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Sermon ideas

Ideas for sermon preparation on Matthew 22.1-14

See also PostScript - Comments, prayers, questions and discussion on the week's news.

In the 1990 Bette Midler movie Stella, no one comes to Stella’s daughter Jenny’s 16th birthday party because her friends’ families all ‘look down’ on her mother. Can you imagine how the girl must have felt? Turning down the invitation implicit in today’s parable (i.e. God’s invitation) is more than turning down an invitation to a birthday party, a family wedding or even to a royal garden party. It is a profound political slight to the king and, in the case of the last invitee, an act of rebellion against his kingship.

A true story: ‘When inviting people to our wedding, my future mother-in-law (who was paying for the reception) invited many more people than the venue could accommodate. So we were most thankful when some people wrote back to say they couldn’t come.’ But that is rarely the case, and in the ‘heavenly banquet’ that this parable alludes to, there is no limit on the capacity. Turn the invitation down at your peril!
Social conventions change from generation to generation. In Jesus’ day, the custom was to send out a notice of an upcoming event, followed by the announcement that it was happening – rather like the ‘save the date’ notices people send out today. However, today the advent of social media has made many people lax about replying to invitations, or indeed turning up when they have said they will. This means that events can easily be oversubscribed, or have a disappointingly lower than expected attendance. Is this contemporary casual approach to events matched by a casual approach to the commitments of faith?
While the king says that those originally invited had demonstrated that they ‘were not worthy’, the servants subsequently invite in ‘both good and bad’. As servants, we are called on not to make judgements about anyone, but to invite everyone. Signs outside churches often say ‘Everyone Welcome’. But is that really true? Research has shown that almost all churches think they are more welcoming than they are.
Many commentators see the last part of this parable (the expulsion of the guest without a wedding robe) as a separate parable tacked on to the end of the other one. This is partly because they are comparing it to the similar parable in Luke 14.16-24, and because Matthew’s version is very disturbing. But it is quite possible that Jesus told similar stories at different times with slightly different emphases (and endings), and his parables are intended to be disturbing. This one reminds us that we are all welcome, but responding to God’s invitation will demand changes of us.

Sermon ideas on Philippians 4.1-9

Informal talk

A way for leaders to guide all ages through the reading.

Sadly, we are increasingly familiar with food banks as a response to poverty in our communities. But financial and food poverty are not the only forms of poverty in the modern world. Through unemployment, debt – and consequent depression – social isolation increases, support networks break down and a poverty of relationships develops.

In the United States, Canada and more recently Scotland, instead of or as well as food banks, some churches are offering what has been called a ‘Table Grace Café in operation’ – a place where people can come and have not only a nutritious meal (made from fresh food, rather than the non-perishable goods that make up most food bank bags), but also conversation and companionship when they want it. There is no set price for the food, with people making a donation, helping out or supplying food if they want. Other activities, including board games, watching TV together, or listening to people sing or play music, also take place in some of these cafés. You could show a video clip of a Table Grace Café in operation, or images from a news report about community meals in Scotland.

The key thing is that everyone is welcome, whether they can pay or not. Might this be something that our church could do? Would that be a one-off (e.g. for Halloween or Bonfire Night, or a Christmas meal), or something to do on an ongoing and regular basis?

Active worship

Activities based on Matthew 22.1-14

A simple worship activity for all ages

Introduce the activity by saying that Paul tells the church at Philippi to ‘Rejoice!’ And he thinks it is so important that he says it again: ‘Rejoice!’ Suggest that the letter to the Philippians is unusually positive.

Paul mentions the words joy and rejoicing 16 times in four short chapters. Yet it is likely that Paul’s joyfulness here had nothing to do with his circumstances (he was under arrest when he wrote it). He has what some call an ‘attitude of gratitude’. Ask everyone to listen to this challenge by the 17th-century Lutheran writer, Bengel: ‘The whole of the letter could be summed up as “I rejoice…Do you rejoice?”’ A more modern writer, Gordon Fee, puts it like this: ‘In every truly Christian life the most obvious evidence of the experience of God’s grace and peace is gratitude and joy.’ With that in mind, we are going to use the party poppers you were given when you came in (see Prepare the space).

