Dear friend,

Welcome. Tomorrow morning the weekday letters begin, and before they do, I wanted to write to you once, slowly, on a Sunday.

Here’s the whole idea. Every weekday you’ll get a short, warm letter that takes about two minutes. The topic changes through the week: a plain-language explainer, a story from the life of Jesus, a prayer for ordinary days, faith in real life, and a good news story. A verse from the King James Bible is a small part of each one. On Sundays, a longer letter like this one gathers the week together.

Why this mix? Because the Bible is more than single verses. It’s stories, questions, prayers and people. And most of us don’t need more to read. We need something small enough to hold on to. One idea can go with you into the car, the kitchen, a hard conversation or a sleepless night.

Today’s verse comes from Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. Its 176 verses are set out in 22 groups of eight, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and almost every line is about God’s word. In the King James Bible, our verse opens the group headed NUN.

That’s honest, and it’s freeing. You don’t need to understand the whole Bible before you begin. You don’t need to know where this year is heading. You need enough light for the next step, and then the next one.

So that’s how we’ll read: one small idea, one day, one step. If you miss a day, don’t try to catch up. Just pick up where you are. Nothing here is a test.

And if six letters a week turns out to be more than you’d like, that’s completely fine. You can switch to Sunday only at any time: open your email preferences and choose Sunday only.

Try this today Choose one place and one time for your two minutes this week: the kitchen table with your coffee, the car before work, the edge of the bed at night. Keep the same spot all week, and let it become a small habit.

Know someone who’d like a short, warm letter each weekday? Send this to them.

What’s one hope you carry into this week? Reply with a word or two.

Grace and peace,
Nathan Ellsworth
The Faith Letter