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#56: What Does the Birth of Jesus Mean to You?

Unwrap the theological depth of the Nativity—the divine message in a humble manger with the Pivot podcast.

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Greetings from the Pivot Podcast family! This Christmas, we rejoice in the profound significance of Jesus’ birth, a beacon of hope, joy, and love for the coming year.

Today we hear from host, Dwight Zscheile along with guests, Rev. TT Daniel, Jennifer Wojciechowski, Godson Dauda, September Penn, Paul Kisingu, Akinpelu Lawal, Eun Strawser, Ramon Pastrano, and Jon Anderson.

Amid festive cheer, let’s unwrap the theological depth of the Nativity—the divine message in a humble manger. May the radiance of Christ’s love illuminate your path.

Stay tuned as we explore the sacred wonders of this season on the Pivot Podcast.

Show Notes

Featuring

Eun Strawser
Physician and Co-vocational Lead Pastor, Ma Ke Alo o, Honolulu, Hawaii

E. K. Strawser (DO, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) is the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o, non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, Hawaii; a community physician at Ke Ola Pono; and an executive leader at the V3 Movement, the church planting arm of the Baptist General Association of Virginia.

Faith+Lead Headshot of Jon Anderson, Director of Rural Ministry.
Jon Anderson
Director of Rural Ministry, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

Pastor Jon Anderson serves as Director of Rural Ministry at Luther Seminary. He grew up on a dairy farm south of Belgrade, Minnesota (Between Willmar and Sauk Rapids). His ancestors came to this land in the late 1850s, and his family lives there to this day. His family farm is located on land that was the traditional homeland of the Dakota people.

In his early ministry he served at camps and congregations in Texas and Minnesota. He recently completed eighteen years of service as bishop in the Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA. As Director of Rural Ministry he provides leadership in the area of Luther Seminary’s Small Town and Rural (STaR) Ministry.

Anderson earned his M.Div. from Luther Seminary (1985) and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College (1981). He loves to garden and play with his grandchildren. Planting seeds, growing plants and walking with people as they grow gives him joy.

Dr. Ramón Pastrano headshot
Ramón Pastrano IV
CEO, President of ImpactLives and Third Sphere, Twin Cities, Minnesota

Dr. Ramón Pastrano IV is a founder and board member of Twin Cities-based ImpactLives, Inc., and founder of ThirdSphere LLC, a center for transformational leadership in cultural competence, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Pastrano earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications/Media Studies from Briar Cliff University. His advanced degrees include a Master of Science in Management from the U.S. Naval Supply Corps School, a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary, and a Doctorate in Global Contextual Leadership from Bethel University.

After 15 years as a surgical consultant and medical device specialist with Ethicon, Medtronic, and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Pastrano has received numerous awards, including the Doctor Act Award, presented by TRANS4M Council for Research and Innovation in Switzerland. This award is given in recognition for outstanding achievement in Social Innovation.

Pastrano has traveled extensively for leadership engagement and humanitarian efforts throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Supply Corps School, he also served as a Commanding Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Dr. Jennifer Hornyak Wojciechowski
Jennifer Hornyak Wojciechowski
Assistant Professor of Church History, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

Dr. Jennifer Hornyak Wojciechowski is an assistant professor of Church History at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, and the associate editor of the journal Word & World. Her areas of scholarship include the history of Christianity, women’s history, American history, Christian mysticism, and the intersection of religion and social reform. She is the author of Women and the Christian Story: A Global History (2022), and Tending the Garden: A History of Christian Mysticism (February 2025). 

Host

Faith+Lead Headshot of The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation, Luther Seminary.
Dwight Zscheile
Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He is the author of Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue, Seabury Books, 2025), Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press 2023), Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the U.S. (with Craig Van Gelder, Eerdmans 2018), The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age (Morehouse Publishing, 2014), People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity (Morehouse Publishing, 2012) and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation (with Craig Van Gelder, Baker Academic 2011), editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation (Eerdmans, 2012), and co-editor (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) of The Starter’s Way: Leading New Contextual Christian Communities (Church Publishing, 2025).

A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), Dwight previously served congregations in Minnesota, Virginia and Connecticut. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.

About Pivot Podcast

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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Featuring

Eun Strawser
Physician and Co-vocational Lead Pastor, Ma Ke Alo o, Honolulu, Hawaii

E. K. Strawser (DO, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) is the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o, non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, Hawaii; a community physician at Ke Ola Pono; and an executive leader at the V3 Movement, the church planting arm of the Baptist General Association of Virginia.

Faith+Lead Headshot of Jon Anderson, Director of Rural Ministry.
Jon Anderson
Director of Rural Ministry, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

Pastor Jon Anderson serves as Director of Rural Ministry at Luther Seminary. He grew up on a dairy farm south of Belgrade, Minnesota (Between Willmar and Sauk Rapids). His ancestors came to this land in the late 1850s, and his family lives there to this day. His family farm is located on land that was the traditional homeland of the Dakota people.

In his early ministry he served at camps and congregations in Texas and Minnesota. He recently completed eighteen years of service as bishop in the Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA. As Director of Rural Ministry he provides leadership in the area of Luther Seminary’s Small Town and Rural (STaR) Ministry.

Anderson earned his M.Div. from Luther Seminary (1985) and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College (1981). He loves to garden and play with his grandchildren. Planting seeds, growing plants and walking with people as they grow gives him joy.

Dr. Ramón Pastrano headshot
Ramón Pastrano IV
CEO, President of ImpactLives and Third Sphere, Twin Cities, Minnesota

Dr. Ramón Pastrano IV is a founder and board member of Twin Cities-based ImpactLives, Inc., and founder of ThirdSphere LLC, a center for transformational leadership in cultural competence, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Pastrano earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications/Media Studies from Briar Cliff University. His advanced degrees include a Master of Science in Management from the U.S. Naval Supply Corps School, a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary, and a Doctorate in Global Contextual Leadership from Bethel University.

After 15 years as a surgical consultant and medical device specialist with Ethicon, Medtronic, and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Pastrano has received numerous awards, including the Doctor Act Award, presented by TRANS4M Council for Research and Innovation in Switzerland. This award is given in recognition for outstanding achievement in Social Innovation.

Pastrano has traveled extensively for leadership engagement and humanitarian efforts throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Supply Corps School, he also served as a Commanding Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Dr. Jennifer Hornyak Wojciechowski
Jennifer Hornyak Wojciechowski
Assistant Professor of Church History, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

Dr. Jennifer Hornyak Wojciechowski is an assistant professor of Church History at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, and the associate editor of the journal Word & World. Her areas of scholarship include the history of Christianity, women’s history, American history, Christian mysticism, and the intersection of religion and social reform. She is the author of Women and the Christian Story: A Global History (2022), and Tending the Garden: A History of Christian Mysticism (February 2025). 

Host

Faith+Lead Headshot of The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation, Luther Seminary.
Dwight Zscheile
Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He is the author of Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue, Seabury Books, 2025), Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press 2023), Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the U.S. (with Craig Van Gelder, Eerdmans 2018), The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age (Morehouse Publishing, 2014), People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity (Morehouse Publishing, 2012) and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation (with Craig Van Gelder, Baker Academic 2011), editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation (Eerdmans, 2012), and co-editor (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) of The Starter’s Way: Leading New Contextual Christian Communities (Church Publishing, 2025).

A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), Dwight previously served congregations in Minnesota, Virginia and Connecticut. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.