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9/10/11 Proper 23
Bible Reading
Matthew chapter 22 verses 1-14 Parable of the Wedding BanquetTheme: changing lives
Preparation
You will need the front of the hall to look as if you are planning a party – cake or other nibbles, perhaps balloons etc. A member of staff to act as your secretary (or the school secretary herself would be even better). A pile of shawls, towels, tea towels etc which can be put round people’s shoulders (they are the “wedding garments”) and someone primed to reject the wedding garment.Introduction
Explain you are just planning a celebration party for this assembly and are waiting for the guests to arrive. Enter into conversation with the secretary asking after different guests and when they are arriving – make the names ones children will recognise either from the local community or perhaps celebrities. Of course, each time you are told they are not coming, they have something better to do. Express your disappointment that they are missing this special occasion.The Message
After a moment of thought, tell the secretary to find you some more guests to come and enjoy your cake etc. The secretary selects some of the children and adults in the hall and leads them up. With each one you thank them for coming and ask them to wear their special shawl for the party. Tell them you are doing this because in Jesus’ time when you went to a special party like a big wedding you would always get a present of clothes to wear, and you thought it would be fun to do the same thing today. (You could even refer to the contemporary Indian custom of giving shawls or garlands to special guests.)Your primed person treats their shawl with disdain and throws it away while your back is turned.
As you move round the group distributing cake you spot the person without a shawl. Tell them that it was very important that everyone who came to the party changed and wore their special shawls, and that because they have not got a shawl they cannot stay. Send them back to their place.
Explain how you have all been acting out a parable which Jesus told about a man who gave a big feast for his wedding. Recap the story. Remind the assembly that Jesus always told parable stories as a way of teaching something about God, and ask what the message might be this time.
God invites all of us to be his friends (come to his banquet), but there are some people who don’t want to accept his invitation and don’t come. Some people say “yes”, but they haven’t realised that being a friend of God means living the right way and following his teaching, so they slip back to their old ways of behaving, like the person who didn’t want to wear their shawl and wouldn’t join in. But God doesn’t give up, he wants everyone to be his friends and invites everyone in – it is up to us what happens next.
Prayer
`Father God, we thank you for the invitation to be your friend. Help us to listen to your teaching and think about our lives, and work out what is important and what we should spend time doing. Help us to remember to make time in our lives to be with you. Amen
This week you could think about Jesus and wedding stories - you can find illustrations on-line to help you, or place them in a contemporary context e.g. the wedding at Cana - John chp 2 vss 1-11; the foolish bridesmaids - Matthew chp 15 vss 1-13; taking the lowest place at the wedding party - Luke chp 14 vss 7-11