Shows
Christ In All ThingsJacob's Story“Jacob’s Story” is about a lot of things. This account, his parents’ summary of his last days with us, is both heart-rending and faith-filling. It is a tragedy, but one that is imbued with Christian hope. “Jacob’s Story” is an episode to which we will refer many times in Season 3 and beyond, for what happened with Jacob Juneau changed more than the lives of his family. It changed the lives of many others. We suspect, as the conversation continues, that “Jacob’s Story” is going to change more lives than, perhaps, even we can imagine.We had a long break...
2025-05-1813 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Brett Helwig. Part 2In Part 2 of our interview with Brett Helwig we talk about how life in the church is forming him, and how his talents in music and engineering combine in Christ. We have a delightful introduction to his very engineer-ish encounter, courtship, and marriage to a vivacious farm girl named Kerri. We also hear about the Helwig’s journey to membership at St. Paul’s and love of God's creation. To listen to Brett is to hear a man who is very self-aware, loves to learn, and has an engaging sense of humor and Christian humility.Recorded 30 April, A.D...
2024-10-1632 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Brett Helwig. Part 1Brett Helwig is “not an overthinker.” Funny thing to say for an engineer! Yet, as you’ll hear in Part 1 of our interview, Brett Helwig thinks both broadly and carefully. He comes from faithful, servant stock with deep, deep Christian faith. That family was very formative for him, as were some significant events in his young life. Brett was born in 1995, so as of this recording he’s less than 30 years old, but to hear him is to hear a Biblical wisdom formed in the crucible of faithful family and church life under the cross of Jesus.Recorded...
2024-10-1530 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Harrison Goodman Part 2Chief of sinners. Child of God. Pastor Harrison Goodman preaches Christ crucified as a light that shines in darkness and a hope for the hopeless. As content executive, he helps to make these same gifts known online by employing the many voices and talents of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He believes that while the internet cannot replace Word and Sacrament ministry, it doesn’t need to try. How he came to be a Christian, a husband, and a father (let alone a Pastor) is a great story.
2024-10-1130 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Harrison Goodman part 2Chief of sinners. Child of God. Pastor Harrison Goodman preaches Christ crucified as a light that shines in darkness and a hope for the hopeless. As content executive, he helps to make these same gifts known online by employing the many voices and talents of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He believes that while the internet cannot replace Word and Sacrament ministry, it doesn’t need to try. How he came to be a Christian, a husband, and a father (let alone a Pastor) is a great story.
2024-09-2931 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Harrison Goodman. Part 1Chief of sinners. Child of God. Pastor Harrison Goodman preaches Christ crucified as a light that shines in darkness and a hope for the hopeless. As content executive, he helps to make these same gifts known online by employing the many voices and talents of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He believes that while the internet cannot replace Word and Sacrament ministry, it doesn’t need to try. How he came to be a Christian, a husband, and a father (let alone a Pastor) is a great story.
2024-09-2929 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Kerri Helwig. Part 2In Part 2 of our conversation with Kerri Helwig we move from the discussion of changing churches and the challenges of friendship to the absolutely formative culture of farm life. Though Kerri doesn’t live on a large farm, she has a fascinating career in agriculture. She brings a delightful humor to related “aromatic” subjects, to discussion of her artistic creations, to her courtship and marriage to Brett Helwig (Whom she met at the University of Wisconsin—Platteville—and with whom she serves in a number of ways at St. Paul’s.), and to her passion for outdoor adventure. Christ is, indeed...
2024-09-1531 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Kerri Helwig. Part 1It is flat-out amazing the stories that you can hear simply by asking someone the origins and meaning of their name. Then, when you ask, “What are the top three-to-five things that formed you as a human being,” well, that’s a recipe for a really great conversation. From the tragic and inspiring story from which Kerri got her name, to the challenges of changing churches and its impact on friendship, you will enjoy meeting Kerri Helwig, who brings a winsome and airy honesty to discussion of the Christian life.Recorded 27 February, A.D. 2024.
2024-09-1530 min
Christ In All ThingsGrieving with Hope. Year TwoWhat does a White Castle slider have to do with grief? Listen to “Grieving with Hope: Year Two” to find out! This concludes our series of interviews with Pastor Jason Schockman regarding death of his father on August 8, 2022. This series is intended to provide a listening ear into the grieving process, where hearers encounter the reality of grief and an abiding Christian hope. Discerning ears will note the maturity of this two-year-old grief; that is, it is a grief that understands itself better and is a little more well-rounded.Recorded 8 August, A.D. 2024.
2024-09-0148 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Grace Beatrice Olson. Part 2This is Part 2 of our interview with Grace Beatrice Olson, and it really is a treasure. In a congregation nearly 160 years old, not often do pastors have the opportunity to converse with members who have connections to the congregation’s founding. Grace was able and willing to share stories from farm life and early St. Paul’s church and school. We talk about the development of hymnals, its use as a prayer book, her fascinating work history for the Pabst family (of Pabst Brewing fame), and her marriage and family life with Duane Olson. Grace’s is a story of ded...
