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#171: Your Labor Is Not in Vain

In this Easter reflection, Dr. Jennifer Pietz, Assistant Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, draws on 1 Corinthians 15.

“Your labor is not in vain.” It’s one of Paul’s most direct declarations in 1 Corinthians 15, and Dr. Jennifer Pietz, Assistant Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, believes it has everything to do with how church leaders carry their work today. In this Easter reflection, Jenny addresses three common misconceptions about resurrection that quietly hollow out hope in ministry, and grounds each one in what Paul actually argues in 1 Corinthians 15.

Resurrection isn’t only about Jesus. It isn’t only a future promise. And it isn’t an escape from the world. It’s the present foundation of Christian vocation, and the reason your labor in the Lord is never wasted. If you’re a church leader who is tired, discouraged, or simply hungry for a word that goes deeper than Easter Sunday optimism, this reflection is for you.

Additional Resources

Mary Magdalene, La Malinche, and the Ethics of Interpretation by Jennifer Vija Pietz

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Featuring

Jennifer Pietz

Assistant Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN

Jennifer Pietz is Assistant Professor of New Testament. She began teaching at Luther in 2020 as a Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow. Prior to this, Pietz taught in Augsburg University’s Religion Department and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

After earning a B.A. from Coe College (summa cum laude), Pietz began pursuing a call to ministry that includes years of service with ministries in Mexico and in Spanish-speaking congregations in the Twin Cities. Before earning her M.Div. from Luther Seminary and Ph.D. from Emory University, Pietz also earned an A.A.S degree in Photography and Digital Imaging from Minneapolis Community and Technical College to support her use of photography and art in various aspects of ministry. She is also an ordained Lutheran minister.

Pietz’s first book is Mary Magdalene, La Malinche, and the Ethics of Interpretation (Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2022). It reflects her research and teaching interests in hermeneutics, women in the Bible and world, history of biblical interpretation, and the intersections of the Bible and cultures. She has also written articles for Word & World and Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception and is a regular contributor to Luther’s Working Preacher website.

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Join us on Pivot Podcast, where we journey beyond church-as-usual to discover how God is reshaping ministry for today’s world.

Each week, we dive into conversations with innovative leaders and practitioners who are navigating four game-changing pivots: shifting from quick fixes to deep listening, from membership to discipleship, from rigid models to creative ministry ecosystems, and from clergy-centered leadership to unleashing everyone’s gifts.

Whether you’re a member of the clergy seeking fresh inspiration or a volunteer stepping into new leadership territory, Pivot Podcast equips you with the insights and practical wisdom to follow Jesus into a faithful future.

Through their work with diverse cohorts of preachers, they’ve discovered that the most compelling sermons aren’t necessarily the most polished – they’re the ones where preachers have learned to listen deeply to both God and their congregations. Learn practical tools for gathering meaningful feedback, understand why vulnerability matters more than ever in preaching, and discover how shifting from evaluation to understanding can deepen your sermon’s impact. Plus, hear why reimagining God’s agency in preaching might be the key to unlocking more powerful proclamation.

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