Under the Fig Tree

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Kati Gaschler sit down with Concordia Seminary alum (’96, ’05) Rev. W. Max Mons, who is pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel and University Center in Iowa City, Iowa, and also chairman of the Seminary’s Board of Regents.

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Kati Gaschler welcome back Dr. Benjamin Haupt, the former podcast host and founder who has been on sabbatical during the spring semester. The two men share big announcements that they both are moving on to other calls: Ben as global executive director of PLI and Micah as head of school at Sierra Lutheran High School in Carson City, Nev. Kati surprises Micah with some pineapple pizza, a recurring topic on the podcast, which he agrees to eat and continues to loathe. The two men also share some words of advice and parting words. “Concordia Seminary not only shaped and formed me to be a pastor my first time around as a student but deeply molded, shaped, formed my life to be a witness for Jesus in profound ways, ways that I will never understand,” Ben says. “This is a fantastic place to come and learn the Word of Christ and to study who God is and to learn what it means to serve Christ’s church among people who absolutely love His church. Listeners, hear loud and clear that Micah and I absolutely love this place. And you would do very well to check out Concordia Seminary.” Micah thanks everyone for listening and told them not to lament. “This isn’t the end of the podcast,” he says. “There’s something that happens when you come to study here,” Micah says. “You are blown away. You’re completely overwhelmed. You probably have a little bit of imposter’s syndrome. In the midst of all that, you are growing closer and closer to your classmates. You’re growing closer and closer to the faculty members. You’re growing closer to God’s church. And before you know it, somebody’s calling you to be their pastor. God has blessed me with this experience. … There is no other place in the world like Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the trio feel about cold pizza, grilled pizza, McDonald’s McCrispy chicken sandwich, stargazing and more!

“Under the Fig Tree” is a video and audio podcast of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. New video and audio episodes are added weekly each Monday during the academic year. “Under the Fig Tree” can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site (scholar.csl.edu) and most podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Kati Gaschler sit down with Concordia Seminary alum Rev. Mark Renner (M.Div. ’20), one of the pastors at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Janesville, Wis. During the episode, Mark shares what led him to go into ministry as a pastor and discusses his recently published book, Curious Cases: A Series of Short Pastoral Case Studies (2024, Wipf and Stock Publishers). “We can empathize with other Christians or with non-Christians by reading this and understand where they are headed,” said Mark.

He also reflects on encountering difficult societal issues in ministry. “All of the problems, all the issues that are taking place in our society, we [as Christians] are either directly or indirectly dealing with. We’re influenced by society. And we have security in our Baptism to discuss difficult things,” he said. “That’s the real world that we’re encountering and trying to responsibly share this message of grace.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how he feels about pineapple on pizza, Wisconsin Dells, the new Star Trek movies and Vibram shoes. 

“Under the Fig Tree” is a video and audio podcast of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. New video and audio episodes are added weekly each Monday during the academic year. “Under the Fig Tree” can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site (scholar.csl.edu) and most podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Kati Gaschler sit down with Concordia Seminary alum Rev. Will Hanke (M.Div. ’07), who shares some highlights from his time serving as a student recruitment ambassador for the Seminary. As he thinks of creative ways to connect prospective students to the Seminary and help them discern God’s direction for their lives, Hanke said, “What it means is that I get to be a pastor at my church, but then I get to occasionally go and spend time at events recruiting people. If you know somebody, just pass them to me, and I’ll help them get connected with the Seminary. It doesn’t have to mean that their life-changing decision is right now. We just want to start that conversation with them.” Hanke also shares some advice for prospective students. “Ask pastors you know and be ready to talk about it now,” Hanke said. In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how he feels about pineapple on pizza, prickly pear, walking in wet grass, kayaking, spaghetti squash, tofu and more. 

“Under the Fig Tree” is a video and audio podcast of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. New video and audio episodes are added weekly each Monday during the academic year. “Under the Fig Tree” can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site (scholar.csl.edu) and most podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler sit down with Concordia Seminary alum Rev. Chaplain Kyle Mietzner (M.Div. ’10), who shares his path to chaplaincy. He shares how he discovered that chaplaincy is a beautiful ministry standing where chaplains serve alongside soldiers and provide religious support. “God has gifted me with something that I could never see coming …,” he shares. “There is no one standard path to the ministry, and mine is all over the place.” Kyle also shares some advice for prospective students, “If you can do something else, do that. You will have to have internal motivation that comes only from the Holy Spirit to do this job. It’s a wonderful life; it’s a beautiful life.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how Kyle feels about pineapple on pizza, potato wedges, kale smoothies, “That ’70s Show,” conversations with Uber drivers and more. 

https://youtu.be/k-0eidk3Sds

“Under the Fig Tree” is a video and audio podcast of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. New video and audio episodes are added weekly each Monday during the academic year. “Under the Fig Tree” can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site (scholar.csl.edu) and most podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler sit down with Deaconess Studies student Abby Reynolds, who shares her unique path to the Seminary. She offers details about how God nudged her from being a pre-medical student to a deaconess student. “I had to really switch my mindset from caring for people in the medical field to people in ministry,” Abby shares. “I think if I had known about a deaconess and the options in high school, I probably would have done that.” Abby also shares some advice for prospective students. She encourages them to pray and ask “God to reveal your motivations to go into church work.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how Abby feels about pineapple on pizza, string cheese, the Shrek series, avocado toast and the song “Careless Whisper.”