2024-08-1835 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Grace Beatrice Olson. Part 1Grace Olson is a Loppnow, making her a descendant of the some of the founding members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in 1865. As you’ll hear, Grace has delightful senses of humor and curiosity. Grace comes from a family of six children, and speaks with thankfulness about her family of origin and the life of faith inculcated by her parents and key figures in the history of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School. Whether you’re a historian or love stories of a simple Christian life, you’ll be blessed to listen in on this conversation.Recorded...
2024-08-1830 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Dave Meyer. Part 2Dave Meyer has no illusions about what worship is and the purpose of the Church. He says, “We’re not here on Sunday mornings because we’re wonderfully good people. We’re here because we know how bad we are and we need that forgiveness.” In Part 2 of our interview with Dave we explore what it means to be “Lutheran,” we further discuss his shared faith and practice in his family, the importance of being asked to serve as a youth, and we talk about parenting and men’s ministry (called Journeymen at St. Paul’s). This interview is a joyful, full-of...
2024-06-0232 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Dave Meyer. Part 1“This is the deal, and away we go…” David Robert Meyer has deep roots in the Lutheran confession of the Christian faith and in SE Wisconsin. He gratefully and thankfully follows in the family history of serving in the church. He also has a wonderful marriage a family story, with its own unique twists. In this episode you will hear how thankful he is for the key people in his life . . . and that he knows and trusts the One who is behind it all.Recorded 4 April, A.D. 2024
2024-06-0228 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Jackie Meyer. Part 2In Part Two of our conversation with Jackie Meyer she noted that of those conceived with Turner’s Syndrome only two percent live to birth. As a result, Jackie has a profound sense of thankfulness and purpose. This thankfulness and purpose deeply informs the adoption and parenting of their son, indeed, the whole of her life and service in the church, especially with “the little things.” Recorded 21 February, A.D. 2024
2024-05-2332 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Jackie Meyer. Part 1Jaclyn Marie Meyer’s doctor once described her as “the little engine that could.” When you listen to this conversation you’ll understand why that is apt, for Jackie Meyer has had her challenges since birth. In this episode we talk about her Turner’s Syndrome with candor and Christian hope. Among other things, we hear the wonderful story of her early-twenties encounter with a college lad named Dave Meyer and how life at St. Paul’s shaped her significantly.It seems that Jackie serves everywhere in the congregation, but—as we joke—“in a diminutive way.” Her service, unlike...
2024-05-2230 min
Christ In All ThingsBonfires, Brews, and Board Games: Cultivating Christian Friendship. Part 2In Part 2 of this live conversation between two best friends, Mark Tredray and Rev. Jason Schockman, the best friends talk about the development of their friendship, disappointments, and the centrality of God’s forgiveness. The banter is genuine but the central point is this: “What makes friendship work is when it’s grounded in the forgiveness and grace we have in Christ.” Whether you have great friends or want to learn friendship, theirs is a lot to learn from this conversation. Enjoy the banter and the wonderful Q&A in the last half of this episode.This was reco...
2024-04-0733 min
Christ In All ThingsBonfires, Brews, and Board Games: Cultivating Christian FriendshipThis is Part 1 of a live conversation between two best friends, Mark Tredray and Rev. Jason Schockman. Recorded at Reformation Tap Society on February 18, 2024, their talk is entitled, “Bonfires, Brews, and Board Games: Cultivating Christian Friendship.” As these two readily admit, they are “experts on friendship only inasmuch as we have made things work.” They recognize that there is both providence and volition in Godly friendship. These two are particularly interesting in helping people move from acquaintance to friendship.Reformation Tap Society is held on the third Sunday at BrewFinity Brewing Co. (www.brewfinitybrewing.com.) from 5-7pm, Sept...
2024-04-0531 min
Christ In All ThingsPREVIEW: Cultivating Christian FriendshipPastor Jason Schockman previews the upcoming presentation at Reformation Tap Society, "Bonfires, Brews, and Board Games: Cultivating Christian Friendship," which occurs at 5:30 p.m @ BrewFinity in Oconomowoc. That presentation will be recorded, edited, and posted by Friday, 23 February 2024. Thank you for listening.
2024-02-1605 min
Christ In All ThingsWonderfully Made. Part 3“The triune God,” notes Dr. John Kleinig, “designed [the human body] for himself and for participation in his own eternal life . . . he designed it so that he could show himself bodily to other embodied people and give them bodily access to himself by his theophany, his physical appearance to them in Jesus. . . The human body was made to bridge two realms: the invisible, eternal realm of God and the visible, temporal real of this creation.” (John Kleinig, Wonderfully Made, 14) This view of the human body, that it is a “shrine,” contrasts sharply with the typically worldly view. In Part 3 of our discu...
