Under the Fig Tree

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 first-year Master of Divinity student Dan Hampton, an Indiana native, and his wife, Christie, who also serves as a communications specialist at the Seminary. The couple share how they ended up at the Seminary after Dan served as a Director of Christian Education in Indiana and Colorado. They offer a few details about how they made the decision to move to St. Louis as a family with two children. “The way things all lined up, I can only attribute it to the work of the Holy Spirit,” Dan says. “I could not do this without Christie’s support. … Without Christie,  I still don’t think I would be here. God’s continually knocking on the door. … We both sat down and prayed and made the decision together as a couple, as a family. Now it’s cool to see how God continues to open doors. It’s been fun. It’s been a fun experience.” The couple also share some advice for prospective students and their wives. “Look to the people around you and into the Scriptures,” Dan says. “Really listen and abide in God’s Word. And trust the Holy Spirit. If He’s calling you here, [He’s] going to keep knocking on your door.” Christie added, “I would say specifically to the wives, follow in faith. Because a lot of times I think who you are listening to, what you are listening to about what a pastor’s wife is isn’t the truth as opposed to what God has in store for you. [Be] more aware of what those fears are and [don’t let] that speak and make your decisions rather than letting it be God saying, ‘This is where you go.’ And just do it.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the trio feel about pineapple on pizza, Fruit Roll-ups, cilantro, the TV show “Parks and Recreation” 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) visit with Kati’s husband, Rev. Paul Gaschler, associate pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in St. Louis. A 2019 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., Paul grew up in a small town in Nebraska and originally planned on becoming a music teacher but later felt the tug to pastoral ministry. “At some point you just have to accept what has been laid at your feet and realize you want to do this,” Paul says. “It’s wild to think how many years I’ve been a pastor. Sometimes I feel like I just graduated.” He also shares some advice for prospective pastors who may be focusing on all “can’ts”: “You have your reasons why you can’t be a pastor. You’re considering it but you’re like, I can’t become a pastor because of whatever. I think it’s helpful if you list those things and work through them with someone.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the trio feel about chili and cinnamon, pineapple on pizza, waterskiing 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) share some New Year’s goals and insight into their positions at the Seminary to recruit and welcome prospective students. They also talk about plans to further connect the Seminary with Lutheran summer camps. “We’re going to hopefully send some of our current students in the summer to do some field work at these camps, maybe work on doing some recruiting,” Kati says. “Camp people are a different breed. I never went to camp, but they’re really great.” “There’s an energy to camp counselors and camp people for sure,” Micah adds. In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the duo feel about NASCAR, demolition derbies and talk-to-text!

