About Work These Words

Welcome to Work These Words, an email newsletter where we dig into what it means to follow Jesus in the busy modern world.

You’ll often hear me refer to the “busy modern world” as post-Christian.

The inspiration for the name of this newsletter 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.

I have a working theory on how to do this: by simplifying ancient practices.

We are not the first people to follow Jesus, and I believe we can benefit greatly from many of the practices used by Jesus’ first followers and others throughout church history.

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

PS: Starting in 2025, I’ll introduce a new weekly rhythm called Slow + Sacred. Think of it as a companion to this newsletter, a space for honest confessions from a type A personality trying desperately to unhurry his soul through Sabbath—another ancient practice.

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

Subscribe to Work These Words

Putting the Teachings of Jesus into Practice in the Busy Modern World.

People

As a teacher, writer, and coach, Sean Dreher, is on a mission to help frustrated Christians put the ancient teachings of Jesus into practice in the busy modern world.