2024-02-0332 min
Christ In All ThingsChristian Entrepreneurship.Colin Murdy.Part 2This Part 2 of our re-published interview with Colin Murdy, which was recorded on August 3, 2022, in a moment when business was particularly tight for Colin. We’re republishing this as part of Season Two’s “Christian Entrepreneurship” series.Part two includes important conversations about risk, learning, Godly discernment, God’s will, and the creative process. It was a delight for the hosts to listen to this again, and to share it again.We republished this, in part, because our recording equipment is broken. We hope to be up and running with new episodes in February 2024.Original...
2024-01-2837 min
Christ In All ThingsChristian Entrepreneurship.Colin Murdy.Part 1This interview was first released as a bonus episode on August 5, 2022. We remastered it into two parts that—we think—fit nicely into Season Two’s “Christian Entrepreneurship” series.Colin Murdy was simply being generous, as his parents taught him to be, but by placing a stunning leather journal in another’s hand he opened a window of discovery. It turned out to be an important act of Christian service. In this bonus episode of Christ In All Things we interview Colin, the founder and CEO of the Murdy Creative Company. Our interview begins with a very personal “th...
2024-01-2833 min
Christ In All ThingsPete Sheild. Christian Entrepreneuriship. Part 2Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Pete Sheild becomes even more vivid, as we pick up from the lessons Pete learned as a high school state basketball champion to the beginnings of his entrepreneurial impulse. Pete speaks of the significant impact being part of a pastor’s family had on his business practice, and his personal interactions with patients and employees. We also have the opportunity to begin a conversation regarding Pete’s new retirement venture: writing fiction that is deeply rooted in his family history and sense of adventure. To listen to this two-part conversation is—very much—to see C...
2023-12-1735 min
Christ In All ThingsPete Sheild. Christian Entrepreneurship. Part 1Can a dentist really be called an entrepreneur? We think so, and so does Pete Sheild, a man of varied interests and abilities. Pete is the son of a pastor. His Christian faith deeply influenced his vocational choices and sustained him in trial. He owned and operated a successful practice named Sheild Family Dentistry for many years. In Part 1 of our interview we talk about the birth of the business, but also about significant youth experiences that shaped his character and understanding of his capabilities.
2023-12-1728 min
Christ In All Things2023 Good Shepherd Institute DebriefThis episode is a discussion of why we like to attend the Good Shepherd Institute. GSI is a conference for pastors, church musicians, and others involved in ecclesiastical arts. Held in early November at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, GSI is a wonderful opportunity to hear glorious church music, listen to first-class presentations on church music and pastoral theology, and interact with ecclesiastical artists and their work. Listeners will hear St. Paul’s Director of Parish Music, Allison Mackie, back on the program, and note our enthusiasm for what we encountered, and what an encouragement it was for ou...
2023-12-0235 min
Christ In All Things2023 Good Shepherd Institute DebriefThis episode is a discussion of why we like to attend the Good Shepherd Institute. GSI is a conference for pastors, church musicians, and others involved in ecclesiastical arts. Held in early November at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, GSI is a wonderful opportunity to hear glorious church music, listen to first-class presentations on church music and pastoral theology, and interact with ecclesiastical artists and their work. Listeners will hear St. Paul’s Director of Parish Music, Allison Mackie, back on the program, and note our enthusiasm for what we encountered, and what an encouragement it was for ou...
2023-12-0235 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Mark and Renee Ebert. Part 2Is there such a thing as “Christian entrepreneurship”? Mark and Renee Ebert would definitely say, “Yes!” They are the owners of Ebert’s Greenhouse Village (www.ebertsgreenhouse.com) in Ixonia, Wisconsin. In Part 2 of our interview we continue the conversation about what formed Mark, Renee, and their business. This takes us further into their history, and to the profound spiritual and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which changed the Eberts and the business they steward in Christ’s name and for His glory.
2023-11-2329 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Mark and Renee Ebert. Part 1In this wonderful interview you’ll meet Mark and Renee Ebert, owners of Ebert’s Greenhouse Village (www.ebertsgreenhouse.com) in Ixonia, Wisconsin. Ebert’s is now a “greenhouse experience,” with millions of dollars in gross income, but it didn’t start that way. Listen for the humble origins with Mark’s father, Mark’s “buy in,” and the arrival of Renee Baganz into Mark’s life and the ways they have grown as a couple and as a business. This is a beautiful and inspiring story of truly Christian entrepreneurship.
2023-11-2331 min
Christ In All Things2023 Advent-Christmas PreviewThis November-December (2023) is an interesting time. On the world stage there are disturbing wars in Ukraine and in Israel. There is metaphorical saber-rattling for the 2024 presidential election. There’s much about which to be concerned. But here, in our Christ In All Things 2023 Advent-Christmas Preview, we preview the St. Paul’s—Oconomowoc (WI) mid-week Advent series, “Peace on Earth” and our week-end theme, “Glorious Simplicity.” We also look forward to the 2023 Christmas season. In all this Christ offers us a peace that the world cannot give, a life rooted in the eternal Word, and an abiding hope.Listen for the...
