We've Got Mail

This morning, we are beginning a new sermon series on the Book of James, entitled, “Where Faith Meets Life.” As we read through the book of James, it is important to remember that this is a letter.

For a very long time, a letter was the only way to communicate with someone that you couldn’t address in person, whether because of distance or some other barrier to communication. But, now, we live in an age of high-tech communication. Although it seems low-tech now, the ability to make a phone call changed the way we communicate. Now, many of us carry a cellular phone and can be reached just about anywhere (except those dead-zones that annoy us so). If we don’t feel like actually speaking to the person, we can now “text” them a message. It’s even possible to use an internet camera (webcam) and chat with a person on-line and see them, whether they are across the road or across the world. Facebook and Myspace help us find and communicate with “friends” throughout the world. If all of that isn’t enough, we can use Twitter to send a “Tweet” letting people know what we are doing at the present moment. Yes, communication methods have changed. Letters almost seem obsolete. Yet, there are still many of us that like to read something that isn’t on a computer or telephone screen, and are happy to receive a letter from someone we know.

In this day of high-tech communication, if we receive a letter, we quickly wonder why we are receiving a letter. What news does it bear? Surely, there must be some reason they chose to write a letter! Just seeing who it’s from can cause us to toss it aside or can build suspense as we quickly tear open the letter.

Now, back to James … Why did he write the letter? What message did it have for the original recipients (and for us)? It seems that James is addressing a group of people that were having a little trouble connecting their faith with their daily lives. Let’s face it, putting our faith into practice isn’t always easy. James has a message for us … Dayton Center Church, “We’ve got mail…”

In His grip,

Pastor Decker