Invite people to shout out something specific that they are thankful for today, and to pull their party popper (making sure that it is not pointed directly at someone else!).
E S A

Open invite

Distribute postcard-sized pieces of card and pens. Invite people to write on the card the names of one or more people who they would really like to see come to church and/or encounter Jesus. Encourage them to take the card home and to pray each day for those people, and also for the opportunity – and the words – to invite them to church.
W S A

Save the date

Give out A6-sized cards, coloured pens and pencils, scrap paper and card, ribbon, scissors and glue. Invite people to design and make an invitation for a forthcoming church event (e.g. Halloween Light Party, a Christingle, festival or celebration service). Encourage people to use the completed invitation during the coming week to invite someone to the event.
E A

Casting crowns

If they are not doing so already, ask people to wear their party hats/crowns (see Prepare the space). Remind them that the wedding guest in Jesus’ story was expelled for not wearing his party clothes. Then, working in pairs or small groups, ask people to read Revelation 4.10-11 in order to discover what the elders do with their crowns. Invite people to respond in a similar manner, by placing their crowns in front of the Communion table (or a cross, or another suitable image) as a symbol of their commitment to Jesus.
S A

Spiritual styles abbreviations
W Word E Emotion S Symbol A Action
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Drama: Retelling the tale

This sketch offers a bit of an explanation to the Gospel reading (Matthew 22.1-14), by way of a modern day makeover.

Cast: Three individuals to take on each of the three voices.

Voice 1: Ok everybody, let’s give this a go. Now, are you all clear about what we are attempting to do?

Voice 2: We are going to give the parable of the wedding banquet a bit of a modern day makeover.

Voice 1: That’s right. Now, if you [pointing to Voice 2] could read the Bible passage bit by bit… while the rest of us [looking round] will chip in whatever ideas we can come up with!

Voice 3: Thinking caps on, folks!

Voice 2: Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.’

Voice 3: That’s easy, we’ve just celebrated a royal wedding, so let’s use that.

Voice 1: Good idea…carry on.

Voice 2: He sent his slaves…

Voice 3: Ah! dodgy, don’t like the idea of slaves.

Voice 1: Hmm…well, we could soften it a bit, because the Hebrew word for ‘slave’ is also the same word for ‘servant’… so how about we go with ‘servants’?

Voice 2: Ok…He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.

Voice 3: Fat chance of that! The invitations were like gold dust, everyone wanted to go.

Voice 1: Yeah, but let’s listen to a bit more…

Voice 2: Again he sent other slaves – sorry, servants – saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, ‘Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered…’

Voice 3: I’m sure Jamie Oliver could come up with a fancier sounding menu than that!

Voice 2: ‘…and everything is ready; come to my wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away…

Voice 3: Load of republicans, were they?!

Voice 2: …and went away, one to his farm, another to his business…

Voice 3: Load of capitalists then?!

Voice 2: …while the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

Voice 3: Yikes, up the workers!

Voice 1: We’re going to have to think hard about how we put this across, because although it doesn’t quite fit with our idea of a royal wedding, it does fit with the way Jesus was feeling at the time about how people treated the prophets…a prophet’s lot was not a happy one!

Voice 3: Not surprised they had a hard time of it, going about the place complaining about life, the universe and everything, and then telling the people that they had brought it all on themselves. Not a vote winner, is it?!

Voice 2: The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city…

Voice 3: Yep, I can see the parallel with the way governments respond to similar acts of terrorism today!

Voice 2: …Then he said to his servants…

Voice 3: It’s a wonder that he had any left!

Voice 2: …The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.

Voice 1: And before you make another smart comment [to Voice 3], it does mean the invitation was to ordinary people.

Voice 2: Those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Voice 1: Yep, the whole place was full of ordinary people like you and I, desirable and undesirable [looking at Voice 3]!

Voice 3: Thanks!