2023-11-1727 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Cheryl Tesch. Part 2In Part 2 of our interview with Cheryl Tesch we talk about how Cheryl was formed by her service to the church, and by some very challenging situations in her life. Here, again, Cheryl’s candor and faithfulness are on display. It is a delightful conversation about how Christ forms His servants by the Word of God, suffering, and the fellowship of believers. (Recorded on August 30, 2023.)
2023-10-2933 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Cheryl Tesch. Part 1Every Christian congregation needs at least one Cheryl Tesch. She is a "get things done person." This is the first of our two-part interview with Cheryl, who (You will see 😊) is a Christian of deep faith, humility, candor, and good humor. Over the years she has served St. Paul’s in more ways than we could probably count. For the pastors who interview her and serve along side her, it’s a great honor. If you don’t know Cheryl, you’ll enjoy this introduction; if you do know her, it will deepen your appreciation for her journey in Christ.
2023-10-2929 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Dan Eifert. Part 2Part 2 of our interview with Dan Eifert is an American symphony of sorts. It is the story of a man and a woman (Dan and Rachelle) who are at a liberal arts university to pursue medical careers, but whose participation in a university choir—and the addition of a music major for one—becomes a prelude to a grander journey involving unforeseen career paths, travels around the world, and—both metaphorically and literally—a journey home, in which Christ is the center of a family where music, service, and cultivating the giftedness of children is a God-given joy and privilege.
2023-10-0834 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Dan Eifert. Part 1Dan Eifert comes from a long line of church workers; though he doesn’t have a formal “Divine Call” from the church, he and his family serve in many ways. In Part 1 of our interview with Dan we explore the power of a name, and of a family of people molded by Christ and Christ’s service in His Church.
2023-10-0827 min
Christ In All ThingsWonderfully Made. Part 2“Since the spiritual life is produced by the Holy Spirit for people with bodies, Christian spirituality is embodied piety.” Thus says Dr. John Kleinig in the Introduction (“Body Matters”) of his book, Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body. This is Part 2 of our ongoing conversation about Dr. Kleinig’s book. If you didn’t listen to Part 1, you’ll do well to start there. This overall topic, which is called "the theology of the body," is the topic of our time, for it is a discussion about what it means to be a human being. These discussions on Christ In All...
2023-09-1729 min
Christ In All ThingsWonderfully Made. Part 1“Our life in the body is messy,” says one of our hosts during this discussion, which is the first of several episodes wherein we will discuss Dr. John Kleinig’s book, Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body. The overall topic, which is called "the theology of the body," is the topic of our time, for it is a discussion about what it means to be a human being. These discussions on Christ In All Things will be helpful for Christians, giving us a better understanding, and we hope to have these conversations in a way that fair-minded non-Christians, also...
2023-09-1730 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Sara Benes. Part 2In Part 2 of our interview with Sara Benes, we continue the conversation about a life that flows from the centrality of church and family to a very moving conversation about the importance of Christ and daily meditation on His Word. For those who desire some kind of a devotional life, this interview with Sara will be both an inspiration and an example. Hers is a life marked by receiving and giving of love and hope of Christ.
2023-09-0332 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Sara Benes. Part 1Sara Ruth (Mueller) Benes was a seventh grader when her family moved to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin from Salt Lake City, Utah. The rest is living St. Paul’s history. Except for a time out-of-state in college and then early in her career and married life, Sara has been a fixture at St. Paul’s, where for some years she has been the third grade teacher at St. Paul’s Lutheran School. In this episode we reflect on the Biblical and familial importance of her name. Above all, in Part 1 of our interview, you’ll hear how thankful Sara is to come fro...
2023-09-0330 min
Christ In All ThingsGrieving with Hope: One YearOn August 8, 2022, Rev. Gary Schockman died in The LORD. In the last year Pastor Lance O’Donnell has been interviewing his colleague, Rev. Jason Schockman, about “grieving with hope.” In this interview, recorded one year after his father’s death, we hear through the discussion the abiding and life-changing hope that Christ gives, and—among other things—we hear about the importance of conversation seasoned with the salt of God’s Word.
2023-08-2039 min
Christ In All ThingsChristian Entrepreneurship: Stratil Enterprises, Inc. Part 2In Part 2 of our interview with Dale Stratil, we probe for the top 3-5 things that have formed Stratil Enterprises, Inc. (www.stratil.com) In the process we discovered that the Stratils laugh about operating a “boomerang factory.” We also discover how Dale and Kim enjoy working together, a fascinating correspondence with friendship, and that above all, Christian entrepreneurship “is not about how hard you work, but about how you work” for God, for your customer, and for one another.
2023-07-1630 min
Christ In All ThingsChristian Entrepreneurship: Stratil Enterprises, Inc. Part 1While pursuing a business and information technology degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a classmate of Dale Stratil (Pronounced STRAY-till) asked him if he was getting lots of questions about how to solve computer problems. The friend thought there would be a way for them to get paid for this. In 1994 that led to formation of Stratil Enterprises, Inc. (www.stratil.com), a customer-service focused technology firm that is foundationally and continually influenced by the Christian faith of its owners, Dale and Kim Stratil. Part 1 of our interview speaks of the foundations of the enterprise and asks the...