“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 is joined by temporary host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) in a thought-provoking discussion with Jacob Manning, a second-year Master of Divinity student who is preparing for next year’s vicarage. Jacob grew up in California. His father was a pastor and his mother, a director of Christian education (DCE). He knew from age 7 that he wanted to be a pastor someday. For years, the family led a church that didn’t have a permanent building and would have to set up everything for a service and tear it down afterwards. That nomadic church experience has shaped his view of the church. “I feel like the church is everywhere,” he says. “We are the church. We are the people of God. And so I look at the building of the church, and I’m like, it’s really cool. It’s really awesome. At the same time, God is everywhere. God is present everywhere. Even in a small ballroom of a hotel, God is still there.” Jacob’s father experienced some hurt as a pastor but that didn’t dissuade Jacob from the pull to pastoral ministry himself. “You learn so much from just the people you talk to,” he says. “I think that’s honestly the greatest joy of ministry, which is also probably the deepest sorrow — people. … The people in a church are some of the most amazing things in the world.” He also shares some advice for others who are considering a church work career: “In spite of your concerns, in spite of your worries, in spite of your questions, you should come. If you’re thinking of doing this, but you have this question or you have this worry or this thing that happened to you awhile back, don’t let that stop you. You should still pursue it. You should see what’s going on at the Seminary. There’s a lot of great things happening here, a lot of formation that’s going to happen. Maybe your question will be answered. Maybe it won’t. … Don’t let worries, concerns, questions stop you from coming here to the Seminary.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the trio feel about multicolored pens, Trivial Pursuit, church coffee, peanut butter 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, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt chat with Lydia Grabau, a first-year residential Deaconess Studies student. Grabau, whose father is a pastor, is a second-career student. She studied theater and English as an undergraduate student and worked in Lutheran camps before feeling the tug to church work. It’s something she resisted for a “long time.” “I grew up in the church,” she says. “People would always say, ‘Do you want to be a teacher?’ That’s what people always say when you are a girl.” Her reply? “Are you kidding me? I live with a church worker,” she would say. “I don’t want that. That’s not me. I also don’t fit stereotypes of what people think of, especially a female church worker. [I’m a] pretty loud, rowdy person. Now, I think it’s a great reason to be in ministry because there are people who see themselves reflected [in people like me]. There’s a place for you in the church even if you are a loud and opinionated person.” Her advice for prospective students? “The Holy Spirit’s going to get you here,” she says. “You can Jonah it all you want. I sure tried, but if this is where you’re supposed to be, you’re going to end up here. In the long run, that will be a good thing. This journey was not direct or easy but now that I’m here, it’s right.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the trio feel about “Auld Lang Syne,” cold pizza, New Year’s number eyeglasses, Amazon’s deals of the day 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, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt sit down with fourth-year Master of Divinity student Dillon Weber, who also serves as the Student Association president. Weber grew up in Washington and describes his nontraditional path to the Seminary. “I didn’t grow up Christian,” he says. “My parents were Christian growing up but after Confirmation they kind of fell away from the faith. They married, they had me and church was not a part of our lives although my mom did have me baptized when I was a baby … because that’s what you did. Looking back It’s very easy to see God being faithful to His promises.” Dillon became a Christian in middle school and later studied chemistry and teaching in college before discerning God’s pull toward pastoral ministry. He also talks about the importance of practicing daily gratitude, something he began practicing during his undergraduate studies. “It’s easy to look at the world and perceive that God is not doing something, that God is not answering His people’s prayers,” he says. “But He is. It’s trite but God does make all things work together. Practicing gratitude and thanksgiving will help foster that kind of mindset.” He also shares advice for prospective students. “Pray about it,” he says. “Foster a strong prayer life and it’ll be immensely beneficial.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the men feel about bubbly water, hard lemonade, Nirvana, Yeti cups 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, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt chat with Rev. Lawton Thompson, associate pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Des Peres, Mo. A former firefighter, he completed both the Specific Ministry Pastor Program (SMP) and the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) programs at Concordia Seminary. The SMP Program is a four-year pastoral distance education program that prepares men for specific pastoral ministries in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Lawton recalls taking some SMP online courses Tuesday nights with other men from around the country who also were part of the program. “Just being able to learn things on Tuesday night and then walk into the office on Wednesday morning and put it right into practice ... It was hands-on, on-the-job training and it was beautiful,” he says. “It really was formational for me.” Later, he chose to move to St. Louis to complete an M.Div., the Seminary’s residential pastoral degree, after he discerned that God was pulling him toward full-time ministry instead of part-time, bi-vocational ministry. “As I stepped into that and looked forward to that, I said this will put a little more meat on my bones for ministry. That’s really what I thought was accomplished as I made that transition to the M.Div. Program,” he says. “I feel more confident in teaching in certain areas than I did before.” He also shares some advice for others who are considering a church work career: “The No. 1 thing is to pray. … Prayer is a conversation with God. … We can have a lot of great ideas. His ideas are always best so let Him lead you. He’s going to lead you in ways that you might not expect. He’s going to show you because that’s who He is. He wants you to serve Him in the way that He’s created you to serve Him.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the trio feel about rock climbing, turtleneck sweaters, Monopoly 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, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt bring Allen Dass, a fourth-year Master of Divinity student, into the studio. Allen, who immigrated to the United States from India with his family when he was 1 month old, shares highlights from his journey to Lutheranism and to the Seminary. His advice for prospective students? “The one thing I would say is just do,” he says. “Just be the Gospel. Just do it. … Just try to share  Christ with people. By sharing, I mean, by actually being that presence, being there, thinking in your mind, if Christ was here right now, what would He do? Make that part of how you live out the faith.” He also offers a perspective on arriving at the Seminary from New York as a person of color on a largely Caucasian campus. “From my experience, it’s been a very safe place to be who you are and to be accepted,” he says. “Yes, you come from a unique background and God is going to use you through that. I felt that from every step, from the admissions process to sitting in the classroom, talking to professors. … I felt so welcomed coming to this campus.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the men feel about pumpkin pie, soft pretzels with nacho cheese and duck. Also find out the nagging answer to the question: Does Ben like pork rinds? 

“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, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt chat with Sam Aizenberg, a fourth-year Master of Divinity student. Raised by a Jewish father and Southern Baptist mother, Sam took a long and winding road to Lutheranism. After being raised in the Conservative Jewish faith, he attended Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, where he was first exposed to Lutheran doctrine and beliefs. After attending a nondenominational Christian church for several years, he eventually started attending a Lutheran church as an undergraduate. “The first time I went in there, the Lutheran church, it was like drinking water for the first time in four or five years,” he recalls. “The people were so kind and friendly but really that feeling of having that thirst quenched, that great spiritual thirst, was during the sermon. It felt like home.” Sam also shares why his vicarage year was the “very best year” and offers some advice for prospective students. “You don’t need to compare yourself to others and where you come from,” he says. “I think some people think, ‘Wow, I need to have some incredible story,’ or ‘I need to be the ninth generation or something.’ No, if you want to pursue church work, go for it. … Just come and be willing to be formed. God will use you in the capacity that He’s going to. Remember, you’re not the gift to the church. The church is Christ’s gift to you.” In the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the men feel about bungee jumping, military time on phone, recliner sleeping, kale 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 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, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt sit down with Jacob Rhodes, a Master of Divinity graduate and Master of Sacred Theology student at Concordia Seminary. Hear what Jacob found so surprising about his historical theology courses at the Seminary and his thoughts on being single in the church. “The church can often tend to be, I think in our circles, a family-oriented church rather than a family-friendly church,” he says. “There’s nothing wrong with being married and having kids. … But single people still matter and are members of the church and are redeemed by Christ.” Also hear his three-pronged advice for prospective students: “Get your foundation laid,” he says. “Don’t go reading the biggest books you can possibly find. Actually memorize the Small Catechism. Read your Large Catechism. Figure out what the basics are. Get that solidified. No. 2: Get your devotional life in order. … Start praying, start reading. The most important part is always just prayer. You have to be in conversation with God. You have to be in conversation with His saints, with your pastor, you guys in the office. It’s not just you alone. This is never just an interaction between you and God. It’s an interaction between you and God, you and the church and the other saints, you and all these people who God is living in. Foundation, devotion, prayer. Get that all knocked out.” On a lighter note, hear the trio debate the age-old question of which fast-food restaurant has the best french fries: Wendy’s or McDonald’s. For the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how they feel about cinnamon toothpaste, sriracha, “I Love Lucy” 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 learn more about Concordia Seminary at http://www.csl.edu or by contacting the admissions team at [email protected] or 800-822-9545.