About Work These Words

Welcome to Work These Words, a monthly newsletter where we dig into what it means to follow Jesus in the post-Christian West. The name comes from Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Matthew 7:24-27 in The Message:

“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.”

That’s the heart of this space—taking the teachings of Jesus and figuring out how to work them into our everyday lives.

Each edition contains insights—reflections, research, and practical takeaways—on faith, life, and culture.

So, join me. Not just as a reader but as a partner on this journey.

About Paid Subscriptions

Here’s the deal: Everything I write is free for all subscribers. No paywall. No tiers.

But if you want to support this work, I invite you to consider a paid subscription. It’s a simple way to keep this work going, and it comes with a little bonus: early access to the Work These Words podcast.

Paid subscribers get first dibs on every episode before it’s released.

It’s my way of saying thanks for believing in what I’m doing here.

Sean