2023-07-1625 min
Christ In All ThingsSeason 2 IntroductionSeason Two of Christ In All Things will bring more teaching on the “theology of body,” worship, holiness, and friendship. We also plan to explore the joys and challenges of Christian entrepreneurship. In this conversation our hosts ponder the great opportunities for discussion ahead.
2023-06-0426 min
Christ In All ThingsSeason 1 Wrap Up. Part 2In part 2 of our Season 1 wrap-up, we start with a laugh . . . and then decide to keep laughing. . . because—as we look ahead to the Season 2 discussions and teaching about the “theology of the body”—it is a joy to be a redeemed child of God and enjoy the company of others. Laugh along with us as we talk about practical jokes we played on one another and give a glimpse into things we’ve been learning at St. Paul’s this year that will transfer to further and deeper teaching and conversation in Season 2, which will begin in June 2023. Thank you fo...
2023-04-1627 min
Christ In All ThingsSeason 1 Wrap Up. Part 1Christ in All Things is a local, congregational podcast. It is designed to be an ear into pastoral conversations about the life in Christ that has its epicenter at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. We teach on the podcast, and we listen to the stories of some wonderful people. As we wrap-up Season 1 we consider what we learned, reflecting on the joys and challenges of the Christian life and of podcasting.
2023-04-1632 min
Christ In All Things2023 Holy Week PreviewThe resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead changes everything. It means that all Jesus said is true. He is God in the flesh, who forgives the sins of all and gives new and eternal life. We encourage everyone to join us for that celebration, which is commonly called “Easter.” But, with this preview we want to encourage you to deepen your appreciation for Jesus’ resurrection . . . by participating in the remembrances of what happened to Jesus in the days leading up to His resurrection; notably, His suffering and death.The daily services of Holy Week at St. Paul’s begin wi...
2023-03-3020 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Dorothy Duchow. Part 2So often we go about our lives—going to school or work, going to the grocery store or out to eat—we see all kinds of different people… and have no idea of the incredible stories that are playing out among them. Dorothy Duchow is a sweet and kind church lady. She loves the Lord, loves to sing, loves to serve, but there’s a fascinating adventure story that formed her. Part 2 of our interview with discusses that story, her very important work and family history. Hers is a story of God at work. This interview is what Christ In All Thin...
2023-03-2632 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Dorothy Duchow. Part 1Dorothy means “God’s gift.” Fay in Hebrew means “loyalty, trust,” or “hope.” To meet Dorothy Fay Duchow is to know someone who confesses Jesus Christ as God’s gift, someone who lives in abiding hope. Part 1 of our interview with Dorothy discusses the significance of her name and her Great Depression-era beginnings in West Allis, Wisconsin, including a fascinating living situation as a girl, a wonderful experience with a Lutheran school teacher, and a remarkable lifetime friend.
2023-03-2530 min
Christ In All ThingsWorship Whatnot 5: Why We PrintFamily life has all kinds of “unintended consequences.” For example, you may walk the path together in one way for years and then have to take a different route because of construction… and discover a new and fascinating path. Something analogous happened at St. Paul’s in 2022. After years of struggling with a sound system that didn’t work well in our acoustical environment, a new line array speaker was installed that significantly improved things. Installation of the new speaker required taking down an old projection screen that was used primarily for the order of worship at our 10:30 service. We needed...
2023-03-0533 min
Christ In All Things2023 Lent PreviewFrom ancient times, the Church has kept the season of Lent as a time of prayerful and penitential reflection. We fast. We refrain from “Alleluias” (Hebrew for “praise The LORD”). Musical adornment is diminished, etc. It is also, historically, a time of intense teaching leading up to the remembrance of Jesus death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. In this “2023 Lent Preview” Pastors O’Donnell and Schockman talk about the teaching emphasis on the “theology of the body” and on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) emphasis on the song of the church.
2023-02-1932 min
Christ In All ThingsGrieving with Hope: Six Months LaterThis is our second-last conversation with Rev. Jason Schockman about “Grieving with hope.” We recorded this, by design, was one half-year after his father’s death. There isn’t a great “milestone” in this episode, and every grief journey is unique, but this conversation is a journey of memory, and as such it is an example of the kind of questions one might ask as one walks with another in grief.
2023-02-1932 min
Christ In All ThingsGrieving with Hope: The HolidaysOur last conversation with Rev. Jason Schockman occurred just a month after his father’s death. That was a conversation filled with Christian hope and thankfulness. This conversation in our “Grieving with Hope” series picks up after the Schockmans passed through “the holiday season”: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. The hope and thankfulness remain a steady current… but it’s different. As such, this conversation may be helpful to others struggling with post-holiday grief. It may also be helpful to those looking for ways to support those who are grieving. Throughout—as you will hear—the love and hope and Christ abid
2023-02-0530 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Mary Hickenbottom. Part 2Full of energy and the joy of Christ, Mary Hickenbottom serves as a sister, a friend, a realtor, a property manager, and as the volunteer Director of The Lord’s Cupboard, the food pantry of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Part 2 of our interview with Mary is an exploration of how Jesus Christ led Mary to quietly direct a service of the congregation by which God gives daily bread to those in need. This interview is also an opportunity to hear how The Lord’s Cupboard works and to hear Mary, in particular, rejoice in the team w...