“Under the Fig Tree” is a video and audio podcast of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. New video and audio episodes are added weekly each Monday during the academic year. “Under the Fig Tree” can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site (scholar.csl.edu) and most podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) sit down with Master of Divinity (M.Div.) student Erik Johnson and his wife, Erin. The couple shares the unique pathway to Seminary after Erik served as a Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) in New York City. They offer a few details about how they decided to move to St. Louis to study more and complete the M.Div. degree. “I did a couple of years as pastor in the office, but it seemed that things were such that this was the direction that we needed to go. There was a lot of discernment in that process,” Erik says. “To use the cliché, that this was the open door, and … one thing led to another, and we found ourselves here at the Seminary.” The couple also share some advice for prospective students and their wives. “This is a journey that is impossible without your faith,” Erik says. “And living your faith out with the people God has placed around you as you take that journey.” Erin added, “Attend the orientation because that is where you learn where everything is and that you are part of this process as much as your husband. The second thing is, no flashcards at dinner.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the couple feels about pineapple on pizza, Peeps, RomComs, IKEA, fruit cake and public transportation!

“Under the Fig Tree” is a video and audio podcast of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. New video and audio episodes are added weekly each Monday during the academic year. “Under the Fig Tree” can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site (scholar.csl.edu) and most podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) chat with Jessica Bordeleau, a rostered church worker who serves as the Seminary’s director of digital publishing. A Wisconsin native, she developed a love for theology at an early age and spent many years working in Lutheran summer camps. She studied to be a teacher at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, and later earned a Master of Arts from the Seminary. She currently produces two podcasts for the Seminary called “Lectionary Kick-start” and “Tangible: Theology Learned and Lived.” “Don’t be afraid to ask God how He wants you to serve in His church or maybe outside of His church,” she says. “Man, God’s got a lot of work to do and He will enable you to do it. Don’t be afraid to be a church worker. If He calls you, He will enable you. … I never ended up being a classroom teacher but I teach all the time.” Her additional advice for those considering coming to the Seminary? “Stay connected to God through His Word and continue to pray,” she says. “The way God talks to us is through His Word and through prayer.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how she and hosts feel about pineapple on pizza, maple syrup, “Napolean Dynamite” and more!

“Under the Fig Tree” is a video and audio podcast of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. New video and audio episodes are added weekly each Monday during the academic year. “Under the Fig Tree” can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site (scholar.csl.edu) and most podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Those interested in vocational ministry are invited to join the Seminary contact list at https://ask.csl.edu/register/Request-Information. You can learn more about Concordia Seminary at http://www.csl.edu or by contacting the admissions team at [email protected] or 800-822-9545.

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) talk via Zoom with Dr. Maurice Boyer, music director for the American Kantorei and associate professor of music at Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill. He shares about his journey from a child of music teachers who taught on a seminary campus in the south of France. He also shares some highlights about J.S. Bach and his well-known St. John Passion, which will be performed at Concordia Seminary on Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024. It is part of the Seminary’s celebration of the 300th anniversary celebration of the piece. “This is music he wrote for the worship service,” he says of Bach. The St. John Passion was “intended for performance in the liturgy.” His advice for prospective church workers? “Love the people with whom you work,” he says. “That’s a pretty beautiful thing.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how he feels about poached eggs, ergonomic pillows, DIY projects, salt on watermelon and more!

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) talk with first-year Residential Alternate Route student Craig Wenzlick and his wife, Angela. He grew up in a small town in western Nebraska and earned an undergraduate degree from the Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward. He worked as an engineer for many years, while also serving lay leadership positions in his congregation. Finally, in the early 2020s, as his work hours increased from eight hours a day to 15-plus, he asked himself: “What can I do that’s in the church more and does shepherding and service and supporting people,” he says. He looked at his wife and “she kind of gave me the look. ‘You know it.’” He talked to a pastor who told him to just apply to the Seminary. “Just follow the path,” Craig remembers the pastor telling him. “Then, at any point you feel like this is not a good idea, just jump off the path,” the pastor told him. “Eventually we applied and here we are,” Craig says. Angela, who is a rostered church worker and currently works as a teacher at a local Lutheran school, said the couple had a “peace” about their transition to the Seminary. “If the Holy Spirit is putting this on your heart, let’s check it out,” she says. “It was a major decision to leave family, but we just kept praying about it and depending on the Holy Spirit to just keep moving us along.” They also share some advice for those considering ministry. “I’d say just be open to exploring and stepping out in faith and be listening to the Holy Spirit,” Angela says. “Just be in prayer. Ask your community of family and friends to bathe you in prayer.” Craig adds, “I would say talking to the pastor was definitely one of the good things that we did. We didn’t talk to a pastor that we knew really, really well. We talked to someone who knew us but had no skin in the game.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the guests and the Wenzlicks feel about pineapple on pizza, cinnamon rolls and chili, and more!