Christmas and Weddings are for Uniting

Hello, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody! I hope you've been enjoying the holidays, and you're getting some great times to sit around a table with friends and loved ones, as you enjoy each other's company, and talk about what's on your heart...

For Alejandra and I there is nothing like doing that around the Lord's table, and part of the meaning of Christmas is just that: to celebrate that we have fellowship with God and with our family in Jesus; thanks to Emmanuel's incarnation, crucifiction, burial, resurrection, ascension, and outpouring of God's Spirit on all who believe.

Besides the precious times every week that Alejandra and I get to remember Jesus in such a way - there have also been some wonderful times to sit around tables with solid Christian leaders and consider how we can become more effective servants of Jesus.

Two of the main subjects that frequently arise as we're koinaniaing are what we believe, and how we can team up with other Christians in sharing those beliefs.

Even though the Refuge Church in Duitama has in many ways tried to show our desire to be unified with another Christian church in this same city - we were a bit discouraged when we realized that instead of unity, it seemed like what the other congregation is promoting is uniformity... More than working with us and helping us advance the gospel - it's as if the leaders of this other congregation wants to annex our church into theirs! (even though indubitably both local churches are of Christ).

By the way Venezuela - please don't try to invade and annex part of Guyana (are you kidding me?!?!).

...Annnyway though, a different, far more encouraging story took place a couple weeks ago, when a team of 10 Mexicans and 3 Americans contacted me because they had driven a van all the way from Mexico down Central America, and put their vehicle on a boat and crossed into Colombia... They wanted my advice in knowing what it would be like to travel inside of Venezuela - but before doing so, they offered to visit and help the Refuge Church in Cucuta.

I gave them as much information as I know about traveling inside Venezuela; and I put them in contact with the leaders of Cucuta's Refuge Church... The only thing I asked about their background was if they believed in God the Father, almighty maker of heaven and earth... In our Lord Jesus Christ, God's only Son, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary... That he suffered under Pontious Pilate, was crucified, died, buried, and rose again on the third day... That he ascended to heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, and that from there he will come to judge the living and the dead... I asked them if they believed in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting... Finally, I asked them if they believed that the Bible is the authoritative, inherent, inspired Word of God that contains everything we need to know to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

They said yes, and so I was like, "Awesome! We welcome you in the name of the Lord!"

I wish it were always that easy, but sometimes my friends want to push certain Christians out of their made-up circles, by including other things into their creeds which often end up stifling God's Kingdom instead of furthering it... Granted, I believe in various other secondary and tertiary doctrines as well, but I don't ever want to marginalize other believers who disagree with me on those doctrines... I feel like if you get too dogmatic with stuff, in the end you deviate from one of the primary doctrines we're supposed to uphold anyway, which is the unity of Jesus's church at large, and the communion of saints.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On December the 8th Alejandra's twin sister Carolina got married to one of my best friends Daniel, which was so awesome. I always hope that our relationship as couples will be like Mary's relationship with Elizabeth (and perhaps by default - Zechariah's relationship with Joseph, and especially Jesus' relationship with John)... It was so cool to be with all kinds of great friends at the wedding, and know that we were united by love.

Sam and Alejandra Killins