Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Dear Church Family,

Grace and peace to you!

I am Pastor Sophia. As we move toward this coming Sunday, I just wanted to write you a short note—not a sermon (don’t worry 😊), just a pastor’s heart.

This week we’ll be spending time in Gospel of Matthew 5:5–9 and 5:21–24. Jesus talks about peacemakers, reconciliation, and what it really means to live as children of God. It’s one of those passages that sounds beautiful… until we realize He might actually expect us to practice it.

If we’re honest, most of us prefer “peacekeeping” to “peacemaking.” Peacekeeping says, “Let’s not bring that up.” Peacemaking says, “Maybe we should talk about that.” Peacekeeping avoids tension. Peacemaking walks into it—with grace.

 

And let’s be real—walking into tension is not anyone’s favorite hobby. Most of us would rather reorganize the garage, clean out old email, or suddenly become very interested in checking the weather forecast than initiate a hard conversation.

Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Not the conflict-avoiders. Not the always-right arguers. Not the silent grudge-holders. Peacemakers.

The good news is that peacemaking doesn’t start with fixing the whole world. It often starts small:

·       pausing before replying,

·       taking one deep breath,

·       choosing not to send that text (at least not immediately!),

·       or simply saying, “Can we start again?”

And sometimes, peacemaking begins inside our own hearts. We carry more inner arguments than we admit. Jesus invites us to bring those to Him too.

As we gather this Sunday, I hope you’ll come just as you are—no perfect relationships required. Bring your joys, your questions, your complicated family dynamics, your workplace stories, and yes, even that one situation you’d rather avoid. We are all learning together.

Our church may be small, but we can be a community where mercy is normal, apologies are not rare, and grace is not in short supply. That would be something beautiful.

I’m grateful for you. Truly. It is a gift to walk this journey of faith together—sometimes gracefully, sometimes awkwardly, but always under God’s steady love.

Looking forward to seeing you Sunday.

With warmth (and a deep breath),

Sophia (Seung Hae) Yoo-Hess
43987 Little River Turnpike, Chantilly, Virginia
Office) (703)3274461