Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:17-19)

Dear Beloved Church Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
I am Pastor Sophia. As we gather this Sunday, I want to invite you to a simple but life-changing word: gratitude. You’ll hear more in the sermon but let me give you a small taste today (just enough to whet your appetite, not enough to spoil the sermon!).
In the Gospel of Luke (17:11–19), Jesus is traveling on a road nobody wants to walk. If it had Google Map reviews, it would be a solid one star: “Dangerous, uncomfortable, would not recommend!”

But Jesus? He walks it anyway. On that road, He meets ten people crying out for mercy. Then Jesus cured them immediately. But, only one comes back to Jesus and say “thank you” with a loud voice. Church, let me confess something: every time I read that story, I think, “Lord… please don’t let me be part of the nine.” You too? Good — at least we’re in this together!

I won’t preach the whole sermon here (I promise!), but I want to share one simple truth ahead of Sunday: Gratitude doesn’t just change your circumstances — it changes you. It opens your heart, widens your joy, deepens your faith, and makes room for God’s kingdom to take root in your everyday life.
Life is too short to be run by grumbles.
God is too good to be forgotten.

So this week, I invite you to do one small thing:
Return to Jesus, not with perfection, not with fancy words — just with a grateful heart that whispers, “Thank you, Lord.”
If you forget? Don’t worry. God is excellent at receiving late thank-yous. God has been dealing with people like us for thousands of years! Even with our late thank-yous, we can taste God’s kingdom, peace, and joy in our heart, in our family, and our community.

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday.
Come with an open heart. Come expecting grace.
God delights in blessing His children — and yes, that includes you.
With love and laughter in Christ,
-
Sophia (Seung Hae) Yoo-Hess
Pastor of Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church
43987 Little River Turnpike Chantilly, Virginia
Office) (703)3274461