Voice 2: But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless…

Voice 3: Uh oh…I’m not liking the way this is going…can we stop at the verse before where everyone’s partying away quite happily?

Voice 1: No, I’m afraid we can’t. Carry on…

Voice 2: …Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Voice 3: Told you I didn’t like it…how are we going to explain this? You surely aren’t going to say that we need to be wearing our angels’ wings in order to get into heaven?

Voice 1: Don’t be silly! It has more to do with putting ourselves right before God…listen:

Voice 2: For many are called, but few are chosen.

Picture pointers: ‘Have you ever turned up at a party wearing inappropriate clothes?'

Have you ever turned up at a party wearing inappropriate clothes?
What do you think are the motives of the man dressed in beach wear?
How do you clothe yourself in righteousness?

Children & Young People

Explore & respond with children

Do, Make, Pray and Sing activities based on Matthew 22.1-14

Do

Hunt the wedding ring 5 mins E

Play a game that involves being ready.

You will need: a costume jewellery/plastic ring or small wrapped present.

Invite everyone to close their eyes and count aloud slowly to 20 or more, depending on your space.
When the children start counting, tap one person on the shoulder and give them the ring to hide.
When the group has finished counting they shout, ‘Coming, ready or not!’ and search for the ring. The finder gets to hide the ring next time. Repeat as desired.

Dressing for the occasion 10 mins E

Be properly dressed before you dine

You will need: three items of dressing-up clothes; a plate, a knife, forks, a wrapped chocolate bar, a die and shaker.

Sit in a circle with the clothes, the plate with the chocolate on, cutlery and die in the centre.
Each player takes it in turn to roll the die. If they roll a 6, they go into the centre, put all the clothes on and start to eat the chocolate using the cutlery. As soon as someone else rolls a 6, they take over. For hygiene reasons, change the fork each time.
Play continues until the chocolate bar is finished.

Make

Ready Steady Cook 15 mins E S

Be ready to respond to a challenge

You will need: a selection of ingredients: bases, e.g. cake, flan case, muffins, sponge fingers, pancakes; something gloopy, e.g. custard, jelly, cream, ice-cream; something healthy, e.g. different fruit pieces; something sweet, e.g. chocolate buttons, sprinkles, jellied sweets, Smarties™; phone/timer, teaspoons. Check for allergies before you do this activity.

Split the children into pairs or small groups. Show them the available ingredients, ask them to think about the options and choose one from each category to make a dessert.
Set the timer for 10 minutes and challenge each group to create a dessert and give it a name.
Provide spoons so everyone can taste the results!

Save the date 10 mins E S

Design an invitation for an event

You will need: A6 cards, pencils, crayons/felt tips, craft decorations, e.g. self-adhesive letters, stars.

Choose a forthcoming date in your church calendar, e.g. a memorial service, Christingle, patronal festival/anniversary celebration.
Talk about the event and who is going to be invited.
Encourage each child to design a ‘save the date’ invitation with all the important information on it. These can be copied and distributed as appropriate.

Pray

Prayer for the uninvited 5 mins W S

Think about those who are left out

You will need: a large piece of card set out as an invitation with the words: Dear…, You are invited…, love from God; sticky notes, pens.

Invite the children to think silently of a person, or a group of people they know, who are left out of things at school or in extra-curricular groups.
Give everyone a sticky note and a pen and encourage the children to write a prayer for these people on the sticky note, using him/her/them rather than their name/s.
Place the large ‘invitation from God’ on the floor in the centre of the group and gather round. Invite the children to stick their prayer somewhere on the invitation. Close with A prayer for others on p.30.

Additional prayers

Sing

Key to abbreviations for hymn book titles

Come into his presence singing (CHY, HON, HTC, RSJ)
Jesus put this song into our hearts
Jubilate, everybody
Nobody’s a nobody
Praise the Lord in the rhythm of your music (RSJ)
Thank you, Lord, for this fine day (CPR, CJP, JP, SoF)

Spiritual styles abbreviations
W Word E Emotion S Symbol A Action
Read our Spiritual Styles articles