“This boy kept coming over to my house, and my father told him not to come over any more. But then he went off to war…” So begins Part 2 of our interview with centenarian, Ruth Polcha, and so begins the beautiful love story between a faithful Slovak Lutheran named Edward Polcha and—you guessed it—a German Lutheran girl named Ruth Zehnder. Together they made a faithful Lutheran family that has bequeathed further generations of faithful and generous servants of Christ.

Recorded 7 August, A.D. 2025

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation with centenarian Ruth Polcha. This interview is a window into a humble and faithful Christian family. Ruth is a relatively new member of St. Paul’s, but through her daughter’s family, she has a long connection to us. Her daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and Al Mueller, are some of St. Paul’s more faithful and active members. After many years separated across several states, Kathy rejoiced to have her mother nearby, and when you hear the delightful Christian countenance and faithfulness of Ruth Florence Esther (Zehnder) Polcha you’ll know why she is an inspiration and faithful example.

Recorded 7 August, A.D. 2025

We have a deep conviction that a consistent, Scripture-based order of service, or “liturgy”—especially sung liturgy—is better for the faith-formation of all ages. You see, the Divine Service—the Word and Sacrament worship of the Church—is a wedding feast. It is the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” (Rev 19.9) where Jesus Christ Himself is our host and the substance of the feast. So, it’s really helpful—and pretty important—that those who are learning the rituals of the feast are willing learners, humble . . . and welcomed and taught the rich practices of the Church’s wedding feast by people with generous and hospitable hearts.

We have a deep conviction that a consistent, Scripture-based order of service, or “liturgy”—especially sung liturgy—is better for the faith-formation of all ages. You see, the Divine Service—the Word and Sacrament worship of the Church—is a wedding feast. It is the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” (Rev 19.9) where Jesus Christ Himself is our host and the substance of the feast. So, it’s really helpful—and pretty important—that those who are learning the rituals of the feast are willing learners, humble . . . and welcomed and taught the rich practices of the Church’s wedding feast by people with generous and hospitable hearts.

In this episode, St. Paul’s congregational leaders Matt Dinnauer (elders) and Alec Heffern (finance) discuss “What Does ‘Stewardship’ Mean?,” the third and final part of our “Reflecting Christ” series with the Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador. As in the responses to Parts 1 and 2, you’ll hear genuine “Aha” moments, thankfulness, and a clear sense of the deep call of all Christians to participate in receiving and giving the love and hope of Christ.

Recorded 13 November, A.D. 2025

“What stewardship is not is ‘what you do’. What it is is who you are.” As Dr. Nathan Meador reminds us in Part 3 of our “Reflecting Christ” series on Christian stewardship, we are created and redeemed by Jesus Christ as God’s stewards. It is something we observe, but it is activity that flows from our identity. It flows from receiving the mercies of Christ. In this episode we talk about both the deep reality and the practical application to our life in the church and the community, whether you're a college student or a corporate executive.

Recorded 17 July, A.D. 2025

Christians are “sons of God, being sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36), for the Lord our God “is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Luke 20:38). “Those who deny that there is a resurrection” (Luke 20:27) neither know the Scriptures nor the power of God, but the baptized faithful know “that the dead are raised” (Luke 20:37). For the Lord, who was and is and is to come, knows Israel’s sufferings and has “come down to deliver them” (Ex. 3:8). Moses reveals the name of Yahweh to God’s chosen people, by which He is “remembered throughout all generations” (Ex. 3:15). In contrast to that sacred remembrance of His name, St. Paul warns against the antichrist, who “takes his seat in the temple of God” (2 Thess. 2:4). That lawless man preaches and practices the activity of Satan. Christians, however, are comforted by the coming of the Lord Jesus, who slays the antichrist and refutes his false doctrine “with the breath of his mouth” (2 Thess. 2:8). By His preaching, “stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught” (2 Thess. 2:15). Hear, receive and believe God’s promise of love, comfort and good hope.

“A great multitude … from all tribes and peoples and languages” cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Rev. 7:9–10). Uniquely loved, Faith-filled saints from every place and time with unified voices eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we, too, “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Joined with the throng of angels and countless saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Rev. 7:15). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ, propels us forward, fortifying each one of us in Word and Sacrament, to our eternal home. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we are blessed. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure and the persecuted are all blessed, and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1–12).