2023-01-2238 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Mary Hickenbottom. Part 1Mary Kay (Zastrow) Hickenbottom is a “lifer” at St. Paul’s: Baptized, confirmed, married, etc. Oconomowoc community members may know her as a realtor and property manager; many others know her as the volunteer Director of St. Paul’s food pantry, “The Lord’s Cupboard.” In Part 1 of our interview with Mary we explore—even as flawed as she admits that she is—how Jesus Christ began to mold her into a unique servant of The LORD. As you will hear, she comes from great stock: the late +Dennis+ and +Florence+ Zastrow are her parents. (If you listened to our interview with...
2023-01-2229 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Glenn Leidel. Part 2Glenn Leidel is a tall, strong, gentle man, This, Part Two of our interview with Glenn, takes us from some very formative childhood experiences, to the exploration of his “pun-y-ness,” to his courtship and marriage to Linda (nee Eggers), to children, grandchildren, the importance of Christian education, and service in the church, where he is—as Pastor Schockman says—“immensely active.”
2023-01-0832 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Glenn Leidel. Part 1Glenn Robert Leidel is a retired deputy fire chief. That alone tells you a lot about his understanding of life as a call to service, an understanding that is rooted in his Christian faith. Those around St. Paul’s presently may know Glenn primarily as the guy who helps get things done with church properties, but he is also a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a musician, a churchman. This is Part One of a two-part conversation with this fine man of faith, a conversation about his faithful and challenging origins. To listen to this conversation is to...
2023-01-0830 min
Christ In All ThingsWorship Whatnot 4.Why We Sing in Church“Worship Whatnot 4: Why Do We Sing in Church?” is the fourth episode in our Worship Whatnot series. How we answer this question has a deep impact on the music selected for public worship, especially in the Divine Service. Our guest is St. Paul’s Director of Parish Music, Allison Mackie. Her perspective on singing together in the Divine Service is wonderful in the true sense of the word. We sing the truths of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as God has revealed it. We confess what we have received from God. We receive and give the love and ho...
2022-12-2326 min
Christ In All Things"Contact Holiness," a Reformation Tap Society preview with Nathan MeadorNathan Meador says that we have “contact holiness” in Christ. What???? To find out that means come hear his Reformation Tap Society talk, “Where Worlds Intersect: Why the Body of Jesus Changes Everything,” on Sunday, December 18, 2022 at Brewfinity in Oconomwoc, Wisconsin. Social time begins at 5pm. The talk begins at 5:30pm. First time guests receive a beverage on us. Brewfinity is located at N58W39800 Industrial Rd. Oconomowoc, WI 53066. Search for “Reformation Tap Society” on social media for more information.
2022-12-1005 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Bill Voss. Part 2Bill Voss is one of the very few living World War II veterans, and there are a lot of interviews with WWII veterans about the war. Those are important conversations, but perhaps even more important is what these folks built when they came home: in the family, in the church, and in the community. Part 2 of our interview explores Bill’s life after the war. It is an ordinary conversation about God at work in common ways… and that is marvelous. We have a good laugh about Bill doing whatever was necessary for him to get his preferred pew in c...
2022-12-0434 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Bill Voss. Part 1For the second-half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century people, thousands of people walked by William Henry Frederick “Bill” Voss on the street, worked next to him at the Carnation factory, or sat next to him in church… and likely had little or no idea of the extraordinary story that God was unfolding. Bill was born on June 24, 1922. His father died when he was a fourth grader, and he had to drop out of school, become the man of the house, and take care of the farm. In Part 1 of our interview with Bill we marvel at the...
2022-12-0325 min
Christ In All ThingsThe Michael and Jenny Stollenwerk StoryIn June 2021, still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lutheran school teacher and wrestling coach, Michael Stollenwerk went in for what was expected to be—all things considered—a minor brain surgery. Things went well at first. And then they didn’t go well… And then Jenny Stollenwerk had a front row seat to a miracle.Our interview with Michael and Jenny was recorded live at St. Paul’s 2022 Biblical Marriage Retreat. This is an account of perseverance, faith, hope, and love. It’s an account of two faithful Lutheran school teachers who were busy doing their thing…...
2022-11-2331 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Gary Flanagan. Part 2This is Part 2 of our interview with a living legend, Gary Flanagan. We take a deeper dive into the youth group activities, Christian education, and other St. Paul’s legends who formed him. And then the conversation swings to the quiet but important ways in which Gary has been led to serve. In all this we see Christ at work in the lives of many, many people. It is an inspiration for our life together.This conversation was recorded on 6 September, A.D. 2022.
