300 words a day

When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, his most familiar sermon, he was working close to home. In fact, most of his life happened in a country the size of Vermont or New Jersey. He had been born in Bethlehem, a small town a few miles south of Jerusalem. He was taken to Egypt […]

When this blog started, we read and wrote our way through the Gospel of Matthew. It seemed a good place to start. A few years later, I went back to the posts about what we call “The Sermon on the Mount” and put it into a book. For me, it’s a good time to go […]

God. It’s still the first week of the year. We already feel confused and behind. We’re trying to catch our breath. Some of us because of all the chaos. Some of us because we are actually sick. Our minds, our hearts, and our lungs are feeling clogged. We hear the words about being chosen. We […]

As you know, Jon is beginning a new chapter of involvement in others’ lives by no longer serving as a hospital chaplain. He now has the freedom to be more flexible in other ways to encourage life and growth. This is Paul Merrill writing. (I write here every first Friday.) Jon and I have known […]

Ben turns four in 2026. That’s mostly four fingers for him. The picture is from earlier in 2025. He was three back then. That’s mostly three fingers for him. It’s new year’s eve as I write and he’s sitting in the other room. It’s mostly a night for him. It’s New Year’s Day as you […]