The ritual of letter-writing: Additional letter-writing ideas

by the Rev. Angela Shannon

Letter-writing as a spiritual practice

Today almost anything we want can be accessed by computer or smart phone. Need groceries? There’s an app for that. Tonight’s dinner? A meal service will deliver it to your doorstep. Someone sent you an email? A reply is often expected within 24 hours, even though it may require thought, prayer and a fair bit of research. Need to turn in a school or work assignment? Many now do so via apps or cloud-based sharing. All these shifts have helped to blur previous rhythms of prayer, work and rest.

I believe that letter-writing—a pre-digital or analog practice—is an opportunity to restore balance and share grace with others. For me, writing and receiving letters are part of my spiritual practice. Writing letters and sending cards can be a devotional ritual.

Paper: You can use fine stationery, regular college-ruled paper or even the brown kraft paper of a lunch bag. Sometimes I use handmade paper—including paper I’ve made myself. I once used dried autumn leaves to write a note. Or you can collect or make greeting cards to send for various occasions.

Pens: Printing or writing in cursive can also become a devotional practice. Any pen will do, but the slow strokes of a calligraphy marker or gel pen can slow your breathing and oxygenate your brain. They are a far cry from the trusty stick pens of my childhood. Don’t worry too much about mistakes—crossed-out words and minor misspellings, for example, are part of what makes our letters human and real.

Writing space: For me, writing is intimate and personal. I prepare my writing space by lighting a candle, selecting a card or paper and choosing a pen. I think about the person and sometimes pray for them, and then I write. I seal the envelope, sometimes with a wax seal. If I have time, I walk my letters to the post office, and off they go!

To whom can I write?

I have had pen pals of all ages through the years from the very young to the very seasoned. My oldest pen pal was 100 years old and daughter of a Lutheran pastor who taught reading in a boys’ reformatory school until her late 90s. The longest pen pal correspondence I’ve had (25 years) is with someone who was incarcerated, who has since been released. We continue our friendship with other with the occasional Christmas card. Jesus calls us to care for people who are incarcerated.

While I enjoy writing letters by hand, I understand that digital communication is just as important. One of my undergraduate professors and I write each other using email. It has developed into a lovely exchange and chronicles the ways in which we both have matured.

It can make a big difference to someone to receive a letter of appreciation and support by mail or email. To whom could you write a note or letter?

A family member or another loved one
An old friend with whom you would like to reconnect
A former teacher or professor
A current or former pastor or pastoral intern (vicar)
Someone who served as a mentor to you or someone you mentored
Someone who helps to take care of you or a loved one (another relative, a caretaker, a nurse, a physician, a day care provider, a respite care provider, etc.)
Store owners, when they or their employees have gone “the extra mile” for you (ex: local coffee shop, restaurant, hardware, etc.)

Letters with my grandmothers’ wisdom

When I was a child, my grandmothers wrote me letters, which sparked my lifelong love for letter-writing. Often their letters would contain wisdom sayings. What are wisdom sayings? Wisdom sayings (also known as adages) communicate a lesson, a warning or encouragement in a short witty sentence or two. Wisdom sayings have been passed down throughout the generations. Many can be found in (or derived from) scripture, especially in the biblical books of Psalms or Proverbs.

Here are a couple of examples:

“Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Based on Matthew 7:15

“A leopard can’t change its spots” Jeremiah 12:23

Share or reflect:

Do you have a favorite wisdom saying from scripture?
What wisdom sayings have been handed down to you?
Think about a time when an elder gave you the gift of a wisdom saying. Who gave this saying to you? What was it?
What wisdom have you shared with others?