2022-11-0630 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Gary Flanagan. Part 1Gary Flanagan is a fixture at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. A legend. But he’s not the flamboyant, extroverted type. He works with his hands, mostly behind the scenes, faithfully and quietly serving his family, neighbors, and church. In Part 1 of our interview we talk a lot about the faithful and independent parents who formed him… and some very other important people in the life of St. Paul’s.This conversation was recorded on 6 September, A.D. 2022.
2022-11-0632 min
Christ In All ThingsGrieving with Hope: One Month LaterOne month after his father’s death, Rev. Jason Schockman’s grief is different than it was earlier… and complicated. Grieving with hope is confidence in Christ in all things, but in this world we also wrestle with our own sinful flesh. The Christian will simultaneously love God’s Word and need it… and within moments recoil at expressions of sympathy. Whether you’ve experienced grief or not, this conversation is an interesting ear into grieving with hope.This conversation was recorded on 23 September, A.D. 2022.
2022-10-1730 min
Christ In All ThingsAdriana Lubner. Part 2This is Part 2 of our interview with Adriana Lubner, a Lutheran Kindergarten teacher who loves to learn and to serve. Though in her mid-20s, she has served on a number of mission trips, and has a delightful stubborn streak that has made her an excellent runner and a passionate witness of the good new of forgiveness and life in Jesus Christ.Recorded 30 August, A.D. 2022
2022-09-2528 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Adriana Lubner. Part 1Adriana Lubner teaches Kindergarten (5K) at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. She also is the middle school youth director, and coaches cross-country and track. She is a recent graduate of Concordia University—Wisconsin, was homeschooled as a youth, and has had an amazing family and people who helped form her as a human being. She started teaching Sunday School to her neighbors when she was little. She is an inspiring example of what it means to be confident in Christ.Recorded 30 August, A.D. 2022.
2022-09-2529 min
Christ In All ThingsWorship Whatnot 3.The Service of The Sacrament“Worship Whatnot 3: The Service of The Sacrament” is the third episode of a three-part series on worship. There are two great “foundation stones” of Christian worship: Word and Sacrament. This episode is about The Lord’s Supper; in particular, about the ceremony around and about this Sacrament. The Lord’s Supper is exceedingly important on many levels. If you’re not familiar with Christian teaching on The Lord’s Supper, or come from a church tradition that doesn’t focus much on it, this episode might be a bit of a mind-bender for you. All the more reason to listen. All the mo...
2022-09-1133 min
Christ In All ThingsGrieving with Hope. The First Week. Part 2 of 2Grieving with hope is confidence in Christ in all things. Because it is confidence in Christ, it weeps at death because it knows what death really is, and because it is confidence in Christ it abounds in thanksgiving for what is truly good and true and beautiful. Grieving with hope is deeply, deeply personal… and familial. Part 2 of our interview with Jason Schockman, just two days after his father’s funeral, takes us deep into the glories and trials of the Christian family.This conversation was recorded 19 August, A.D. 2022.
2022-08-2834 minChrist In All ThingsGrieving with Hope. The First Week. Part 1 of 2“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope,” the LORD says through St. Paul. “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14, ESV) To listen to this conversation with Jason Schockman, recorded just two days after his father’s funeral, is to hear a man grieving with hope… and to speak with poignant reverence for his faithful, Christian mother.“Week 1” of “Grieving with Hope”...
2022-08-2826 min
Christ In All ThingsFriend or Brother? Part 2Jason Schockman is a Lutheran pastor. Mark Tredray is a Lutheran school teacher. Their friendship goes back well before those vocations were given… but once they were given the friendship became all the more poignant and important, for—while they are still just Christian men—they are also Christian men whose vocations come with particular challenges. Part 2 of our conversation deepens the conversation and gives insight not only into Christian friendship generally but to the nuances of church worker friendships; in particular, to the importance of pastoral friendships. Enjoy the second-half of the conversation between these two great friends.T...
2022-08-2131 min
Christ In All ThingsFriend or Brother? Part 1Jason Schockman and Mark Tredray have a special friendship that dates back to 1997. It’s a friendship rooted in Christ and deepened through shared experience. We at St. Paul’s want to encourage people to have Christian friendships, to be open to meeting fellow Christians, and making the commitment to love, service, and companionship that true friendship is. Enjoy Part 1 of this conversation between two great friends… Or are they brothers?Recorded 10 June 2022.
2022-08-1928 min
Christ In All ThingsColin Murdy and the Murdy Creative CompanyColin Murdy was simply being generous, as his parents taught him to be, but by placing a stunning leather journal in another’s hand he opened a window of discovery. It turned out to be an important act of Christian service. In this bonus episode of Christ In All Things we interview Colin, the founder and CEO of the Murdy Creative Company. Our interview begins with a very personal “thank you,” and our conversation ranges from the goodness of the creation, to acts of service, the importance of handwriting, entrepreneurship, etc. For more information about the Murdy Creative Company, see ht...
