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Letter from Our Worship Director, February 17, 2011
Dear Family in Christ,
I am reminded this week of what I heard once of an ice cream factory which in order to deter theft by it's employees allowed all who worked there to eat as much ice cream as they wanted while on the premises. Although at first this sounds like a dream come true, common sense tells us that this strategy was probably pretty effective. After making, packaging, and shipping ice cream in an ice cold factory for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, the thought of a spoon of ice cream is probably the last thing the employees wanted. I imagine even though I love ice cream and would nearly bankrupt the company during my probation period if I were an employee, I too would lose my desire for ice cream.
Isn't the world like this? Do you think God is like the Ice Cream Company President who made this decision? By offering us free will, God allows us to make our own decisions. You could say that He tried telling us not to eat the ice cream in the Garden of Eden, and we failed. We couldn't resist. So here we are with our sinful nature, able to gorge ourselves on food, possessions, power, sex, and all that the world has to offer and all the while Our Father in Heaven warns us that we are harming ourselves when we over-indulge in these things. Satan on the other hand keeps introducing new flavors of ice cream if you will. "Try this flavor" he says. "Try a scoop of this flavor mixed with that one."
It seems that most of us eventually grow tired of these things once we get a taste of God's living water, and His bread of Life, the only things in life that can truly sustain us. On the other hand some of us keep wanting more and more of what the world has to offer while trying to satisfy our human desires. Sadly this never-ending pursuit leads to death and destruction which is the sole mission of Satan.
Let us come this Sunday hungry and thirsty for what our Father has for us. Let us leave behind the empty calories of the world and consume the feast that He has prepared for us. Let us leave here satisfied and ready to share this feast with the world!
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
Letter from Our Worship Director, February 10, 2011
Dear Family in Christ,
This Sunday with only one service at 10:30am, we have an opportunity to come together and worship as the entire family of New Summit. There is something special about having your entire family in one room isn't there? There is something "complete" about it. Even though most of us will be there, there are those who will be ill, those who will be working or out of town etc. How about the ones that didn't hear about the awesome Sunday that we have planned? What about the ones who haven't heard about Christ's love for them? Your relatives, friends, neighbors, and co-workers? Christ condsiders these the missing ones, and even though many will gather in His name, we know that He yearns for those that won't be there. He has chosen us to tell of His great love and to share our testimonies with others so that they will find what they are missing in life. So that they will find their true purpose and meaning in Him. I invite you to prayerfully consider the people in your life with whom God has placed you. Ask God for the opportunity in the coming days to speak with them. For the Holy Spirit to guide you and for the courage to invite them. Let us gather on Sunday not in mourning for those that aren't there but in celebration of those who are there by the Grace of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
Letter from Our Worship Director, January 27, 2011
Dear Family in Christ,
This week let us gather as the Body of Christ and join with the Heavanly Host as we praise our most wonderful God. Let us come searching for Him expecting to find Him, knocking expecting the door to be opened for us, and asking expecting to receive what He has for us.
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
Letter from Our Worship Director, January 13, 2011
Dear Family in Christ,
I wanted to share the words of the late great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with you:
We worship the God who inhabits our world
and indwells our lives.
We need not look up to find God,
We need only look around:
within ourselves, beyond ourselves, into the eyes of another.
We need not listen for a distant thunder to find God,
we need only listen to the music of life,
the words of children,
the questions of the curious,
the rhythm of a heartbeat.
We worship the God who inhabits our world
and who indwells our lives.
Our God certainly inhabits our world and indwells our lives as He so richly did in the life of Dr. King. Come this Sunday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and especially Our God who blessed the world with what He accomplished through him.
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
Letter from Our Worship Director, December 30, 2010
Dear Family in Christ,
My New Year's Resolution is to read scripture and journal daily. This past year I've set aside quiet time for scripture and prayer on "most" days but I have left journaling behind. As I considered my New Year's Resolution I thumbed through some of the journal entries that I did record this past year and found the following:
Oh my God,
Who am I that You would consider me?
For I have disgraced myself before You,
I have disowned You when threatened.
When life was splendid my eyes,
my ears, nor my lips did not consider You,
But when the storms prevailed,
You were the subject of my prayers,
and the focus of my thoughts.
How easily I pass judgment when
friends forsake and possessions fail,
and yet You out of extraordinary love
never forsake but call me to repentance and rest.
You are a God of Mercy but also absolute righteousness.
For we always fall short, but if we fix our gaze on you,
we rise again and again to finish the race
and accept the reward of grace!
This entry gives me hope and extra motivation to journal again. Not only am I reminded of God's grace but also the blessing that Journaling can be. This entry has blessed me almost a year later and given insight into the way God works. Maybe He feels that I have short term memory and that journaling is a way for me to remember how He has blessed me throughout the year! Maybe He wants to remind me that even if I fail to live up to my resolution this year, He will not fail me! Join me in making daily scripture and journaling part of your New Year's Resolution this year so that we may watch God's work in our lives more closely. That we may learn to hear His voice more clearly. That we may be blessed while blessing others as well!
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
Letter from Our Worship Director, December 23, 2010
Dear Family in Christ,
It's never too late to experience Joy this Christmas Season. Maybe you've already run yourself ragged in preparation for the coming few days while draining your bank account and your "Nerve" account. Some of you may be looking forward to family festivities and some of you maybe not so much! Maybe some of you are having a Christmas Season like none other in terms of Joy and Peace but are afraid that others around you will "Suck The Life" out of you if you are with them for any period of time.
