Waverly Church of Christ

When was the last time you sat down with a piece of paper, wrote a letter by hand to someone and sent it through the mail? A news poll done by CBS almost a year ago, September 14-20, 2021, found that 37% of adults in this country say it has been at least five years since they’ve written and sent a personal letter. Today, some of us may sit down at the computer and sent an e-mail, but I dare say that the majority of us sent a text, a tweet or some other blurb electronically to communicate our thoughts to others. All of the letters we find in the New Testament were written by hand and then hand delivered to their intended recipient, whether the recipient was an individual or a congregation. What is interesting is how so many of those letters end. Consider for a moment this letter by James to Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, and the way in which Paul concludes many of his letters. Paul often ended his letters with greetings to the brothers and sisters in Christ along with prayers asking God’s blessing on his work and on the church. James, however, ends his letter with a call to action.