Hosted each week by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine, Maya Little-Sana and Charlette Preslar, the Faith To Go Podcast highlight themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
Questions:
1. What were the findings of the study?
2. What does it mean to be "food insecure?"
3. Who is most affected by food insecurity?
4. How can we respond to food insecurity in our communities?
5. How is Jesus calling us in this week's gospel to create more room at our tables for people who are suffering?
Views and Qs: The Great Banquet
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) What did Jesus say to the host?
2) What does he mean about a reward?
3) What story does Jesus tell them?
4) Who came to the party?
4) What do you think he wanted them to learn?
Feast and Faith: Bursting Our Balloon
Prayer - God, you were present at the beginning.
Be with me as I begin a new school year.
Comfort me when I am unsure of my new surroundings.
Strengthen me when I stumble,
And help me remember that your light shines in all places.
All this I ask through you, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
Discussion (From Sermons4Kids)- You and I are sometimes like a balloon. We sometimes get all puffed up with our own importance. (Start blowing up the balloon) We think we are great and we expect everyone else to think so too. (Blow) Maybe it is because we are so good looking, (Blow) or maybe it is because we are so smart. (Blow) Maybe we are really good in sports, (Blow) or perhaps we are the best singer in the choir. (Blow) Sooner or later, if we keep getting puffed up with our own importance, something will happen to burst our balloon. (prick the balloon)
Questions
1. Have you ever seen a balloon bring a child joy? Describe what happened.
2. What are fun qualities of a balloon?
3. What are great qualities you have?
4. Have you ever become too proud?
5. How do you keep humility?
Final nugget – Jesus warns us that we can become too proud, too puffed up about how great we are. Jesus wants us to remember that we are all servants of our God. It’s important to be humble and realized that our strength ultimately comes from God.
Stay and Pray: A Devotion for Families at the Close of the Day Each week we feature a way for your family to reflect and pray together. For families with older children this is an at home liturgy for your family to participate in together. It is a daily devotion for families adapted from The Book of Common Prayer.
Before you begin, take a few moments to decide who will read the scripture reading and who will read the collect and closing. Read the Psalm and Lord's Prayer in unison.
After a moment of silence, begin with the Psalm.
Psalm 81:1, 10-16
(Read in unison)
1 Sing with joy to God our strength *
and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said, *
"Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
11 And yet my people did not hear my voice, *
and Israel would not obey me.
12 So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, *
to follow their own devices.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me! *
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I should soon subdue their enemies *
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, *
and their punishment would last for ever.
16 But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat *
and satisfy him with honey from the rock.
Luke 14:1, 7-14
(read by assigned person)
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, `Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, `Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Prayers for Ourselves and For Others (take this time to each offer one person/event that you would like to hold in prayer as well as one thing you are thankful for)
Dear God, tonight I ask your prayers for.......
and I give you thanks for ..........
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
(read in unison)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen
The Collect
(read by assigned person)
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: