Under the Fig Tree

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt chat with Lucas “Luke” Frauenhoff, a second-year Master of Divinity student at Concordia Seminary. He shares his journey to ministry after majoring in finance and marketing as an undergraduate. It took him a while to feel the time was right to come to the Seminary. As a child and young adult, seeing the church being a true community for its members played a role in that decision. He’s now using that community-building passion as the social cultural chair (a.k.a. party planning committee) of the Student Association. He is responsible for organizing social events for the campus throughout the 2023-24 academic year such as Friday night cookouts, Oktoberfest, Prof ’n Steins and Springfest. Party planning is part of his duties, he says, but it’s also about “getting everyone together to enjoy fellowship and to have that sense of community. … This is a community. There is growth to be had. We can talk about our faith.” He also share advice for prospective students: “Listen to the call the first time,” he says. “It all works out.” For the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the trio feels about reading glasses, Laffy Taffy, Mentos, hayrides and artificial intelligence!

“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.eduor 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 Jessica Thompson, a residential Deaconess Studies student and a new admissions officer at Concordia Seminary. Thompson, whose husband is a pastor, previously served as a Lutheran teacher before she started the deaconess program. “It’s been everything that I hoped it would be and even better,” she says of the classes she has taken so far. “It’s amazing. I eat it up. I’ve loved every class that I have taken. I even love writing papers. I love writing, so writing papers is even fun for me. I’ve been amazed at the theologians we have here as professors. These are people who really know so much about God’s Word, but they’re also so pastoral, which has been such a blessing.” She also shares some advice for prospective students: “Talk to people who really know you, faithful people who really know you. We as a church, we’re Americans, and we like to be very individual [and] make our own decisions and figure things out. But we are the body of Christ. I think we need to be in conversation with each other, helping each other discern.” For the recurring concluding segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear the trio feel about gazpacho, Harry Potter books, Christmas music in November and Pictionary!

“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 chat with the Dr. James “Jim” Baneck, executive director of pastoral education for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Baneck shares his own journey to ministry and explains a big focus of his current work — the LCMS’ church-wide church worker recruitment initiative, Set Apart to Serve. He also delves into some concerning statistics: The number of pastoral graduates from both LCMS seminaries needs to double to keep up with the number of pastors who are retiring and leaving churches vacant. Pastors are especially needed in cities, he says. “Look at the neighborhoods where are churches are; Hmong neighborhoods, Hispanic neighborhoods, Chinese neighborhoods,” he says. “They don’t necessarily have the Gospel. It’s not being preached to them and no one’s going to them. And so whether it be the seminaries or the church body itself, we have to figure out how to raise up pastors who will go into those areas. There’s a great need for pastors. … There are millions of people in the United States who do not believe in Jesus Christ or who do not know Him.” Baneck also shares another statistic: Only 50% of current church workers are encouraging young people to consider church work careers. That needs to change. “We want our church workers, parents and others to be intentional when talking to our youth about considering church work,” Baneck says. His encouragement to those considering vocational ministry? “Be in the Word,” Baneck says. “Let the Lord continue to grow that faith and that desire.” For the recurring concluding segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how everyone feels about chunky applesauce, candy pumpkins, DIY projects, Charlie Brown TV specials 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 chat with the Seminary’s new Recruitment Coordinator Kati Gaschler. Growing up a PK (preacher’s kid) and now a preacher’s wife, Kati shares some bits of her life from St. Louis to Fort Wayne, Ind., to Indianapolis. She also shares a bit about her love of photography, the stained glass windows in chapel and the architecture of the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, where her father is a professor and where she worked previously. Her advice for prospective students? “Talk to your pastor,” she says. “In my small experience, I think that’s a big source of influence. I know that was a big influence for my husband. See what they say.” For the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how the hosts and Kati feel about pineapple pizza, rappelling, Birkenstock shoes, pumpkin spice, man buns 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 second episode of the 2023-24 academic year, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt are joined by Professor of Systematic Theology Dr. Joel Okamoto. Okamoto shares why he is often seen wearing shoes and how he became a pastor after studying engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Theology. The trio also dive a discussion about the Augsburg Confession. Okamoto says he is sometimes asked to summarize or simplify the church’s creeds and confessions. They “summarize these things: First of all, they lay out the key features of the Christian narrative, the Christian story of God and Creation, from God making all things to the life of the world to come,” Okamoto says. “Not everything in it, but … God made all things, redemption through Jesus Christ, His return and judgment, the Holy Spirit, the church, Resurrection, eternal life. If you depart from living according to that story, you’re not Christian. … The Augsburg Confession, its distinctive, doctrinal articles are all confessing that the righteous will live by faith, if you want to sum it up.”

