Call to Produce

Dear Friends in Christ,

As we continue through the calendar year at Wylie UMC, I want to encourage you to give of your time and energy to pray and work for healing and reconciliation within our community. Healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation are the characteristics of the Church, the Body of Christ, and Christ calls us to practice these virtues with one another.

Over the next year, we must work towards healthy change and new and deeper levels of strength, moving towards unity in Christ. This requires all of us to go to our knees before the throne of God. We should go to His throne as members of the family, the family of Wylie UMC and the family of God.

As our family journeys forward to make disciples of Jesus Christ, let me encourage each of us to search for the grace to forgive and to receive forgiveness where needed. I am aware that we have some differences of opinion among us, but if we work “to keep the main thing, the main thing (Jesus Christ and His mission),” those differences will be resolved. I am also aware that God calls all of us to become producers of the Gospel rather than just consumers. I recall the famous words of JFK as a template for our call as Christians in the Church, “…ask not what your (God’s) [Church] can do for you—ask what you can do for your (God’s) [Church].”

In order to be better producers and begin fulfilling God’s call to repentance and reconciliation, we must start with prayer. Prayer is foundational and prayer is crucial to the ministry and mission of Wylie UMC. So as one of the pastors of Wylie UMC, I encourage all of us to…

1. Pray for a spirit of kindness with honesty, truth and love (Ephesians 4:15-16).
   
2. Pray for the courage to ask the hard questions and to resist the easy answers.
   
3. Pray for a discerning spirit among the bodies and for the gift of Wisdom and Love to permeate each gathering (1 Corinthians 13).
   
4. Pray for the reconciliation of conflicts and broken relationships.
   
5. Pray that all of us will be "encouraged in heart and united in love" (Colossians 2:2-3).
   

As the Holy Spirit leads us in particular directions of prayer, may we covenant to pray the words of the following scripture over our meetings, small groups, Sunday School classes, worship, meals, choir practices, band practices, and our own lives in the days, weeks, and months to come:

Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV)
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


O God, may we be true to your Word. Amen.

Grace and peace,



Pastor Jack

Note: I am indebted to Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, Interim President, Asbury Theological Seminary for his wise words and inspiration of this challenge for Wylie UMC.