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parables of jesus

(1) The Dinner Party Drama

Based on Luke 14 vs 12 - 24  

Overview: This is a drama to demonstrate that God invites every one of us to become a part of His amazing family, the Family of God. Equally, God wants us to make sure that everyone around us knows that they are welcome too. 

Characters / parts:

Narrator

Millie – Dinner party hostess

Invited guests who made excuses:
Bob the recently married man - jacket, top hat...
Jim the builder – hard hat, hi-viz jacket, building tool...
Fred the golfer – golf club, cap...
Roy the inventor – wig, dog umbrella...
(For this drama all of the invited guests were played by the same person who wore different hats and gear. Obviously several different folk could be involved here instead.)  

Four folk from the streets including old man with a walking stick, plus others, maybe a few of the children (no lines).

Props: Post box, various hats and guises, dinner party table and stuff, invitations, possibly a casserole dish and cardboard box for the oven. 

Drama - The Dinner Party

Millie - Hostess: (Standing mid platform with invitations)

Narrator: A lady decided to hold a dinner party and invite her friends along for a lovely meal. She wrote out the party invitations and posted them. (Hostess posts invites into the post box).

(Hostess now laying the table with some things representing the dinner party.)

When the day arrived for the party the lady prepared the table in readiness for her guests.

All was prepared and the food was cooking in the oven, so the lady picked up her phone and began to call her friends to tell them that all was ready. She was looking forward to seeing them later on at the party.

(the hostess stands one side of the platform with her phone, the invited guests on the other side with phone.)

Bob recently married: (answering the phone) Hello, who is it please? 

Millie - Hostess: (call 1) Oh hello there Bob.

Bob: (phone in hand wearing top hat) Oh Hi there Millie.

Millie - Hostess: I’m just calling to say that all is ready for the dinner party this evening; I’m starting at 6 and am really looking forward to seeing you later.

Bob: Oh dear, well, um, thing is we’re not able to come this evening as it’s only two weeks since our wedding and we’ve got tickets for the theatre tonight. I know we said we’d come but, well, perhaps another time?

Millie - Hostess: (looking very disappointed) Oh, OK then, bye. 

Millie - Hostess: (call 2) Oh hello, Jim trust you and Alice are OK.

Builder Jim: (in builders hat, saw in hand on phone) Yes we’re good thank you, how you doing?

Millie - Hostess: Well, I’m really looking forward to seeing you guys tonight at the dinner party. I’m all sorted this end we’re starting at 6.

Builder Jim:  Ah, about the dinner party. Yes, thing is, sorry about this but I’m finishing building our house and won’t be home until very late tonight. So, unfortunately we’re going to have to miss this one. Perhaps you could come round to our house warming party.

Millie - Hostess: Oh I see, well I suppose that’s that then. Bye.

Millie - Hostess: (call 3) Oh hello Fred, how are you both?

Fred: Hi Millie, we’re good thanks trust you are too.

Millie - Hostess: All good this end thanks Fred, in fact I’m calling to say that all is set for the dinner party tonight and I’m looking forward to seeing you both later.

(Fred is silent on the other end of the phone)

Millie - Hostess: Hello, hello! Fred are you there? Fred!

Fred: Yes, yes, yes, I’m here, thing is I’ve got a golf match this evening and we can’t come to the party after all.

Millie - Hostess: I get the picture Fred see you soon.

Millie - Hostess: (4th call)

Roy: (crazy inventor answers the phone) Hello, this is Roy speaking.

Millie - Hostess: Oh hi Roy – are you coming to the party tonight?

Roy the inventor: Oh dear, didn’t I tell you, I’ve just invented an umbrella for dogs and I’m going to try it out tonight with my mates hosepipe.

Millie - Hostess: (looking rather annoyed) No Roy, you didn’t tell me. Goodbye!

Narrator: The lady came off the phone quite upset and annoyed that all of her invited guests had made excuses for not coming to her dinner party. Do you know what she decided to do? We’ll I’ll tell you, she went out into the street and invited anyone who was around to come to her party. There were poor people, old people, young people, all sorts of people and they went and joined the party. And what a jolly good time they had too!

Summing Up

Do you know, Jesus told a story like this in the Bible to illustrate something very important. Jesus has given out the biggest invitation in the whole world; it’s an invitation to absolutely everyone. Jesus invites all people to come join His Father’s family, the family of God, that’s what the dinner party in our drama represents. Although the folk around the table came from all over and didn’t know one another they came together in celebration as if they were one big family.

God wants us all to join His family, there’s a place for every one of us, whoever we are, wherever we’re from, God invites us to come.

The lady in the drama invited people she knew to her party and none of them seemed interested in going. Then she went out and invited people she didn’t know and they loved her invitation, the poor, lonely, old and young.

The Good News is that God wants everyone to be part of His family, and, He wants us to make sure that everyone around us knows that they are welcome too. That includes our friends and all of the people we know, and equally importantly all of the people we don’t know as well! 

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Drama Script and leaders’ notes