2022-08-051h 07
Christ In All ThingsWorship Whatnot 2: The Service of The Word“Worship Whatnot 2: The Service of The Word” is the second of a three-part series on worship. It concerns the first of two great foundation stones of the Church’s worship. The Service of The Word is a marvelous symphony of receiving and giving, of hearing and responding to the Word of Christ that sets us free from sin and death. If what you know is more of a fast-food type of religion, “Worship Whatnot 2: The Service of The Word” will help prepare you for the theological feast that awaits in the Lutheran Divine Service.Everyone can learn from this...
2022-07-3129 min
Christ In All ThingsRoxie Gerlach. Part 2This is Part 2 of our delightful interview with Roxie Gerlach. We talk about her family’s life in Christ. We learn a lot about aging gracefully from Roxie’s reflection upon her parents, Andy and Louise Stenson.
2022-07-2025 min
Christ In All ThingsRoxie Gerlach, Part 1Roxie Gerlach is a legend at St. Paul’s. She taught Kindergarten for 40 years. Her love for Christ, her goofy wit, her tenderness and faithfulness and persistence in teaching little children is remarkable. She also comes from remarkable people. When we interviewed her on 17 May 2022 Roxie’s blessed mother, Louise Stensen, had recently been called to the Church Triumphant. A lot of this interview is about her parents, aging gracefully, and what she learned from them.
2022-07-2027 min
Christ In All ThingsWorship Whatnot 1.The PreparationAs a follow-up to Episode 3, “Visiting St. Paul’s,” with “Worship Whatnot 1: The Preparation,” we begin a three-part series on “why we do what we do” in worship. “The Preparation” is about how and why the Lutheran worship service (Divine Service) begins the way it does. Everyone can learn from this series, but these are geared toward visitors who come with either no significant church background or Christians who come from “evangelical,” “non-denominational,” and non-liturgical backgrounds.
2022-07-0324 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Jill George, Principal of the Year, Pt. 2This is part 2 of our interview with Jill George, the 2021-2022 South Wisconsin District (LCMS) “Principal of the Year.” She’s an outstanding educator and administrator. She is a great woman of faith who keeps “Christ in all things,” but learning that and living that has not been a linear process for Jill. In Part 2 of our interview we get a deeper understanding of the trials and difficulties by which Christ formed Jill.
2022-06-1927 min
Christ In All ThingsMeet Jill George, Principal of the Year, Pt. 1Jill George is the 2021-2022 South Wisconsin District (LCMS) “Principal of the Year.” She’s an outstanding educator and administrator. She is a great woman of faith who keeps “Christ in all things,” but learning that and living that has not been a linear process for Jill. In Part 1 of our interview we get to know Jill and begin to see the unique ways by which Christ formed her.
2022-06-1827 min
Christ In All ThingsVisiting St. Paul'sPlanning to visit St. Paul’s? This episode will help you know what to expect and understand what you’ll see. We approach this from our location in downtown Oconomowoc (Oh-CAHN-o-mo-wok), Wisconsin. You’ll discover that the architecture and artwork at St. Paul’s both reflect and teach what we believe about Christ.
2022-06-0830 min
Christ In All Things2022-05-22.Youth Group Live.Part 2In Part 2 of our bonus episode of Christ In All Things we continue the interview with some of the Youth Group at St. Paul’s. We’re talking about names and nicknames. We talked about the significance of how we reflect the meaning and importance names have in relationships with one another and with God in Christ, and we talk about keeping Christ In All Things in college.
2022-05-2239 min
Christ In All Things2022-05-22.Youth Group Live.Part 1In this bonus episode of Christ In All Things we interview some of the Youth Group at St. Paul’s. We’re talking about names and nicknames. We talked about the significance of how we reflect the meaning and importance names have in relationships with one another and with God in Christ.
2022-05-2225 min
Christ In All ThingsBiblical Marriage Month.Don and Karen Meyer.Part 1June is “Biblical Marriage Month” at St. Paul’s. It is a celebration of God’s design for marriage, even as it is lived out in the brokenness of this world. Christ is “in all things.” (Col 1.17) He is in marriages that are thriving, and in marriages that are struggling. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27, ESV) Christ’s call is to follow, and since—per Ephesians 5—the marriage of Christ and His Church is the true marriage, we all have a vested interest in helping God’s design for marriage be known an...
2022-05-2229 min
Christ In All ThingsBiblical Marriage Month.Don and Karen Meyer.Part 2This is “Part 2” of our interview with Don and Karen Meyer.June is “Biblical Marriage Month” at St. Paul’s. It is a celebration of God’s design for marriage, even as it is lived out in the brokenness of this world. Christ is “in all things.” (Col 1.17) He is in marriages that are thriving, and in marriages that are struggling. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27, ESV) Christ’s call is to follow, and since—per Ephesians 5—the marriage of Christ and His Church is the true marriage, we all have...
2022-05-2222 minChrist In All ThingsChrist In All Things IntroductionWelcome to Christ in All Things, which will officially launch on 5.22.22
2022-05-0601 min