Okamoto shared this advice for people considering vocational ministry: “Speak with other Christians, that’s what I did, especially those who prize truth over consolation. Get their perspective and their prayers. That helped me.”

“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 first episode of the 2023-24 academic year, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt return for a new season of “Under the Fig Tree.” Glenn and Haupt share what they did over the summer and reflect on the history and purpose of the podcast, tease a few topics that will be tackled in upcoming episodes and share appreciation for all the listeners’ feedback they have received. “It’s a blessing and we both love it. We love our listeners,” Glenn says. “The reason that we started the podcast — first and foremost — was for the sake of recruiting new church workers … [and to] share stories and show people that this could in fact be a place where you come, you live, you learn, you grow and prepare yourself for service to the church.” For their recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking” or “Leave it on the tree,” hear how the hosts feel about cream corn, coloring books for adults and antiperspirant.

“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, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt chat with Deaconess Sarah Rusche, who just received a call to Luther Home of Mercy in Williston, Ohio. Rusche recently received a Master of Arts with Deaconess Certification from Concordia Seminary in 2023. She shares how she started her Seminary studies during the COVID-19 pandemic and began her deaconess internship during the difficulties of the lockdown and pandemic restrictions. She shares how she tries to be present with people in their suffering and not shy away from the “hard stuff.” She says she listens, proclaims the Gospel, but also tries “not to tell people how they should feel and what they should do next but [rather] to guide them,” she says. Her advice for women considering deaconess ministry? “If you’re nervous or scared, it’s probably a good thing,” Rusche says. “You should do it. … I think it’s a great opportunity as a church worker to be able to bring Jesus to people.”  

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. Under the Fig Tree can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site, 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 csl.edu or by contacting the admissions team at [email protected] or 800-822-9545.

In this episode, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt talk through the importance of rest, vacation and time with family as church workers. Ben and Micah will be taking a break from the podcast (“but not each other”!) for the rest of the summer and will return this fall. “We pour ourselves into our work and then we rest when we can,” Haupt says. “Thank you for taking time to listen to us talk about food and Legos and travel and rest and then also about church work,” Glenn adds. “All of us are under the fig tree of Jesus calling us to rest and meditate upon His Word. Thank you for listening. We’ll be back soon!”

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. Under the Fig Tree can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site, 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 csl.edu or by contacting the admissions team at [email protected] or 800-822-9545.

In this episode, host Rev. Micah Glenn is joined by Admissions Officer Rev. Thomas Schlund for an in-depth discussion on the three ecumenical creeds in The Book of Concord with Dr. Charles “Chuck” Arand, professor of Systematic Theology, director of the Center for the Care of Creation and the Eugene E. and Nell S. Fincke Graduate Professor of Theology at Concordia Seminary. Arand also shares some advice for students considering coming to the Seminary or considering ministry. “Develop a passion for theology,” he says. “Most of us, we’re driven by it. We’re fascinated by the questions and the answers provided by Scripture and witnessed by the church.”

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. Under the Fig Tree can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site, 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 csl.edu or by contacting the admissions team at [email protected] or 800-822-9545.

In this episode, host Rev. Micah Glenn is joined by Admissions Officer Rev. Thomas Schlund for a wide-ranging discussion with Dr. Charles “Chuck” Arand, professor of Systematic Theology, director of the Center for the Care of Creation and the

Eugene E. and Nell S. Fincke Graduate Professor of Theology at Concordia Seminary, in the ongoing series about The Book of Concord. What exactly is The Book of Concord. “It’s a collection of documents that were intended to say, here’s what the Reformation is about, here’s what it means to be Lutheran and herein is where we find our unity as a church,” Arand says. The trio also chat about systematic theology, the Reformation and creation. “We’ve lost the sense of what it means to speak of God as the Creator,” Arand says. “That lies behind all of our talk [about] redemption. Without it, our talk about redemption and atonement runs the risk of becoming watered down.”

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. Under the Fig Tree can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site, 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 csl.edu or by contacting the admissions team at [email protected] or 800-822-9545.