“A great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” Revelation 7:9

Dear Beloved Church Family,

I am Pastor Sophia. Have you ever looked around our church and thought, “We are quite a collection of people!”

Some of us love to plan every detail. Others are happiest when we simply say, “Let’s see what happens!” Some sing beautifully, while others sing with such confidence that we wonder if they have created their own key! Some are natural leaders, while others quietly serve behind the scenes.

Yet, God brings all of us together.

Then, in Revelation 7:9, John sees “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.”

What a beautiful picture!

Heaven is not a place where everyone becomes the same. There are different nations, languages, cultures, and stories. God does not erase our differences. God gathers our differences.

That is a wonderful reminder for us as a church.

Sometimes we think unity means thinking alike, serving alike, or doing everything the same way. But biblical unity is not sameness. Unity is many different people gathered around the same Lord and the same table.

Think about a good meal. If every dish tasted exactly the same, it would be pretty boring! A wonderful meal has different flavors, colors, and ingredients. Somehow, they all belong on the same table.

Our church is like that.

God has given each of us different gifts, experiences, personalities, cultures, and abilities. Some can organize. Some can teach. Some can sing. Some can cook. Some can fix things. Some can encourage others. Some simply know how to make people smile when they need it most.

Every gift matters.

We do not need someone else’s gift. We simply need to offer what God has placed in our hands.

So, friends, let us not compare our gifts or think, “What I have is too small.” Instead, let us ask, “How can I offer what I have to God and to my church?”

When we bring our different gifts together, God can create something none of us could create alone—a community that reflects the beauty of God’s kingdom.

Bring your different gifts and different stories to our church. Then see how God is preparing a beautiful banquet for us in One Spirit. One Lord. One table.

I cannot wait to praise God with you all.  

Sophia (Seung Hae) Yoo-Hess