Thought for the Day - Sunday 11 October

Thought for the Day – Sunday 11th October ‘Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ “But they paid no attention and went off - one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.’ (Matthew 22: 1-10) R.S.V.P. – four little letters that we put on an invitation to a special event, asking people to indicate whether or not they accept the invitation. It is a way of politely asking the recipient not to put the invitation away and forget about it or to delay their reply until the very last minute, but rather to respond as soon as possible. I wonder what your biggest excuse or tall tale you have made up for not going along to something to which you have been invited or indeed to not even replying to the invitation. Here’s a story written for Spill the Beans on this passage – why not try and place yourself somewhere in the story today: “A king’s son was getting married. It was going to be the event of the year. Everyone who was anyone was to be invited. Otherwise the king would be dishonoured, laughed at and ridiculed. So the king made sure all the invites went out to all the right people. The king waited for the replies to come back and was shocked and disappointed and hurt at what he read. To the invitation, “You are invited to my son’s wedding. Will you attend?” the replies came in saying, “I have my cousin staying the next day and I need to tidy their room”. Another saying “I don’t have a diary and so can’t write it in and so wouldn’t be able to come because I won’t remember”. The king was sad and furious so he asked his servants to go into the towns and villages and ask everyone, no matter who they were. The feast was ready and there was food for all. So the servants did so and people flocked to the wedding, everyone was welcomed. And Jesus said, this is what the Kingdom is like: a place for everyone, and enough for everyone.” You know the coming of Jesus into the world was an invitation, an invitation to be part of God’s kingdom and this is an invitation which needs a response and it is an invitation God still extends today – to you, to me, to everyone. Having received this invitation from God, it is no good just receiving it and then putting it away; no good thinking we can put off making a decision on whether to respond to it until another day; no good making up elaborate excuses or reasons not to accept – for God is asking us, just as he has asked so many before us and his invitation requires a response. God even today is saying R.S.V.P. – how will you respond? Prayer Loving Lord, You invite one and all, so here we are. You make space for us whoever and wherever we are. May we feel your welcome and extend that same grace to others. May our response to you transform our lives, may our despair turn to hope, our fear into joy and our loss into new beginnings. May we know ourselves seen and heard by you Lord God, loved as we are and made new by the intimacy of our relationship with you. Forgive what we have been, renew what we shall be and take us into the future inspired to serve you in the world. Lord, keep on working in us and through us until we extend our reach and our arms in welcome and you are worshipped as you ought to be in every corner of the world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Hymn Why not take time today to sing ‘Jesus calls us here to meet him’ CH4 510 Blessing Each time we respond God throws a party. He is glad we came, delighted we made the effort. We are God’s special guests. Remember God the Creator, Jesus the Son, the Spirit our guide, makes time for us each and every day. Amen