CreatingCommunity is an email devotion to guide your preparation for worship next weekend. Imagine how much more clear and relevant God's Word will be if you have had an opportunity read, reflect, and dwell in the Word prior to worship. You may do this devotion alone, with others, as a family, or over Zoom as a small group.

This devotion is to be done in preparation for this coming weekend's worship.

Please follow these three steps:

1. Read through the text
2. Respond to the questions (select one of the sets of questions)
3. Offer a Prayer
Matthew 22:1-14
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. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘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.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“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. 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.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
No Experience Necessary Questions:
  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
  2. What delights me in this text?
  3. What stories or memories does this text stir in me?
  4. What is God up to in this text?
Family Questions:
  1. In your own words tell the parable of the wedding banquet. What do you notice about what you remember and what you may have omitted in your telling?
  2. The topic of this parable is the kingdom of heaven. What do you know about the Kingdom of heaven? What do you wonder about the Kingdom of heaven? What does this parable say about the kingdom of heaven?
  3. Why do you think those first invited did not come? Would you go if invited to a special party?
Advance Questions:
  1. What's with the wedding robe? How do you explain the reaction by the king to one at the banquet not dressed a certain way?
  2. It has been said that this is a parable indicating that the blessings of God’s kingdom are available to all, but the invitation is not to be taken lightly. Do you agree? Explain.
  3. What does this parable have to say to us today? How do you understand this parable in the midst of a pandemic, presidential election, and decline in the influence of the church?
Click here to listen to this week's CreatingCommunity video
"All Things are Ready, Come to the Feast“, a Cappella Hymn.
Prayer
Gracious God, in love You open wide the doors and welcome us into Your presence—
saints and sinners alike.
You spread a table before us, filled with the richest fare— a feast of love and mercy
for the body and soul.
We come with joy to meet You here, to eat and drink at Your table, to taste and see Your goodness, to celebrate Your grace and mercy in our lives.
May Your Spirit inspire our praise and thanksgiving, our prayers and petitions
as we worship together in Your presence.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our host and Lord. Amen.
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