The truth is that God offers us an unlimited supply of Joy and Peace. It is there for the taking. He offers it not only for ourselves but to be shared with those around us. Oswald Chambers says that we can store up Joy and Peace to sustain us in the deserts of life. Scripture tell us that we are to be emptied only to be filled again.
While beginning to plan this year's Christmas Eve Service several weeks ago I was struck with a feeling of dread and confusion. Which songs should we sing? What will the order of service be? I was literally shut down and already looking forward to the last note of the Christmas Eve Service as if it was simply a task to be accomplished. I decided to pray and look to God's word for help. I decided to read the Story of Jesus' birth in Luke and the prophesies of his birth in Isaiah. Beginning in Chapter 1 of Luke I read of John the Baptist's birth and was particularly struck by Zechariah's song upon the birth of his son beginning with verse 67 and particularly verses 76-79:
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
This energized me because I was reminded of not only the mission of the Worship team but of every Follower of Christ: ..." to prepare the way for Him"! Not only did He shine on me but calls me to prepare a way for Him to shine on others! I encourage you to fill up your reserves of Joy and Peace by spending time in prayer and in God's Word and expect nothing less than a miracle this Christmas!
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
Letter from Our Worship Director, December 16, 2010
Dear Family in Christ,
I invented procrastination. I haven't figured out if I procrastinate out of fear or because I'm a addicted to the rush of meeting deadlines. Take this email letter for instance. I am typing this 6 hours before it is due which is actually quite early for me! Normally I would be creating it at the last second. Regardless of my underlying motives for my procrastination, it seems to be the way I'm wired, much to the dismay of those who thrive on getting a head start on tasks and must wait for those of us who are " Tip-toeing Through the Tulips" until right before the deadline!
I also struggle from time to time with finishing tasks, particularly those tasks with which I am creatively or emotionally involved. Calling something "finished" is difficult for me because if someone criticizes my effort, I can always say "well, it is a work in progress." What a coward!
Although we can change, especially with the help of the Holy Spirit I suspect that God has "Hard Wired" us the way we are for a reason. For His reasons and purposes. Being the Director of Worship has challenged me to procrastinate less and become more detail oriented but remember I'm a "Work in Progress!" It would be a miserable mistake for you to ask me to manage the church's finances but if you need a quick worship song or a snappy sarcastic comment, I'm your man!
My point is that whatever motivates us in our human condition, whether fear, insecurity, or self gratification etc. is not what God would want us to be motivated by but rather leads us to Himself. In Him we can find strength, security in who He has made us to be, and un-imaginable Peace and Joy which we could never muster ourselves. All of this can be ours if we simply seek his face. If we walk with Him through life striving to become more like Him and embracing who we are" Hard Wired" to be in Him while encouraging other to do the same.
This Christmas I encourage you to "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God" and let Him add all the rest.
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
Letter from Our Worship Director, December 9, 2010
Dear Family in Christ,
In this season of shopping, decorating, parties, and traveling, our minds are often pre-occupied with finances whether it be in the struggle to find deals or to find the perfect gift for that person who has everything. In fact our finances consume a great deal of our attention all year long don't they? Either we are wondering how we can "make ends meet", or how we can make our surplus work for us while avoiding un-necessary taxes, fees, and penalties. Money seeps it's way into many decisions that we make whether it's career choice, where we choose to live, and even who we choose to marry.
I wonder what God thinks of this? Would he rather us make these decisions based on our finances or in trust and faith in Him? Come this Sunday and find out how you can have a "Guilt-Free Christmas" in regards to your Resources.
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
Letter from Our Worship Director, December 2, 2010
Dear Family in Christ,
As I was driving home last night I came upon a speed-trap and thankfully I was driving right at the speed limit! As I passed the officer and encountered several on-coming cars, I instinctively began flashing my headlights in order to warn the other drivers that the speed limit was being enforced. I have debated over the years whether this practice is a good idea and I'm not sure that the police officer that I thwarted would think it was! One would hope that the whole idea of a speed trap is to remind people that the speed limit is there for their safety and violators of that safety will be fined. I have gotten the impression that in the city in which I reside that Traffic enforcement is designed as a source of revenue rather than a bi-product of safety policies. I suppose that's a matter of debate.
As Christians, it seems that we have a duty to flash our lights. We are called to hold each other accountable, and to warn non-believers of the threat of an eternity spent away from God's presence. We can pass them at a nice "safe speed" and be vigilant with the use of our turn signals hoping that they notice our "lawfulness" but those that don't know God won't understand just like those that recklessly break traffic laws don't understand the importance of driving safely. We must drive safely ourselves and warn others before consequences happen.
To me, flashing my lights is a reminder without the painful consequences of a fine. I realize that most people don't change their driving habits until they've received enough speeding tickets to lose their license or had enough accidents to injure themselves or someone else. Whether you agree with this idea or not you must admit that most drivers will immediately slow down when they see flashing headlights which in turn causes them to drive the speed limit earlier than if they happened upon a speed trap and were lucky enough to slow down in time before the officer recorded the offending speed. So should we "let them learn the hard way" without any warning? God calls us to live lives that reflect out love for Him and to encourage others to do the same before our licenses are "revoked."
I suppose the difference between God and a police officer is that arguably there aren't many rewards for driving safely other than lower insurance premiums, higher gas mileage and less wear and tear on your vehicle, but there is a reward for obeying God. Not only eternal life but a new life here on earth. A new perspective is gained as we are transformed by the Holy Spirit to be more and more Christ-like. Increasingly our focus becomes less about the speed limit and getting to the next thing on time, and more about enjoying the drive.
Yours in Christ,
Alan Voss
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