeners will get an overview of the book itself, insight into how Mark is written, the speed at which this Gospel is written, what stories are covered, and a look into linguistic themes throughout the chapters.

Questions

- How was your time at the Society of Biblical Literature and how were your Commentaries received there?

- Let’s talk about Mark as a Gospel and its significance. Give us an overview of this Gospel.

- How is it different than the other Gospel accounts?

- Talk about your oral presentation of Mark and your part in memorizing this Gospel.

About the Guest

Rev. Dr. James Voelz is the Dr. Jack Dean Kingsbury Professor of New Testament Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. A faculty member since 1989, he is a graduate professor of Exegetical Theology. He has also served as chair of the Department of Exegetical Theology (2013–15), dean of the faculty (2006–10) and dean of the Graduate School (1996–2002).

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Rev. Dr. Paul Raabe joins host Elizabeth Pittman to discuss his work on the newest volume in the Concordia Commentary series, Isaiah 13 – 27 - Concordia Commentary.

The next volume in the series will be available on November 30 and is available for pre-order now. Get your copy at cph.org/isaiah-13-37-concordia-commentary.

Plus, subscribe to the Concordia Commentary series on CPH’s website by visiting cph.org/commentary.

Show Notes

Chapters 13 to 27 of the book of Isaiah are often overlooked, yet they are invaluable. These chapters play an integral part in our understanding of God's plan for all of his people.

Listen to this episode as author Dr. Paul Raabe explores his time writing the newest edition in the Concordia Commentary series that covers Isaiah chapters 13 to 27. Dr. Raabe will provide insight into the message found in this text, the impact of studying Isaiah on his own faith, and encouragement for lay people who may be interested in diving into this Old Testament book of the Bible.

Questions

- What was it like spending so much of your professional life studying Isaiah?

- When you’re translating from Hebrew to English, how difficult is it to capture the nuance of the poetry found in Isaiah?

- Tell us about the message of the book of Isaiah as a whole.

- Are the judgments found in these chapters of Isaiah only meant for unbelievers or do they also apply to Christians? How do we look at that today?

- Tell us about the Gospel message found in Isaiah. Do we see that message come through in these prophecies?

- Have you found studying Isaiah over the years has had an impact on your personal faith?

- You’ve taught about Isaiah in a variety of contexts. How have you approached teaching Isaiah in all these contexts?

- What ways have you found to be effective to encourage your students to spend time in the Word?

- For those of us who are not trained in Hebrew, what is your encouragement for the average lay people who may pick up this volume of Concordia Commentary?

About the Guest

Dr. Paul Raabe is a professor emeritus at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, retiring in 2018 after 35 years as professor of Exegetical Theology. Dr. Raabe’s areas of interest and expertise include the Hebrew Prophets and poetry, Old Testament theology, and biblical theology. He has also served on The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Commission on Theology and has co-edited a previous piece for Concordia Publishing House, The Press of the Text, a Festschrift in honor of Concordia Seminary Professor Dr. James W. Voelz. Dr. Raabe received his Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University, Nebraska, a Master of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.